Nothing can better describe the beautifully melodic yet punishingly heavy concoction that is Noiseware. Combining intricacy, technicality and groove with a visual experience unlike ever seen before, Noiseware is the vanguard of a new, young and thriving Indian Metal Landscape, constantly seeking to push the boundaries of possibility. Formed in mid 2009, barely a show old, the band released their first single, ‘G-String’, which made rounds atop the Soundclick international metal charts. But the first real taste of success came just three months in, when the band beat some of the top rock and metal acts of the country at Mood Indigo Livewire Festival 2009, to support progressive giants, Porcupine Tree.

Here goes the exclusive Interview With NOISEWARE:

1. First the formal greetings - whats up fellas!!!!?

Noiseware: Wurrrd! All good, the usual groove is in clockwork.

2. Noiseware - a very geeky yet intelligent sounding name. How did you guys come up it?

Noiseware: I think we’re are all a bunch of closet geeks and have an avid love for new technology and things related to it. As for the name however, a trail of thought had led to it but it was quite a while back and I honestly don’t remember anymore!

3. Every band has story about their formation - Tell us about how Noiseware was formed to what it is today.

Noiseware: Basically me and Gautam used to play for a band called Dropout Society/The Pristine Theorem along with Murali(Management) and when that band dissolved, we were looking to continue playing music and Noiseware happened! I found Bob and Aniket off the interwebs and we knew Aman from his Vyazasa days.

4. The band witnessed a change in the vocal department (exit of Karan Pote and enter AmanVirdi ) - how did the change affect the sound, songwriting and other elements of the band?

Noiseware: I would say it was a pretty major change for us and I think it’s something which still makes us approach things differently, with every song. The entire dynamics of our sound and song writing pretty much turned around with the inculcation of clean vocals, which we had been looking to experiment with, for a long while.

5. The band is known to be the pioneers of incorporating 8-string guitars in the songwriting, in India - tell us what went into getting that beast in India and some technical insight on using a 8-stringer.

Noiseware: Haha I definitely do not think we are pioneers of any sort, probably just luck that we were the first to start using these instruments. Back then 8 stringed guitars hadn’t really caught up(compared to the rage they are today), and we had to get them down from the U.S. A couple of considerations went into what guitars we would pick, but they were very budget dependent, haha!

As for the technical insight, I guess you just gotta think outta the box with respect to your songwriting and guitar playing. Unless you use the 8-string primarily for the top two low strings. I think some bands/musicians do that and have an affinity for that sound/vibe, but for us it was more to do with how to use the entire spectrum of sound available with the 8 strings. We experiment with some odd tunings and write music completely by ear, so I guess the process is all the more intriguing for us.

6. The 'djent' scene is picking up heavy pace – What’s your take on it?

Noiseware: Trends will come and trends will go! Stay honest to your music, and keep at it.

7. Your sound is unique and punishingly heavy but is there a softer/acoustic side of Noiseware that we can expect in future or is in the making?

Noiseware: Haha if you listen to the EP or the new material, you would probably notice that the softer(maybe not acoustic) side is pretty prevalent already! Whatever has been written since Aman joined the band, has been a lot more melodic and the softer elements have been more present. I think those elements would definitely continue to be a part of our sound, maybe a little more strongly, with the balance of the heavy side. As for acoustic, we do joke about doing an unplugged set off and on haha. I/We love that style of music so maybe we might experiment with that one day..who knows!

8. How would you define the 'sound' of Noiseware to the new fans/listeners?

Noiseware: I have no idea to be honest. It’s pretty much still evolving. We’re a metal band… I guess.

9. You have opened for many international acts (TesseracT, Meshuggah, Enslaved, Porcupine Tree) - have you met any of the band members backstage? Any anecdotes to share?

Noiseware: Barring Porcupine Tree(who had some strange security scene happening), we’ve met all the other bands. They are all very down to earth musicians, and do not carry airs or whims of any sort. Very approachable people in general, and boy are they skilled musicians! There is tons to learn from them, both as musicians and as people in general.

10. With similar sounding bands coming up after a particular genre boom -Being an important part of the scene - how would you describe the current trend in the Indian metal scene?

Noiseware: I think the Indian scene is no different from anywhere else in the world. Trends like Nu Metal, Metalcore etc have come in the past, and bands have come and gone. I guess bands who have stayed honest to themselves and their music have stuck on and still play. Trends/booms aren’t only in music or metal..look around and you will find them in Everything humans do. This is a cycle which will always prevail and maybe its healthy? There are probably two sides to every coin, but if we look at positive and quit the hating, the world will be a better place haha.

11. Speaking of influences - what are the bands common influences?

Noiseware: Uhh they aren’t really only musical things. I mean we’re a bunch of really tight friends so a lotta non-musical things indirectly affect the music. But as for music, I think our maximum common influences are based outta non-metal genres like rock/post-rock, electronic music and such.

12. Hailing from Pune - does the place, culture, people influence the songs in any way?

Noiseware: Yes it probably does. I personally think that the music you write is an end product of everything – music, life, surroundings, moods, emotions blah blah. It’s an art form and creativity is always inspired from the most obscure of things.

13. What was the biggest struggle/hurdle you guys had as a band?

Noiseware: I think there have been quite a few. But I think Livewire 2009 will forever be remembered by all of us. From not even making it post the first round of demo calls(yes, we didn’t!), to sharing stage with Porcupine Tree, it was an overwhelming experience. It was all unexpected, and we were barely 6 months old! It kinda laid a foundation for us a band and strengthened whatever we stand for.

14. Finally- your space - any message/rants/abuses/propositions - go for it!

Noiseware: HAY GAISE. TNX 4 AL UR SUPPORT. WE <3 U AND WILL ALWAYS DO. Keep peeled for the album, and come say hi at a gig or on the interwebs. Thanks for the fun interview and for having us here. Cheers braws! 

Check Them Out On Facebook HERE.

Noiseware Official Website HERE

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Interviewed By,

Varun Kodo

Paradise Lost… A band that would give John Milton a run for his money, just by the sheer catchiness of the brand of doom they sport. Taking the reins from early British doom metal bands like Witchfinder General and likes, they usher in an age of catchy and mainstreamish doom alongside colleagues Anathema and My Dying Bride.

The band was born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, nearly a quarter century hence. The line-up of vocalist Nick Holmes, guitarists Greg Mackintosh and Aaron Aedy along with bassist Steve Edmondson, have remained a stalwart force. Only the drum seat has had a revolving door, much as the band’s music has ebbed and flowed in genre and potency.

