A revolution has happened in Indian music, and most people have not even realised it. If I told you that a band had released an album which had top-notch production, artwork by the same man who’s worked with Nile, came in a special box-set with t-shirts and assorted merchandise, and that said band was going to hit European festivals to support it – you could safely assume this was just another month in the life of any international metal band. DevilDriver or Lamb Of God, maybe?

Wrong.

That Demonic Resurrection has been able to do even one of the above is an incredible achievement in itself. That they’ve been kicking heads in for 10 years, teaching every successive generation of Johnny-come-latelys how real Indian metal bands do it, is, quite frankly, staggering. To call their European festival (currently including Infero and Brutal Assault) the icing on their very black cake would be true to the adage, but belies the enormity of the achievement it represents. Little wonder, then, that frontman and axe-slayer extraordinaire Sahil ‘Demonstealer’ Makhija is slightly nervous about his band’s European debut.

“There definitely is a lot of pressure to perform well and kick some ass at the festival, simply because all the metalheads of India are behind us,” he says, “but yeah, we are going to work our asses off, practice hard and make sure that when Demonic Resurrection finishes playing people want to hear us again. We aim to make an impact and show the world how Indian metal bands can kick ass too.”

Sharing the stage with Ihsahn and Cannibal Corpse among others is the reward Demonic Resurrection is reaping for efforts which began in the year 2000, when a young Makhija decided to set up a blackened death metal band in Bombay. As was common with Indian bands at the time, the lineup was extremely unstable, but they still managed to put out a debut album ‘Demonstealer’ within 9 months of forming. It would be another 3 years before the lineup had any stability, and a further 2 before the follow up album ‘A Darkness Descends’ dropped. It was at this point that things really started taking off for Demonic Resurrection – for the first time the Indian extreme metal scene had a band that put out a professionally recorded album that sounded great and came in a jewel case with excellent artwork, and kicked some serious ass live. Arguably, the seeds of today’s unprecedented fame were sown in the 2003-2007 period.

How then, did Makhija manage to keep his band going so long in a scene where even good bands don’t last beyond a few years? “Well I pretty much threw away everything else I had like my education!” he laughs, “I pretty much gave myself no option in life apart from doing this, so whatever I’ve had to do over the years to keep DR going, I’ve done. I’ve been very fortunate to have had the same dedication from Husain (bass) and Mephisto (keyboards) for the last 8 years almost and now with Viru (drums) and Daniel (lead guitar) I feel we got the best line-up ever and have reached a stage where this will be a permanent lineup.”

A penchant for epic fantasy was the final weapon in Makhija’s arsenal as he set about conquering India with lyrical concepts that were, and still remain, entirely unique to the scene. Song titles like ‘Invoking The Demons’, ‘Spirits Of The Mystic Mountains’ and ‘Bound By Blood, Fire And Stone’ have an obvious epic feel, and are woven together by a story of darkness, penned by Makhija himself: “The whole darkness thing started out as a theme with ‘A Darkness Descends’, which was an idea that the world is plunged into darkness and there is a battle between the humans and the demons for its control. The ‘Beyond The Darkness’ EP took that basic story and narrated it through the whole EP and ‘The Return To Darkness’ completes the story. Each song is a chapter of the story and when the album ends so does the story. I’ve always been fascinated by and drawn to fantasy – stuff like Lord Of The Rings, so I like to write about similar themes. And to all this I infuse my personal feelings and expressions, but it’s masked so it’s open for the world to interpret as they choose. ‘Demonstealer’ was about my personal demons, so my anger, frustration, my sadness etc are all in my music somewhere. There is a personal connection for me to each riff I write, or to certain lyrics. I’m sure the older DR songs like ‘My Misery’ and ‘My World Of Sadness’ are pretty self explanatory.”

Nor is Makhija one to rest on his laurels; he’s already planning the next album and has a vision of what he wants it to be like: “I have thought of doing an album called Prelude To Darkness but that won’t be anything related to this story. But I’m pretty sure I want to write about something different on the next album, so I doubt there will be another chapter in the ‘Darkness’ trilogy. We can always start a new story though.”

