Will Israel be following the footsteps of Finland and send a Heavy Metal band to the Eurovision Song Contest, for the first time? According to Israeli website Ynet.co.il it might just happen in 2011.

Orphaned Land is an Israeli Heavy Metal band, who is relatively unknown on homeland, but is very much popular among hard rock enthusiasts, surprisingly mainly in Turkey and a few arab states. The band is known for its unique musical style, fusing hard rock with Jewish and Arab elemnts. A few months ago a campaign calling the IBA to send the band to Eurovision was initiated, with a group on Facebook. This group counts more than 5,000 supporters today and its admin is Kobi Farhi – the lead singer himself…

Ynet.co.il reports today that IBA has invited the band to take part in the upcoming national final Kdam-Eurovision, to be held on March 8th. If the band accepts the proposal, they will most probably enter with a song, written by Yehuda Poliker – an established and very popular singer and song writer.

Orphaned Land's relative anonymity in Israel mightprove useful to them in the Kdam-Eurovision: This year's dates of the Eurovision Song Contest impose complications on the Israeli participation, as the national memorial day and independence day occur at that very same week. Prominent Israeli artists refused to enter the Kdam-Eurovision, since a possible stay in Düsseldorf means missing the opportunity to perform across the country, during the Independnce Day holiday. This would mean not a lot of competition in the Kdam-Eurovision, which could pave the way for Orpahend Land to Germany.

You can support the band on the page on Facebook. Israel will participate in the second half of the second semifinal in Düsseldorf.

Watch Orphaned Land's Ocean Land