The quintet’s early and mid 90’s releases, Icon and Draconian Times were some of the finest doom-centric albums to have graced our ears, instantly shooting them to critical acclaim and deserved fame. Fame was short-lived, for they have had this unassuming ability to change their style every two years, successfully alienating their fans to a great extent. Jumping from being downright doom laden to gothic, to electro – synth and ended up sounding like Dépêche Mode. They sure had their share of fun experimenting. However, in 2005, they had planned to reclaim their old glory by dishing out albums imitating their old selves, but none of them had even come close, except for their last release Faith Divides Us.. Death Unites Us.

Come 2012 and we have Paradise Lost taking another shot at glory with Tragic Idol. The album title probably sums up their entire discography wherein they hit gold with the first few albums, went wayward with the next few and then tried to get back there again, failing miserably all the while. Overall the album is slightly better than their previous release, but just like the other album, this falls short by a considerable extent. Nick Holmes is nonetheless spot on with his coarse cleans and a pretty decent vocal range. At different parts of a few songs he does come out with his trademark baritone clean vocals, which is even cooler, like it is in the title track.

Vallenfyre front-man and lead guitarist Greg Mackintosh, who along with Holmes is the band’s principal songwriter, does his bit, playing ‘some’ very catchy and memorable riffs with precision. Notice my emphasis on the word ‘Some’? For the album mostly contains riffs that you’ve heard before or which aren’t that remarkable to gain neither your precious memory space nor your patronage. It’s a let-down; because Paradise Lost’s iconic albums were famed for their doomy yet incredibly catchy riffing. For instance, I can still recollect the opening riff of “Hallowed Land” of Draconian Times yet remember nothing from their albums after that.

Tragic Idol does have some good tracks. First are the dual melodic yet somber tracks “Fear of Impending Hell” and “Honesty in Death”. The former features some great cleans from Nick Holme’s (the man doesn’t age or what? He is that good), acoustic guitars, and has that bleak and hopeless future that the song seems to put forward. The latter is something that seems straight off Draconian Times (Oh that catchy main riff!). If only the album was filled with similar songs… Also worth a mention is the closing track, “The Glorious End” which does sound glorious at moments, as its name suggests.

I am not even remotely stating that the album is bad by any means; it is just that I find it lacking something really crucial. Maybe it’s those epic atmospheres of gloom and doom that the band seemed to conjure out of thin air, making it seem effortless, contrary to what they are doing right now. The album in the end sounds too forced, lacking in luster as it was for its immediate predecessor albums. Yet I can’t help but to hope that they still have it in them to reclaim lost ground: The apostles of doom they once were! For now Tragic Idol might be more aptly named, Tragic Idle.

Rating: 6.5/10

There are certain bands that create music that can cut you up emotionally in ways you never dreamt of. And then there’s Anathema. Except they manage to break you down to the very last atom and more often than not leave you a shuddering wreck once they’re done. Right from their early doom/death years to the gut wrenching sweet sorrow of Judgement, A Natural Disaster, and their last excursion into otherworldly dreamscapes with We’re Here Because We’re Here, Anathema have been on a quest to transcend the confines of music as an art form.

Weather Systems is Anathema’s ninth studio album. Honestly, We’re Here Because We’re Here was indeed a flawless, life affirming comeback and a gold-plated contender for the album of the year. It took them seven years to complete and just like a certain bearded guy in the sky created the universe in seven days (allegedly), these mere mortals from Liverpool had managed to outdo him and then some, just like a bunch of buggers from the same city managed to upstage his son about 50 years ago.

The album has a very bright and soothing start with beautiful clean guitar melody of “Untouchable, Part I”. This song has a very powerful vocal delivery and beautifully penned, touching lyrics. The song is about letting your true love go and moving on, a feeling so perfectly implied by the Cavanagh. I really like the way he amplifies his feelings as the song progresses with all the instruments assisting him to the best. After a well-orchestrated outro, the song merges into its second part, “Untouchable, Part II”. It starts with a nicely done piano intro. As it can be easily understood by the phrase “had to let you go”, the song deals about the aftermath of letting go. The band adds more depth to song by bringing in Lee Douglas’s vocals harmonized with Vincent Cavanagh’s vocals.

The next song “The Gathering of the Clouds” is somewhat faster than the first two songs and it consists of more modulating vocal harmonies. You can feel the song catching pace as it progresses but frankly speaking, the song failed to meet my expectations. The song ends and merges into its second part, which is called “Lightning Song”. “Lightning Song” begins with a fast guitar melody, which has a structure quiet similar to “Untouchable, Part I” intro. The song is sung mostly by Lee Douglas who got a bit heavier in the song. In fact her vocals can be heard throughout the album. The song gains the pace which was left behind in “The Gathering of the Clouds”. The drums and guitars add more heaviness to the song. The drumming adds more life to the album.

“Sunlight” features more rock instruments than the previous songs and is quicker and bouncier than other songs and is one of my favorites from the album. Like rest of the songs of the album, “Sunlight” gives perfect justice to the genre of the band, Environmental rock. The outro of the song has beautiful guitar harmony added by Daniel Cavanagh which reminds of Coldplay’s Viva La Vida album.

Next song, “The Storm before the Calm” is different from rest of the songs heard on the album, both structure-wise and musically. The song has two sections. The first part has gloomy psychedelic effect which transcends one’s mind into a maelstrom with high pitch vocals. The second part of the song has more calmness than the first. The song has peaceful vocals and beautifully written lyrics. The guitars on the song are truly exceptional. One thing I like about the song is its title. It says a lot and describes so many real life situations.

My favorite from the album is “The Beginning and the End”. It starts off with a beautiful classical piano intro. The song touches heart when the drums enter the song creating a beautiful progression. Beautifully crafted vocals with a great emotional delivery are added by Vincent Cavanagh. After one stanza, guitars with a fine selection of tone join the song and take the song to a new level. The song has a melodic bridge which leads into a powerful guitar solo on an over-driven guitar. After the end of solo, the song ends with the grand piano as it had kicked off.

The last two songs, “The Lost Child” and “Internal Landscapes” are slower than the rest of the album and have a light psychedelic effect with them, perfect for someone who is high on weed. The songs don’t have much of guitars or drums and are mostly played on piano. “Internal Landscapes” features spoken dialogues with soft music played in background. These songs give more of a ‘closing in to death’ kind of an experience.

This album may not grab you in the same way that We’re Here Because We’re Here did, but these well-crafted, captivating sounds that emerge here are a brilliant evolution of Anathema’s repertoire. With gorgeous harmonies, captivating melodies and a stubborn, lingering sense of melancholy, this album will still have you feeling excited over Anathema regardless of what path they choose to follow. The orchestral ensemble in the songs builds up the ambient atmosphere and has a very appealing effect to its listeners. A must listen album.