And that, in a nutshell, encapsulates exactly why Sahil Makhija is destined to take the Indian metal scene even further into uncharted territory. Here is a man who has gone headfirst against the grain, established Demonic Resurrection as arguably the best metal band in the country, set up two side projects in Workshop and Reptilian Death, set up and run a successful home studio, as well as an independent record label, and will soon be spreading the Indian metal gospel across Europe. He could do nothing more and still go down as the first true God of Indian metal, but that’s not Sahil Makhija’s style. Just like with his albums, he’s always thinking a couple of moves ahead in his career. And with all he’s managed to achieve so far, you don’t dare bet against him. The Warrior has returned.

You can buy Demonic Resurrection albums on iTunes, CD Baby or by emailing info@demonstealerrecords.com.

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16 Dec 2009 saw London’s Relentless Garage host metal festivities with Savage Messiah, Anterior, Ted Maul and headliners Sylosis.

Savage Messiah (7/10) got things off to a flying start with their supercharged thrash-metal. The genre is going through a revival that has already seen more than its fair share of bandwagon-jumpers but Savage Messiah set themselves apart from the rest of the pack with a tight set of excellent songs, rather than a bunch of shreds thrown together for shredding’s sake.Vocalist/guitarist Dave Silver had issues with his gear all through the set, but no one cares.

Savage Messiah

Anterior (8/10) have clearly worked hard on their craft, and their set tonight has everyone jumping along. Vocalist Luke Davies is almost reminiscent of Chuck Billy at his best – his ferocious growl shakes the Garage down to its very foundation. The interplay between axemen Steven Nixon and Leon Kemp is breathtaking at times, and with crystal clear sound they’re putting on as perfect a show as they ever will.

Anterior vocalist Luke Davies

Anterior

Ted Maul (4/10) are an almighty disappointment after such a spectacular opening. Their wall-of-sound-metal-meets-dubstep might work better on other nights, with a different lineup but they’re easily the weakest link tonight. Of course it doesn’t help their cause that the sound is so loud that EVERY note sounds distorted beyond belief. A huge downer every which way.

Sylosis (9/10), on the other hand, are on top form. Pulling out all the old favourites, and even playing The Fate Of Vultures live for the first time ever, it doesn’t take the Reading boys long to whip the crowd into a frenzy. The wall of death at the end is monumental, as are the pits that greet thrasher-anthem Stained Humanity. An amazing performance all around.

Sylosis vocalist Jamie Graham gets in the groove

Sylosis

Sylosis

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Abhijeet Ahluwalia

Creed were one of those bands – you either thought they were great, bought all their albums and sang along awfully with Scott Stapp’s instantly memorable voice, or you thought they were formulaic, late 90s junk and had no redeeming features.

Although I used to be a fan as a kid, I moved on to heavier (better?) things as I grew up and wasn’t bothered much by news of them splitting up. Or, indeed, reuniting 7 years later. So it was a pleasant surprise to watch them live on their new DVD and see they’re more-or-less on top form. It’s imaginatively titled Live and is out just in time for Christmas. What a coincidence.

First things first – Scott Stapp’s voice is not what it used to be. It hurts to write this because he could hit some fantastic highs, but they’re just not there anymore. It’s the backing vocals that provide those and they’re sorely missed if you’ve been a fan of Creed’s previous work. In fact, the whole occasion of the DVD, shot in front of 18,000 fans and with a record 239 HD cameras, seems to get to Stapp at first; concert opener Bullets sounds terrible.