Rating – 7/10

The 31st of March, 2012 is a memorable day for the rockers/metalheads of Nashik. After almost a year after the last gig taking place in town, Blackout happened. It's a “Strictly metal” gig organized by a bunch of local like-minded metalheads under the name of Rock In Nashik. Blackout featured 4 local metal bands: Mrutyunjay, Diabolic Lords, Sense Of Tumour and Blood Rose. This was the debut gig for Sense Of Tumour and Blood Rose. The gig took place at Durvankur Lawns.

With more than 200+ people attending it on Facebook and almost 150 people attending it in person (believe me or not, this is a big turnout for a Nashik gig), there was no way I was missing this! But there was a fuck-up at the gig. The person initially responsible for the sound management chickened out at the last moment and the organizers had to rope in a new guy: Mangesh (Courtesy of this news: Band members of Diabolic Lords). The gig was supposed to start at 5:30 pm but got delayed by an hour due to this.

The 1st band to play was Diabolic Lords with a new drummer just for this set (Yeah, they played 2 sets). The 1st set consisted of three Lamb Of God covers by the band to pay their tribute to one of their favorite bands. The songs played were Laid To Rest, Omerta and Walk With Me In Hell. And if you’re covering one of the biggest metal bands, you have to be as good as them or better. The songs turned out to be relatively better than I expected them to be even without the proper equipment and the shitty sound. Except for Omerta, the other two tracks were good. I really didn’t expect Lokesh to properly complete that 16 sec. scream in Laid To Rest, but he shockingly was quite close to completing it. The drums were at times out of pattern and the bass was a little hard to hear but on the whole, most people enjoyed themselves.

The 2nd band was the new-comer Blood Rose. These guys didn’t have a bass guitarist neither a vocalist (That saved the trouble of trying to hear the vocals and bass! :P) The band just played one song, an original composition called “Revelation Of The New Life.” The song was just around 3 minutes long and the lead guitar died out somewhere in between. The track desperately needed vocals. I won’t really criticize them much since this was their first gig and I really hope the band will learn from this experience and I’m really hoping to see them with a complete line-up and a better performance

The next band come onto the stage were Sense Of Tumour. The band played three songs two being original compositions: Elegy (instrumental intro) and Slave Society and one cover song: Vacuity (originally by Gojira). Most people had a great time during their set and these guys started the moshing. The band showed their resiliency with the cover song (I guess I’m saying that since I was able to compare Sense Of Tumour’s version with Gojira’s). This song got me moshing too. I’m sure if Gojira was seeing Sense Of Tumour playing live, they’d have tears in their eyes. The Arbaaz’s vocal and Ritvik’s drumming impressed me a lot. The guitars were a little inaudible. The thing that shocked me the most was that I could make out the bass guitar! And except for a glitch or two these guys did an awesome job for their debut.

The next band to descend upon the stage was Mrutyunjay. I could hear the crowd cheering the band’s name before they came upon stage. The band played 4 of their very own songs: Lost Innocence, Mrutyunjay Mantra, Cosmic End: Earth’s Retribution and Point Blank Therapy. The band took some time to start with their set but I guess it was worth the wait. Despite the fucked-up sound, these guys did a marvelous and phenomenal job! Everyone flocked to the front and these guys got literally everyone headbanging and moshing! I really had a great time seeing them play. The band would take a “2 min break” after each song, but it paid off. Arun’s vocals were as usual epic! The guitar trio of Monesh, Pratik and Swapnil was out to kill! Monesh and Swapnil shared the lead guitar duties while Pratik stuck to the rhythm guitar. Sreenu and Dilip did a superb job on the bass effect. Most people even told me that they were here only to see Mrutyunjay play live (Okay, now that sucks!). Overall these guys lived upto their expectations.

The last band to play was Diabolic Lords (for the 2nd time), this time with a bunch of their original stuff. The band played 5 tracks: Kingdom Of Darkness, DNA, Prophecy Of Love, B69 and Insane Humanity. I had great trouble listening to them, but I guess the band took control sometime during the 3rd track Prophecy Of Love. I stood in every possible place to properly hear the first 2 tracks, but in vain. Some fans had brought Diabolic Lords flags (which I found quite lame!). I witnessed a wall of death for the 1st time in Nashik! Despite the bad sound, these guys made a hard effort to deliver their best, which I greatly appreciate. I even tried my luck in the moshpit, which didn’t go too well. Not the best performance by the band, but yet quite cool.

On the whole, the one thing that sucked was the sound but the gig was awesome. I guess we may need a little bigger audience turn-out. Seeing such a big moshpit and a wall of death delighted me. I remember being in a moshpit 4 yrs back with only 6 people in it; and at Blackout a gigantic moshpit of 40 people. I guess I can proudly say that things surely are changing in Nashik. A notable mention ought to be given to the event partners and media partners Virgo BPO Services Pvt. Ltd and Metalbase India respectively.

 

Rating: 7/10

 

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Reviewed By,

Naman Lakhani

When you’re living in an age where every one out of three or four bands choose their genre as death metal, your band has to live up-to the mark; basically you have to be a promising act. Now there are guys who experiment and there are guys who stick to the “old-school” trend (never really understood that term). The Guwahati based metal band Agnostic belongs to the latter category. I had come across the single entitled “Maggot Infest” off the upcoming album Morbid Embracement and was wondering if these guys were the “real deal”. Very few Indian death metal acts have lived up to my expectations; namely Abandoned Agony, Blood Meridian, Infernal Wrath, Dhwesha and Exhumation (the last two having changed my life drastically). So I’m wondering if Agnostic will also be added to this list of “Indian Death Metal Giants”. Anyhow let’s start the Agnostic journey:

Agnostic is a 5-piece death metal band (as I mentioned before) from the City of Extreme Metal: Guwahati. The band consists of Deep on vocals, Hemen and David (David also doing backing vocals) on guitars, Nitu on the bass guitar and Mitul on drums. So a quick glance at the album title Morbid Embracement; what exactly does that even mean? As far as I know, Embracement isn’t even a proper word, but I get the idea of what the band is trying to convey: Facing the fact that eventually you will die!

The songwriting and musicianship on Morbid Embracement is unequivocally worthy of praise. The 'In your face' attack of “One Final Mutilation”, “Morbid Embracement”, “Maggot Infest” or “Beneath the Frozen Depth” are ferocious  and precisely executed. However, on the other side, we have few tracks, “Acrisia” and “Blood Ridden Epitaph” which are disappointing and do not continue the combination of technicality and murderous aggression. Although there is just something about the precision attack of the compositions and the sheer viciousness of the delivery that makes Morbid Embracement sound like more of a classic death metal opus every time I spin it. Maybe some of it has to do the mix of thick and gooey bass licks and sickeningly crunchy guitars that producer Barooa Brothers have skillfully captured in the studio. It could be the furious pace or the lethal chord progressions of Hemen and David (who rip out some lacerating solos). Deep’s patented screams and distinctive growls might even be more psychotic this time around.

Morbid Embracement also gets better with repeat listens, a sign of lasting quality. “Psychotic Mission of Death” is the perfect opener. It is as speedy and insane a three minutes that you will hear from Agnostic. Several tracks are already beginning to sound like classics to these ears, most notably the fat crush and tricky tempo shifts of “Maggot Infest”. It is the album’s most memorable track (at least right now). “One Final Mutilation”, “Submerge in Gore” and “Morbid Embracement” are close behind. The arrangement of all three are frantic, unsettling, and difficult to rid from the dark recesses of the mind. The more you listen, the more you’ll begin to appreciate the six-string intricacies of Hemen and David as well. “Beneath The Frozen Depth” closes the album in an appropriately strangulating manner.

A special reference to the title track "Morbid Embracement" which went well for first few seconds till 0:15. I guess when the band said that Cannibal Corpse is one of their biggest influences, I guess they took it a lil’ too seriously. You’ll know what I’m talking about if you’re a big Cannibal Corpse. Every beat produced by the drums is like a grenade being stuffed up your ass. The vocals and guitars were typical. That earth-shattering solo at 2:05 is mind blowing! Something what Pat O’Brien or Jack Owen would’ve exactly done. I was on the whole quite angered after listening to this song.

I heard the album almost three times back to back, not knowing why. Maybe because it was too awesome or maybe just to see if there was anything new in it for me to hear. The riffs absolutely grind, just as the rhythms pulverize and the vocals thunder. Deep’s unique vocal pattern on an epileptic seizure of a song called “One Final Mutilation” is just one of those cool little touches.

Morbid Embracement is the sound of a band that is out to prove that it can be among death metal’s elite. It’s technically proficient, eminently memorable to some extent, and gorged with entrails. Although the album is quite small duration-wise, with not a single track exceeding the four-minute mark, and the album itself being just 24 minutes, it is monumental! The lyrics are how they should be; about gore, torture, mutilation, etc. Finally, the subtle bits and pieces in the arrangements don’t necessarily stand out until after the first few listens, so spend some time with this one. The more you listen, the more you’ll hear, and the more you’ll appreciate this bloody good time of a death metal album. To those who think that spending 200 bucks on a 24 min album is a waste; I’ve got a question for you: “Would you prefer to spend money on a 50 min album with average tracks or would you prefer to spend that money on a 20 or 30 min album with awesome tracks?” Think about it. 

Rating: 8/10

The country doesn’t need an intro of India's most Infernal Metal band Bhayanak Maut, hailing from Mumbai, started as a joke by original members back in 2003, got serious with Channel [V] Launchpad in 2007 and with this they made an official entry in the Indian Metal Scene, alongside other local metal bands. From TIT FOR TWAT to CHAKNA CHURCH, Bhayanak Maut paved the way for the new wave of Indian Metal. Immensely popular for gruesome moshpit, brutal live shows with wilder ending.

Today let's encounter with Sunneith Revanker of Bhayanak Maut:

1. First of all warm greetings from Metal Wani Team. How have you been?

Sunneith - Very well, thank you. We just got back from a crushing gig in Gandhinagar with our friends, Undying inc.

2. As everyone knows the name BM was inspired by Ramsay Brother's Hindi Horror movie of the same name meaning *Horrific Death*. What was the reason behind adopting this name? Does it reflect your identity and how does it reflect your sound?

Sunneith - I think Baba came up with the name. The name has instant recall value. It somehow reflects the intensity of our music without sounding retarded like Vaginimus extartus or some shit like that.

3. Your album was awarded as Best *Album of the Year at Jack Daniels Rock Awards* and rated as *Best Album of 2009 by Metal India Magazine*. You are the first Indian Metal Band to pick up a *4 Star Review from Rolling Stone Magazine* in 2009 and this year you had an amazing gigg at *Inferno Festival*. We would like you to share the story of your success with your fans?

Sunneith - Awards are great. They put us on the map. But the success of a band is not reflected by the number of awards that a band wins. It isn’t success and it never will be because that is where complacency comes in. Look, to be honest, all we want to do is play gigs where people turn up and have a great time, and keep releasing brutal tunes till our bodies cave in.

4. *Metastasis EP* can be best described as ‘*Chaotic Piece’* by your fans and what blowed our mind was surprising Cover Art. We have seen band's going crazy about the Cover Art of their studio effort. How did you guys discover it?

Sunneith - Venky does all of the band’s art. He is a phenomenal artist. The idea behind Metastasis is cell replication. The family in the picture? They have the same face. Manifestation.

5. Lets get back to *Inferno Festival*. Your bassist left the band when you guys were very close to Inferno. How you guys managed to control the situation?

Sunneith - Vinit had his reasons to part with us. At that point, we did not want anything to hamper our performance at Inferno. Swapnil was the unanimous choice. Aditya and I have been in a band with him. That man has some serious skills. He added a whole new dimension to the band. We put together a rigorous jam schedule, followed it, and played a brutal set in Oslo.

6. With the departure of initial vocalist *Sriram* in 2004, *Vinay* took over vocal duties & Jason was replaced by *Vinit* on Bass. In 2008, band took on board *Sunneith * as additional Vocalist in 2009 followed by the departure of initial Drummer *Rahul*, *Jai Row Kavi* took over as new Drummer. The band went through several line-up changes. Did it change the sound of BM's music?

Sunneith - You got it wrong. Rahul did not leave the band. He took a break so that he could go to Scotland to eat their women and fuck their sheep. Jai filled in beautifully in that period. Confucius and Dear <name> were written with Jai. It marked a new aural direction for the band. Once Rahul came back, we were set and moved forward. We have been fortunate to benefit than lose from every lineup change.

7. Can you elaborate about your song writing? Who writes lyrics and how does BM reflect their insanity while recording?

Sunneith - Vinay wrote most of the lyrics for the Untitled album. Him and I started writing together for the first time on the Metastasis E.P. It was a lot of fun. The next release is a concept album, and Vinay and I are writing stories, and subsequently lyrics. We have started playing the newer songs live. They’re called, ‘I will call you Eden’, ‘PrincesT’, ‘Perfecting the suture’, and ‘I am man’. You can check out the stories at www.wankatesh.posterous.com

Recording is a very intense process for all of us. We prepare for recording before we actually go into the studio to record. Every one in the band has a mental space that we go into when we’re in the studio. Everyone is in the zone. That said, it is a very cohesive process. Inspite of the rigid aural structures, we constantly thrive to make as many additions to the songs as possible. We record as any other band does. There are the usual individual idiosyncrasies, but that’s what makes it fun.

8. Does BM cite *Channel [V] Launch Pad* as the turning point in their carrier?

Sunneith - I wasn’t part of the band then. BM was already a household name in the metal scene. Launchpad helped integrate that further.