Fortunately, that only turns out to be a small blip. The performance of the band as a whole is nothing short of excellent after that initial hiccough. The set list consists mostly of songs from the Human Clay and Weathered era, which was their best work by far, and songs like Say I, Torn and My Own Prison are highlights of the 17-song show. Stapp is obviously delighted to be back in Creed after all his recent personal troubles, and gives his all to the performance. In fact, it’s a bit scary to see him sweat so much – I hope to god he takes a shower before meeting anyone backstage. The rest of the band are much more static, particularly bassist Scott Phillips whose idea of stage presence seems to be leaning forward and back in the same few square inches of space. There’s not faulting the quality of anyone’s playing though.

The sound is excellent throughout, aided no doubt by the fact that Creed now have a second guitarist who joins them on tour to beef up the sound. Eric Freedman is more than just capable at the job, and his backing vocals actually make the band’s live performance stronger.

If you’re a fan you’ll also love the extras, which include the video of latest single Overcome, photos from the tour, and a very interesting backstage documentary. It’s quite fun to meet the crew and see how the DVD was put together. There’s also going to be a special edition in 2010 which will have extras like a film on the history of Creed, the concert on CD and a few others. There’ll also be the big-freeze effect (think bullet-time in The Matrix) which looks pretty cool. Hardcore fans might be better off waiting for this release.

If you are, or have ever been a fan of Creed, you’ll enjoy watching this DVD. It’s great to see the old classics being played live again by the original line up. Sure, they’re not quite as spectacular as they used to be back in the day, but they still pack quite a punch. The question is, Are You Ready?

Creed “Live” is available on DVD now from the DC3 Music Group

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It must be frustrating to be Europe. Here is a band that has recorded 8 studio albums, and 3 live ones to boot. Yet, it seems no coverage of their work seems complete without a few paragraphs that harp on about their 1986 mega-hit The Final Countdown.

One recent interview, ostensibly meant to promote their latest effort Last Look At Eden actually spent more time discussing The Final Countdown, leaving true fans pulling their hair out in frustration. When will the media recognise as talented musicians, not one hit wonders?

I put the question to Joey Tempest, vocalist and songwriter extraordinaire, just before Europe hit the stage to rock Ludwigsburg, Germany. The frontman is surprisingly circumspect about the whole thing: “It’s a special song. We love playing it live and it’s a great connection with the audience. We don’t really listen to it at home or in our cars you know! We don’t really care. Some broader media will focus on that song because that’s the only thing they know but in the rock world people know that Europe is back with new albums and songs.”

Credit: Christie Goodwin

To simply say that they’re back would be an injustice to the rambunctious rocker that is Last Look At Eden. Epic, heavy and groovy in equal measure, it still rocks just as hard 3 months and umpteen listens later. When the first riff of the title track kicks in, you can’t help but jump off your seat and pump your fists. This is a class apart because Europe have managed that rare feat in rock – write a song that is a melodic, stadium-rock anthem you can sing along to, but still has enough aggro to bang your head to. Everything about the song says I shouldn’t, as an extreme metal fan, be liking it – soaring vocals, relatively clean guitar tones, an uber-melodic chorus. I was expecting glam but what I got was closer to goth. And that’s brilliant.

“I came up with the music for it in London, in my studio but it really took a new shape and majestic feel when we started rehearsing it and then went to Prague to record with the Czech national symphony orchestra. So during recording, it became even more majestic but the main riff, verse and chorus I already had on the demo,” reveals Joey.

Not surprisingly, he calls Last Look At Eden one of their best albums ever. It represents a progression that began with Europe’s reunion in 2003, and the two albums since then – Start From The Dark and Secret Society. “We knew it would take years and years and more albums to establish ourselves again. Start From The Dark was a raw diamond and with Secret Society we tried to make a cutting edge modern rock album. On Last Look At Eden we started writing on the road, didn’t overthink it and just had fun in the studio. It’s a modern classic rock album. It’s got all our influences from when we grew up but it’s also got a modern sound.”