9. There have been numerous highlights in the meteoric rise to fame. On December 2005, you shared stage with *Textures * and in 2009 with *Amon Amarth* at Deccan Rock, Bangalore. Then played at GIR, Delhi in 2007 alongside Norwegian band *Enslaved*, at GIR, Mumbai in 2008 alongside *Satyricon* and *Sahg.* Were all of the above defining moments in BM's carrier?

Sunneith - I am not too sure about fame, but yes, it is always fantastic to meet your heroes and hang with them. We’ve shared the stage with our favourite metal bands in a short period of time – Meshuggah, Textures, Satyricon, and so much more. There is no defining moment as such. Something as minute as a kid walking up to you to tell you that he likes the band can be a defining moment.

10. For people in India, Metal is considered as violent music but there is a huge section today where we feel Metal has come a long way in India. What are your views?

Sunneith - Metal HAS come a long way here. There are more shows, more bands, more people turning up for gigs. It’s always a good thing.

11. Since we are talking about India, Which Indian Artists/ Bands you like and look forward to work with? Any Band you want to thank for their unconditional support?

Sunneith - I am really fond of Zygnema, Undying inc., Demonic Resurrection, Noiseware, Devoid, Goddess Gagged, and Skyharbor. It’s always a pleasure to hang with these guys and gig with them. As far as support goes, the metal scene here has always been fairly close-knit. Bands look out for each other as much as they can.

12. Best Album award in 2010, Kickass [EP] and Inferno Chaos is done. What next?? Can we fans expect another masterpiece EP/Album?

Sunneith - The third Bhayanak Maut album will be out sometime this year. It is a concept album like I said. Expect brutality. Stories here: www.wankatesh.posterous.com

13. We are overwhelmed to have your interview. It was indeed *BHAYANAK* to have you guys on board. Thanks a lot. Lastly, any message to your fans across the world and the upcoming Indian Metal bands?

Sunneith - Thank you for having us. Stay metal.


Listen To BHAYANAK MAUT Here

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Interviewed By,

Pallawi Sharma

I was really looking forward to this year’s Undergrind Fest as one of my favorite Grindcore bands Wormrot, were going to perform there, I always considered myself a second generation Grind fan and was more influenced by bands like Insect Warfare, Nails and Wormrot then Napalm Death and Carcass, in fact these guys were the band that got me into the genre , I used to sit practice my “air blasts” late at night to their songs, and the fact that I would see them live was nothing short of a dream come true.

But before Wormrot, there were many other bands who would take the stage, the festival would start from 2:30 in the afternoon to 10 at night hence it was going to be a long day, one which started with Pornogrind band Semen Commando, a three piece band featuring Charlie from the notorious Bangalorean deathgrind duo Gorified on vocals. They played a very simple style of Pornogrind with slow guitar riffs accompanied by even slower skank beats and Charlie’s somewhat Juvenile vocals. Now to be honest here, this is not something that I really enjoyed as I am not really a huge fan of the Gore/porn genre, and their songs lacked variety, as each one of them had exactly the same groove and exactly the same, albeit slightly modified guitar riff, which was something that didn’t really interest me that much.

Next up were Purgation - A slam/brutal death metal band from Kolkata, which were pretty all right but somehow, one could make out that they were a fairly new band and were not really confident about themselves. They were not really very tight as a unit and there were many times that I thought that the brutality was a little amiss, but nonetheless they played some good covers by Dying Fetus and Cannibal Corpse which redeemed somewhat redeemed themselves.

Things got a little better when Warhorse Chained from Cochin came and played some very epic, Sludgy Death Metal which had emphasis on strong intelligent song writing rather than just Brutal Slamming all the way, they had some pretty heavy stuff, I could still remember the riff which sounded like a loud shrill, gave me the chills at that time. Pity though that they didn’t play many originals and stuck to covers. I would have loved to hear more.

After that it was time for some bass oriented Grindcore, which at first I thought would be pretty interesting as I always admired that kind of stuff like Water Torture and Inerds, as the bass generally brings out the heaviness of the genre, but Grossty seemed to have missed the mark, I liked the idea of having dual vocals, which worked very well for them as they sounded very intense, but the bass guitar just felt a little out of place. It seemed that the dude didn’t really understand the nuances of the bass guitar and try to use that in Grind, but just picked up the bass and started playing it like it was a guitar, which was a little odd, perhaps the only thing which I liked about their set was their Cover of Anal Cunt’s Hitler was a sensitive man which was quite funny.

It was close to evening now, and welcoming the setting sun were Hyderabad slammers Shock Therapy who were pretty successful in gathering the somewhat dead crowd together and headbang along to their music, their style of music was pretty straightforward, nothing out of the ordinary but it was played well, the band worked well as a unit, and this gave rise to some pretty entertaining Slam/Death, which, although not too profound, was perfect for the moshpit.

The Day was getting darker and the moshpit that Shock Therapy had created would be nothing to the next band which would be the first of two to create a phenomenon of sorts, Jugaa from Nepal came on stage and despite a few problems created some of the dirtiest, filthiest, Power violence/Hardcore that I have ever witnessed, their sound was very primal, very raw, but at the same time some of the heaviest that the festival had witnessed up till now. Their performance as well was very energetic with their guitarist jumping around the stage from one place to the other and the vocalist joining the audience in the moshpit and remaining there for most of the performance, even though, I could barely spot any Hardcore fans and could mostly see Brutal Death Metal T-shirts, the entire audience was in awe of their performance and they got a thundering ovation from the crowd.

Up next was Charlie and Crew again, this time around for Bad Taste a “Horror Grind” band in which he was joined by the bassist and drummer of Grossty. Now Bad taste for me was pretty hit and miss some tracks were pretty decent grind tracks which retained the energy and intensity of the genre to some extent whereas others seemed to drawn out and too elaborate, therefore sucking out the very essence of the genre, while the cheesy song titles were indeed fun for a while it got boring for after a while.

Next up were Agnostic, a Death Metal band from Assam, I had recently reviewed these guys for a internet webzine and although I did find their music quite interesting, it did have a few flaws when it came to the production, those flaws were nowhere to be seen that night, Their sound was heavy, their guitar riffs hit the ears like molten steel, and the drums were massive. Everything about these guys that night was just perfect the sound, their performance, their stage act, it was hard to believe that this is a new band who had just released their debut E.P. In my utterly honest opinion, I think this is a band that is ready to conquer any stage in the world.

After that the show continued with Anorectal Ulceration, a Bangalorean Grind this time around with Charlie’s brother Hermon, the band was a three piece consisting of a guitarist vocalist and a drummer. Their style of goregrind was a little less simplistic then the bands that played before, having a certain sense of structure, which made their sound much more wholesome, but then they needed to be much tighter, especially the drummer who I could see was not really comfortable playing this style of music. But then again the band did have some highlights like the time Charlie and another vocalist got on stage to do some vocals which were quite exciting.

The last band before the headliner's took over was one which I had a lot about from people in the scene, I have heard people say that they are very tight and play some really crushing brutal death metal, all of which are absolutely right, Perforated Limb proved to be one of the tightest bands of the night playing Technical Brutal Death Metal in the vein of Deivos and Dying Fetus with almost metronome like Precision, although I could barely headbang as I was tired of doing that all day I thoroughly enjoyed their performance.

And then it was time, to finally meet my maker, to see the band that inspired me to play Grindcore, the band that I have looked up to , and what I witnessed was nothing more than a miracle. Their set was far from flawless, there were times when Rasyids guitar got squished between the drums and the vocals, Wormrot seemed to be suffering bouts of fatigue between songs, but the absolute intensity and pure, raw aggression of the band made up for all of these flaws, you could make out these guys played music that came from their heart, that they weren’t there for fame or for money , they just wanted to do what they love, and when they did that they were in a completely different zone , which is honestly just beyond anything, and can’t really be put into words. These guys played simple music, nothing technical but played with a lot of energy and speed, everyone in the audience was just stunned at their level of playing, they got a great response and even got an encore.

This just goes to show that you don’t have to play something technical or “odd timed” to do something exciting in extreme music, you just have to play what you believe in and play it as if it’s a matter of life and death. So ultimately for me Undergrind 2012 had its ups and downs but ultimately was a great learning experience and made me understand a lot of things about the scene and the genre that I play, here’s hoping the next Undergrind would be more brutal!

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Reviewed By,

Mohammed Kabeer

Our very own black metal band,1833 A.D doesn't need an introduction. It's evident that they bring forth a fresh approach to Black Metal digressing from the traditional abrasive sound, concocting a mixture of extreme tremolo picking riffs and mellow melodic hooks and solos. The band bring together their individual playing styles to create an atmosphere of sorrow and hatred which do justice to the lyrical themes of the band.

With lyrical themes mostly centered on fiction, hatred, destruction and exploitation of the human race, 1833 AD takes a little detour from what people mostly categorize Black Metal lyrics as. Few songs do speak of supremacy of evil in this world but only to imply the ways of men and not by endorsing Satanism, Atheism or even Christianity.
 

We recently Interviewed Nishant Abraham Varghese, Guitarist/Vocalist of the band and this is what he had to say:

1. What is the concept behind the band’s name? Apart from this Reuben from Undying Inc. suggested this name and 1833 AD was the song name too.

Nishant – (laughs) I see that you have read our previous interviews. Unfortunately I cannot talk about it a lot without revealing details about the concept of the album, which at the moment is something I cannot do. Guess it should suffice to say that it was a year of natural disasters combined with catastrophic events lead by religious cults, but the plot that it is based on in the album, is purely fictitious.

2. ‘Halfway Through’, was made when you were kids. The same guys formed a new band with a new sound. What makes 1833 AD differ from Halfway Through?

Nishant – Almost everything. The lyrics, the music, the sound, the band. Apart from Sushmit and myself, there is nothing that connects 1833 AD to Halfway Through. We didn’t even consider playing Black Metal back in HwT. We were just out of school and were still discovering ourselves as musicians, playing different types of music and trying to decide which path to take. That’s exactly how the name Halfway Through came about! Things are a lot different with 1833 AD. We think as a band now as compared to thinking as individuals as we did back then.

3. Could you tell us about your debut album ‘My Dark Symphony’? What was the concept behind the album? When is it due? Where is it recorded? Why is it taking so much time?

Nishant – In our album, the term “My Dark Symphony” has a strong connection with the year 1833 AD. Outside in the real world, not so much. I know it has been really long but there is so much to releasing an album than just writing and recording the songs. So much work goes in to it after all that! Also with the amount of detailing that is going into making this album, it makes completion a lot more difficult and time consuming. Only thing I can promise is that it will be an album to remember for years and will mark the birth of Black Metal in India.

4. 1833 AD got their own studio but still you went for Grey Studios by Anupam Roy who is the mastermind behind the kickass “Kryptos” sound. Why?

Nishant – You sort of answered that yourself. But the real reason would be that the demo CD was out and I guess two more songs were already recorded before our studio became fully functional. So it was a choice between finishing the album with Anupam, or starting over at 1833 AD Studios. Also Anupam’s production is top notch. There is no one better than him in India. So it was an easy choice to make at the end of the day.

5. What are you major band influences? Did you guys ever tried to copy them?

Nishant – I can’t talk about the others but mine would include Darkthrone, Burzum, Cradle of Filth, Immortal, Emperor, Mayhem, Dark Funeral, Satyricon, Carpathian Forest, Marduk, Watain, Naglfar… I think the list can go on. But if I have to pick a few, I would just go with the Norwegians.

6. In 2006 it was Shashank, and 2008 Puneet (Artillerie), and now it’s Raghav. According to you, which of these made a mark on 1833 AD sound and completely gave a different direction to your sound?

Nishant – Each one of them has played an integral part in their own way. Shashank definitely would be the person who was involved most because he was part of us when we made the decision to play Black Metal. His contribution can never be forgotten. Never! He even wrote the drum parts for most of our early songs. After he quit, when we were sitting idle without a drummer, it was Puneet who joined us and made playing live possible. Drums for the title track 1833 AD was his primary contribution. Raghav was a sudden decision. He joined us just before our Sri Lanka trip. He learnt all our songs in a week and was a total powerhouse! Just his sound check at Sri Lanka left the audience awestruck. A very disciplined and talented musician. We are lucky to have him.

7. Did you guys ever think of performing with Corpse paint, Spikes bands, leather pants etc?

Nishant – We already do the spikes and the leather. But Corpse Paint, I’m not too sure. I’m scared it’ll melt away in the Indian heat and get in my eye while I’m playing! On a serious note, maybe some day. No plans as of now.

8. How was the response you got for 'END OF TIME'?

Nishant – The ‘End of Time’ tour was extremely successful and we had a lot of fun. More than fun, it was a learning experience for all of us. Until then, we had only played stand alone shows and not a tour. Traveling from one city to the other especially when you have a show the very next day, is so tiring! You are sleep deprived, tired and exhausted. But you still have to put up a good show because the people who came to see us, don’t care if we are tired. They paid to watch a kickass show. But then, when you see an enthusiastic crowd in front of you yelling out your song names, you forget how tired you are and play a kickass show for them, because they deserve it. So, next time we head out for a tour, we know what exactly we are in for.

9. 1833 A.D known as the pioneers of black metal in India. How do you feel when someone called you by this? Do you think you are a low profile band?