New Old Beginnings

The aforementioned reunion had its roots in the millenium celebrations in Sweden, where the group got together for what was then a one-off gig. But it wasn’t just the fans who were happy to see the quintuplet reunited. Never did the band imagine, when they went on hiatus in 1992, that their beak would last the better part of a decade. What was meant to be a short break to catch their breath and reignite their individual and collective flames quickly snowballed into something much longer -  something that was at least partially down to the hectic touring schedule of the band, and the burn out such a schedule produces.

“We wanted a break and I said I might as well do a solo album then, but we didn’t know it was going to be a long break like that, it just turned out that way. It was really good when we met for the millennium celebrations in Stockholm, and I realised we can’t live without this so let’s do it for a long time now and build it up again. In the end the break was quite important for us because we got a lot of other influences and brought it back to the band,” recalls Joey.

The break also worked in the band’s favour in another way. Reuniting 10 years later meant everyone was a little wiser, a little more level-headed than the first time around. There is a worldly-wise wisdom about them, that only experience can bring, which means they’re not afraid to discuss issues rather than hide them behind rockstar bravado, or worse – alcohol and drugs. “We try to talk more about these things in the band, communicate more, see how much we can tour and where. We don’t go on 9 month tours anymore like we used to. We usually take a break after 3 weeks for about 1-2 weeks. So we tour quite a lot, we’re a hard-working band but we also plan to take time off for our families,” Joey explains.

Credit: Christie Goodwin

A lot of that experience was required before their appearance at  this years Bloodstock festival. Many fans had been left bewildered by the choice – a classic rock group headlining what is primarily an extreme metal festival. Many punters, unaware of the band’s extensive and rocking discography, had committed the age-old blunder of pigeonholing Europe on the basis of “that song”, and came in to the festival fearing the worst.

There weren’t many complaining by the end of that night.

“Before we came to Bloodstock there was a lot of negative press but afterwards a lot of people changed their minds,” laughs Joey. “When you see us live it’s pretty heavy. We’ve grown up with guitar based hard rock music and it really went down well there. We’re back to the UK in Feb for our own tour and very excited. Diamond Head will be supporting – we’ve never played with them before so it’s going to be exciting. They’re a great band with a lot of cool songs.”

Speaking to Joey, what’s interesting, yet not surprising, is the hunger in his voice. He’s used the words “we want to tour and establish ourselves again”, or some variation thereof, at least 8 times already. Not bad for a band that has enjoyed multi-platinum success globally, and is about to embark on its umpteenth tour of Asia. I’m not surprised at all to hear, then, that Joe already has the next 5 years of Europe mapped out in his head. “We’re gonna keep working at this rate we’re working at, which is pretty good. We’ll probably come out with an album in 2011 and tour in 2012 again. We’re looking 2-3 years ahead all the time, and in the next 5 years I see Europe with 2 more albums, 2 more world tours and hopefully having established ourselves even better in a lot of territories around the world.”

There it is again, the statement about re-establishing the Europe brand. It’s almost like a mantra that Joey keeps repeating to himself, to keep focussed. And that’s what scares the living daylights out of me. With that kind of drive, they’re going to become one of the biggest bands this side of the Y2K as well – and then we’ll never stop reading about The Final Countdown.

Europe February 2010 UK Tour -
Very special guest is Diamond Head

.       Leeds 02 Academy (Feb 18)
.       Birmingham O2 Academy (Feb 19)
.       London O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire (Feb 20)
.       Oxford O2 Academy (Feb 22)
.       Bournemouth O2 Academy (Feb 23)
.       Bristol O2 Academy (Feb 24)
.       Manchester Academy 2 (Feb 26)
.       Newcastle O2 Academy (Feb 27)
.       Glasgow O2 ABC (Feb 28).

Ticket Hotline: 0844 477 2000, www.ticketweb.co.uk.
The album ‘Last Look At Eden’ is out now.  More info: www.europetheband.com

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Abhijeet Ahluwalia

That this band opened for Iron Maiden is all the convincing you should need to check them out. Slain have quickly risen to become one of the most sought-after metal bands in South India, and now have an EP out to complement their awesome live show. The cover art is quite symbolic too, considering this CD is meant to be a taster of what’s to come on their full length, Here and Beyond. Here’s a track-by-track review of the EP.