Nishant – It feels great of course, there is no questioning that. But it was just being there at that time and doing something that no one else was doing at the time. I had heard about many musicians who wanted to do Black Metal but never came forward with a band because they thought there was no audience for it. I always wanted to do this music. So I just found guys with similar dreams and we went for it. We are definitely low profile because we haven’t played shows like GIR, NH7 and I-Rock. Black Metal is definitely not a favorite genre if you were to take a poll, but I’m sure we are known among the majority of Black Metal listeners in the country. That is good enough for me.

10. Halfway Through released “Silver” in 2005. And in February 2008 you played your debut gig. Why it took such a long time?

Nishant – Actually Halfway Through was more into college competitions and were never driven enough to transpire into a semi-pro/professional band. Silver was recorded for fun and we had no intentions of composing more material for an album. Now you can see why we chose the name Halfway Through. We just didn’t care. We tried a lot of genres and were hardly pleased with the choices we made. The main reason for this would be Shashank’s and my interest in Black Metal. Nothing else seemed to excite us at the time. So we changed our music, our name, our guitarist, even I picked up the guitar as opposed to just being a singer in HwT and became this new band. I don’t even think it is fair to call us Halfway Through. We are two separate entities. Once Rahul joined, we wrote some new stuff and were ready to play live. But that’s when Shashank had to quit the band and we were without a drummer for over a year because no one wanted to play Black Metal. Eventually Puneet joined us and we went live in 2008.

11. Taking Raghav for your debut International gig in SriLanka was an instant decision?

Nishant – Oh yes. We had less than a month to find a drummer with a passport who would be willing to play Black metal! He was a lucky find and both parties agreed to take a decision about his permanency after we return from Sri Lanka. After the huge success there, there were no second thoughts.

12. On 2nd july 2011 in SriLanka(Colombo) you performed with Dhishti, Funeral In Heaven, Montsegur, Inherited Sore, Infernal, Ablaze, Mass Damnation, Deep Forest Mourn, Necro Horde,
Serpents Athirst, Unholy Sermon, Solitary Depression, Old Castles Massacre. How was the experience of performing with them?

Nishant – The experience was amazing! Such warm people! We had a blast both at the gig and outside. The people there are so passionate about their music. It’s a lifestyle. I would grab the opportunity to go back there!

13. Like us there are many portals who come up with compilation CD’s. We have noticed only one of your track 'Who will kill the emperor' is being featured. Why not other songs?

Nishant – We released three songs from our album (End of Time Tour Edition) which have been featured on different compilations. Empty Shrine and 1833 AD are also part of different compilations, both Indian and outside. 

14. Any solo project(s) of any member(s) of 1833 AD?

Nishant – No, just 1833 AD takes all our time. Some of the guys do sessions at times, but that’s about it.

15. Are you planning for a tour to promote your album? If yes then which cities can we expect? 

Nishant – Definitely! We are hoping to go on a bigger one for the release. The confirmed cities are Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore. Apart from other cities in India, we also plan to visit few Asian countries too but it is too early to comment on that.

16. Do you think music videos and documentaries are creating a “kvlt” image on metalheads?

Nishant – Music videos totally depend on the video. But a good documentary is always fun, educational and inspiring. I know guys who have formed bands after watching documentaries. I cannot comment on what sort of an image it forms, but they definitely inspire you to get off your lazy ass and start working.

17. What do you think about Indian “Black Metal” scene? 

Nishant – Well I see hope now. When we started off, we did not have enough support, both in terms of other Black Metal bands and fans of the genre. Now I see both and they are growing in number. I am sure in another five years, Black Metal should be just as strong as any other metal sub genre.

18. On 5th May 2012 you will be playing with almighty Nile, Demonic Resurrection, Kryptos and Third Sovereign at Summer Blaze Metal Festival. What are the preparations? 

Nishant – Preparations are yet to start as I am still in Bangalore. I will be leaving for Delhi soon though! All of us are really excited to share the stage with these legends. All four bands in fact. This is gonna be one insane show!

19. Thank you so much for your time J Any words for your fans and our readers? Especially Hindu antichrists :P 

Nishant – Thank you! I really enjoyed this interview. I want to use this opportunity to let everyone know that our album is FINALLY! releasing on the 5th of May, at Summer Blaze. We still haven’t publicized this yet, so you guys are the first to hear about it. There will be CDs and merch available at the show, make sure you get your copy. For all the Hindu Antichrists, please buy the album and listen to the music. Enjoy it with a piece of chicken if it isn’t the middle of your Navratri. 

Click Here for 1833 A.D Dose

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Interviewed By,

Vikas Khokher 

After letting it soak in for a bit, I found Scarface debut single “Salvation Denied” to be a good experimental/metalcore release which was more challenging than the standard fare of the time. The arrangements were descent, didn’t stick to a formula and were driven by a tight rhythm section (including some cool off-kilter rhythms, an awful kick-drum sound notwithstanding) and guitars ripping and tearing with a vengeance. I didn't find it to be a masterpiece by any means, but I do think that it had more character and personality than few recent metalcore releases.

Coming to their new single “Crimson Eyes” which was released recently, the only thing which comes to my mind after listening to first few minutes of the track are the choppy metalcore grooves, breakdowns, and stuttering riff chugs that sync up with the kick drums and had me thinking AS I LAY DYING (damn I am tired of bands replicating their sound), KILLSWITCH ENGAGE or UNEARTH on several occasions.

When I previously reviewed their debut track “Salvation Denied” (Click Here), I expected the band to scrutinize and spend more time on arrangements and structure. Instead what they deliver through “Crimson Eyes” is again quite familiar, a little too generic and doesn't sound really like their own band. Except for the brilliant solo executed towards the middle section and pretty catchy outro, this song has nothing new to offer. It’s disheartening to see how the guitar duo fails to relive the crunching groovy tunes which were present on “Salvation Denied”.

It parts between the clean vocals, breakdowns, and groovy riffs which in-turn sounds boring generic metalcore, with monotonous shouting. But once these guys get back to what it does best (around the middle section mentioned above), it sounds better.

On the other side “Salvation Denied” did lack the variations. Fortunately “Crimson Eyes” is filled with pretty good variations. I am repeating my words again which I mentioned on Salvation Denied review, these bunch of guys have the skill of fusing in their influences in a specified direction but I am still not able to figure out WHY are they ignoring it. Megadeth, Metallica, Lamb of God etc are their major influences but I still can’t find any traces of them. Again this track lacks that punch of justifying three or more listens.

Still, the only piece I heard on both the tracks that brought out the descent personality and fire in the belly of Scarface are crunching groovy tunes on “Salvation Denied”, a black sheep compared to the other track. There's not much else to say, "Crimson Eyes" is a decent single. I just can't get too excited about it. If you like this type of music, you'll probably like this. But if not, it probably won't convert you.