Track 1 – The Armour: Wow. Talk about an amazing opening. Shreds + keyboards = mindblowing. There’s lots of melodies here, and it actually sounds quite, dare I say it, Maiden-esque! The interplay between the guitars and keyboards is awesome, and beautiful is the only way to describe the acoustic bit at 3:30. But, I still keep going back to that beginning. What a way to start an EP!

Track 2 – Behind The Line: Now this reminds me of the best of Deep Purple, with some Rush thrown in for good measure. It’s a pity the guitars don’t sound more vibrant, but I wouldn’t expect top-notch production on an EP. The ending is a bit abrupt as well, it almost sounds like they ran out of ideas! The solo at 2:55 is so good it’s untrue.

Track 3 – More Than Conquerors: I’ve said it a million times before – I don’t care if you can play a bazillion notes a second. What makes a song good is an emotional quality that you can only get from a well-crafted number. And that’s exactly what this is. The harmonised vocals are spot on, and the solo is the best yet. It feels less like a solo and more like a voice talking to you, such is the raw emotional power behind those notes.

Track 4 – You Don’t Have To Be A Star: Ah, the customary ballad. Lovely keyboards, followed by even better guitar work to start this song off. Once again, there’s tasteful use of what I call ‘guitar wankering’. It’s there but it adds to the song rather than take attention away from it. The soloing towards the end is just spectacular. The only pity is the lyrics, which try hard to not be soppy but can’t help themselves. But given the quality music I’ve been treated to so far, I’ll let this one pass.

So there you have it. Even though there’s a full length coming out soon, I’d still recommend you buy this EP, because it really does sound awesome. And I’m told the forthcoming album won’t have the same songs anyway, so it’s not like you’ll be left with a useless duplicate. This is quality metal from down south and based on this outing, I can’t wait for Here And Beyond

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There are prog rockers, there are producers. And then there’s Todd Rundgren. In any given year of his 40 year career, few artists would have been as active both in front of the microphone and behind the mixing desk as Runt. I could keeping waxing lyrical all night long and still not cover all he’s done, or the impact he’s had. Little wonder then, that British fans are foaming at the mouth at the prospect of seeing Todd perform A Wizard, A True Star in its entirety.

A theatrical show replete with costume changes and props, the extravaganza was initially conceived on tour in England in support of the  2008 Arena record. “Last year’s English promoter came up with the idea,” Todd explains to me over the phone from Hawaii. “Younger acts and electronic artists had been name checking it in interviews and citing it as an influence, and we thought this was a better vehicle to attract a better audience. Word eventually got back to the US and some fans didn’t want to wait until 2010 to see it live, so they got together and did the promotion themselves! We didn’t go to a promoter, it was someone who runs an online station that only plays my music.”

What started with one show in Ohio quickly ballooned into several as crowds took to the idea in the way only a dedicated fan-base can. It is an overused cliché in the music industry to describe an artist’s fans as ‘the most hardcore’ or ‘rabid’, but Todd Rundgren fans are the rare set to whom such definitions can actually be applied. But, even amongst them, there was some unease over the choice of the record to perform.

To understand the significance of A Wizard, A True Star (AWATS), you have to place it in the context of Rundgren’s previous work, the popular Something/Anything? The album remains his best-selling work and got him one of his biggest hits – Hello, It’s Me, which went to No.5 on the Billboard charts. Which is why fans were forgiven for being completely flummoxed by his follow-up, AWATS. It was a complete change of sound and parked very firmly in progressive rock territory. The recording sounded muddled and cacophonic at first, because there was so much going on. Yet, the faithful persevered – slowly picking it apart, layer by layer, to uncover what was arguably the defining prog rock record of the decade.

“A lot of people gave up after Something/Anything? because AWATS was so different from anything I had been doing up till then, and other records at the time,” reflects Todd, then laughs as he says, “The rest of my fans have been with me the whole time and survived the change, and lots of other bizarre excursions and hip-hop experimentations!!”

In fact, the complexity of AWATS became a bit of a stumbling block for Todd himself: “I went back to deconstruct the original master tapes because people couldn’t figure out what to play! I had to do remixes of just certain parts like guitars or bass so we could accurately reproduce the music part of it.”

Did that also force his hand slightly when choosing which musicians would back him up? “Yes,” is the straightforward reply. “It would be tempting to call up people I know who had no direct connection with the project, but I didn’t know if I was on solid ground myself, so I wanted familiar faces. For e.g. I had to fill in the keyboard slots so I first asked Greg Hawkes if he would join, and he was important because he has a lot of the original keyboards that were on the record. He actually has them and remembers how to play the stuff!!” says Todd, laughing heartily like he often does.

“Then I got Roger Powell because he had played some parts before. Unfortunately he is gainfully employed!!! He has a real job he has to go back to, so I went back further and got in touch with Ralph Schukett, so he’ll be pianist in London and Amsterdam.”

Credit: Jean Lannen

Of course, what makes this tour so special is the fact that there is a theatrical element added to the music, giving fans a visual element to the emotive music. This, in itself, presented some unique problems. Not all venues can accommodate this show, so immediately the touring scope was a limited one. And, as Todd points out, people already have a ‘mental movie’ that goes with the record, so he had to create something that, while fresh and interesting, didn’t completely clash with what fans had visualised. Imagine taking the best book in the world and making it into a movie. Then chuck out the script, and replace readers with ridiculously dedicated fans, and you being to get a glimpse of the effort that went into creating this tour.

“We concentrated on reproducing the fashion sense, based it on weird costumes back in the 70s and then that expanded to 12 costume changes. Which means there are music passages where I’m back stage going through a frantic costume change! We have modern day production gimmicks but …a lot of the essence of the song comes from the costume.”

What makes the European shows a fascinating prospect is what the opening act of this opus will be. In the US there were Utopia songs played, amongst others, but Todd remains tight-lipped on what European audiences will get to see. “There will be an opening act but I’m not going to elaborate,” is all he’s willing to divulge.

He’s a lot more forthcoming when confronted with a trickier subject. Cynics would see this entire idea as a way for an old musician to make a quick buck. Certainly, if this was true, Todd wouldn’t be the first musician to try doing it. Is this whole tour just a ruse then, Mr. Rundgren?

“I’m not making any money!!” Todd manages to splutter out after laughing. “I was lucky to break even at the end of the American leg because we have a larger band, crew and production. We’re coming over to Europe and only doing 2 dates with so many people. There is no big payday, at least not yet. As for my age I don’t feel any shame because I’m in my 60s and still have an audience. People did better than me (in the 70s) yet I’m the one who’s still around. My heroes are BB King and Tony Bennett, people who play till they collapse. That’s what a musician is. I could start lying about my age and getting cosmetic surgery but the whole pop-star thing doesn’t last long.”

In fact, Todd has been able to experience the joy that is reserved for very few musicians – seeing fans grow up and bring their children to his shows, thus exposing a whole new generation to his music. “Most tours have been a cross section of age groups. Part of it is the natural evolution of fans becoming parents and forcing their kids along, and some kids come on their own!”

He even credits some of this to the ubiquity of music on the internet, a topic that can and has generated miles of column inches. For Todd though, it’s quite simple: “The internet works!! Yes, it’s having an effect!! It is the domain of a young audience and they’re using it do discover stuff radio isn’t giving them. I’m meeting fans that have discovered me last year and they’re 25. When fans are young they don’t have compartmentalised attitudes towards music. They’re open to different styles and music. With so much stuff I’ve recorded over the years, they’re bound to find something they like!”