Rating: 6/10

Listen To Crimson Eyes Here

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Reviewed By,

Owais 'Vitek' Wani

Let’s take you back to the era of Old School Thrash Metal, a time when music was pure, mobile phones could pass for exercise weights, religions didn’t use Twitter and Facebook to find new followers, and most important, metal reigned supreme.

Overkill was formed in 1980 from the ashes of the punk band, The Lubricunts. They are described as a cult band from that era of leather and jeans, teaching people how to make music, ever since. It’s indeed a fact that they were overlooked by many thrash metal fans. Ever since their 1985 debut “Feel the Fire,” they have been non-stop in releasing stellar material, save for a few missteps in the late 90s. Their output from 1985-1991 (Feel the Fire to Horrorscope) is arguably the best collection of material from any thrash metal band ever.

Overkill consists of Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth on the vocals, Dave Linsk and Derek Tailer on the guitars, D.D. Verni on the bass and Ron Lipnicki on the drums. The Electric Age mark’s Overkill‘s 16th album and one that many think is better than 2010′s phenomenal, Ironbound.

The album starts with “21st Century Man”, a fast paced, thrash oriented song. The two guitars are panned perfectly on either side. Still the song can be rated average to be frank. The guitar solo surely made my ear bleed though. The next song in line is “All Over But Shouting” which starts as if it is the continuation of the previous song, fast paced again. The riff is darker than the other song and the panning of the guitars have been done to perfection. The best part of the song is the fact that the bass track is clearly audible, which is a rare case in metal songs. The track again is an average track, with no “ear-catching” factor to it.

Next up, we have “Black Daze”, a comparatively slower track. This song really got me going, to be frank. A pumpy intro along with some awesome coordination between the bassist and the drummer, they just nail their parts. The riff sounds like a country song lick played in heavy distortion. The guitar solo starts with just the bass and drums backing it and later the rhythm kicks in from the left pan. Overkill has experimented a lot in this song, and they have done it flawlessly. This truly exhibits the power of experience.

From Country to Nazism, “Come and Get It” has an intro strikingly similar to the background music of those Nazi-Soviet based movies. Coupled with some real insane drumming and super insane riffage, this is one killer track. The tempo change at 3:20 swings the mood totally. One special mention – the guitar solo, sweep picking at its best, totally gang banged the modern-day guitarist and drilled them the old school way!

“Electric Rattlesnake” is another monster of a track on the album. This one’s got a maddening riff, too fast even for the furious. The song has three guitar solos, all of them being offer up an excellent demonstration of the wah-wah pedal. No fancy stuff anywhere in the song, it’s all about pure unadulterated thrash metal madness. At 3:25, Overkill takes you into a trance, unlike anything you’ve experienced before.

“Good Night” is a track with one of the best acoustic intro’s I’ve ever heard. A slow-paced song, the heavy riffing starts around 1:20 and continues till the end. Be careful, you must not get carried away by this acoustic part because with the entrance of that sharp riff will leave you baffled. Though the song has a good start, it is kinda stretched a little longer than it should have been.

“Old Wounds, New Scars” is a track with a hell lot of crazy drumming. The guitar shredding can be rightfully termed as raping the fret-board. Even after these two factors, the song somehow doesn’t seem to hit the spot. Same is the case with “Save Yourself”, “Wish You Were Dead” and “Drop The Hammer”. All the three start off on a promising note, but somewhere down the line, they just lose the momentum.

“Wish You Were Dead” has some awesome drumming, but the riff is too common. “Drop The Hammer” has a nice melodic touch to it with an epic NWOBHM passage, but feels incomplete as the song grows. So does “Save Yourself”. It’s got a maddening fast riff, but it never quite takes off as you’d expect. It’s the fastest song on the record and lyrically one of the strongest.

The album promises something for the die-hard Overkill fans and new fans alike. I still believe Ironbound was the most consistent album the band has released since Horrorscope. Sadly, The Electric Age , while a strong effort, suffers due to faults in the lyrics and repetition. I like the album, I just don’t love it like I did with Ironbound.After three decades, one cannot ignore the fact that Overkill still comes across as a hungry band looking to make a name for themselves as the undisputed kings of underground thrash.

Rating: 7/10

Oxymoron is a metalcore band from Lucknow. The band consists of Piyush on vocals, Navneet and Shadab on guitars, Ankit on bass and Apoorva on drums. When I first heard of these guys, I was quite eager to hear their two singles “Oral Whore” and “The Second Best" as Oxymoron ranks No. 2 on the Reverbnation charts from Lucknow. These guys specialize in combining progressive metal with metalcore, something like Killswitch Engage + Dream Theater. There aren’t many bands I know who’ve done this, so this was new for me.

Starting with the 1st single “Oral Whore”; the song title pretty much reminded me of a death metal band and displayed quite a vulgar image in my mind. The song starts off with a groovy riff. The vocals don’t exactly suit the song. Considering that the band is metalcore, the vocals should’ve had more screams. Most metalcore bands use clean vocals during a chorus, but in this song there are clean vocals throughout and only a rare amount of shrills. I believe if the song had more screams, no harm would have been done. The guitars were what exactly fitted in this song, showing typical metalcore breakdown and harmonized riffs. The drumming was average and went well with the song, but a better usage of the double bass would’ve worked in the band’s favor. I did have a little trouble listening to bass guitar. At around 2:12, the listener comes across a few cheesy lines:

“You have verbal diarrhea,

I can’t help it.

You’re such a social disease,

Well, I know it.

You’re still fighting out to lower level,

I know I need the next 20 years.

You’re such an Oral Whore,

I’m born that way.

You’re seriously impossible man!”

I found these lines lame and quite out-of-the-blue.The guitar solo starting at 3:04 really impressed me. I was not happy with the production of the song and wished that these guys re-recorded the song with better results. So my final verdict is that “Oral Whore” is one of those tracks one would listen to just to kill some time.

Coming to the 2nd single “The Second Best”, as the former single, this one too lacked screams. But compared to the previous single, this one has much better vocals if not screams. There is a great improvement in the drumming pattern on this one, with proper, steady and continuous drumming. The guitar solo heard at the beginning of the song is heard again at 2:44, followed by another consecutive solo. The bass was more clearly audible on this one. “The Second Best” surely has much better production compared to “Oral Whore”. But one thing which is missing on this one was the guitar breakdowns which were present in “Oral Whore”, but the drumming and comparatively better vocals on this one compensate for it.

So, in the end, it turns out that “The Second Best” is the best among the two tracks (irony, don’t you think?) and one which would stay on my playlist for a few days at least.

Rating: 6.5/10

Listen To OXYMORON Here

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Reviewed By,

Naman Lakhani 

Team Metal Wani