All this talk of new generations of fans and 70s prog rock does beg the question – how long can Todd Rundgren go on touring? It is a lifestyle that can take its toll on the youngest of bodies, let alone one that has been slaving out on the road for 3 decades, winning fans the old fashioned way – through the sheer brilliance of a live performance, night after night. Todd himself is realistic about his physical condition and where that leaves him.

Credit: Mark Mawston

“My back is weak. About 2 years ago, I did a tour of Japan and there you play smaller venues where they charge a lot for tickets; these are really tough gigs. In between 2 shows, I wrenched my back really bad, and had to complete the tour on painkillers. I would do the show but the rest of the day was complete fucking misery. Sometimes, the day began by crawling from my bed to the bathroom. Literally crawling. Then I’d somehow get my shoes on and walk around until everything loosened up for me to move, for the 2 hours I’m on stage.

“At 20 you don’t think about it. As you get older and your performance becomes more refined, your day revolves around those 2 hours on stage and the rest is a regime getting ready for that. That’s how it will be for me, the only question is will I crawl or walk!! It’s more and more a mental game; there’s nothing you can do about the atrophy attacking your body but hey, this is way better than a coal mine.”

All through this conversation the one thing strikes me is how amazingly light hearted Todd manages to be at all times. Even a graphic description of the aforementioned day of ‘complete fucking misery’ is said with a chuckle, and I can just imagine him grinning away as he patiently answers my questions over the phone. And that’s what makes Todd Rundgren such a great musician. There are lots of creative geniuses in the music industry. Many have attempted grandiose live shows, some have even succeeded. But it is rare to find a talented, critically lauded musician, who is also popular with the fans, but still manages to keep his sense of humour through the darkest of times. I didn’t ask him if the title was auto-biographical, but I realise I never needed to. Here’s to Todd Rundgren – A wizard, a true star.

Todd Rundgren performs the British Premiere of “A Wizard, A True Star” at the HMV London Hammersmith Apollo on Saturday 6th February 2010.  Box Office: 08700 603 777.  Book Online: www.seetickets.com

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Everybody should give the instrumental post-rock genre a listen once, there’s something for everybody and with so many great bands around at the moment such as Mono, Mogwai, This Will Destroy You, 65daysofstatic etc we’re spoilt for choice.

One band that has been making a steady name for themselves over the last few years is Northern Irish group And So I Watch You From Afar. Their debut self-titled album came out early this year on Smalltown America Records; eleven ear-shattering and beautifully epic songs showcasing the band’s technical prowess. To prove my point here’s a cool official video for the opening track Set Guitars To Kill on their album.

Give them a try; you’ll be blown away and no doubt have bleeding eardrums by the end of it. Now set those guitars to kill!

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And So I Watch You From Afar

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Delhi-based rockers The Circus are almost done with their new album From Space, which will be out shortly on Grey & Saurian. They were kind enough to give me an exclusive listen to the whole album, so here’s a track-by-track review.

Track 1 – Mind Therapy: If ever there was a great way to open a record, this is it. You know the guitar and bass are building up to something big, but when the opening riff hits you 18 seconds in, it still catches you off guard. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – sometimes the best songs are the simplest ones and that’s exactly what this is. Minimal lyrics, nothing overly fancy from the guitars, and (by The Circus’ virtuoso standards) nothing too flashy from the bass either. ‘I was there to see your mind’, croons Abhishek in an instantly memorable chorus. Top-notch.

Track 2 – Reconcile Me: Anshul’s pounding drums take centre stage on this track, laying down the foundation on which guitarist Arsh lays down a chunky, fast-paced riff. I’m loath to name genres while reviewing a band that doesn’t conform to any definable style, but this song sounds like a fusion of hard-rock’s ballsy riffing with rock ‘n’ roll’s upbeat melodies. The bass solo in the middle is the first time we hear Abhinav let loose, with fantastic results. This guy is easily one of the top bassists in the country, and his in-your-face style really works well here. The false ending leading into a short jam seems a bit pointless though.

Track 3 – Tension Wires: If the drums took centre-stage last time, the bass guitar steps up for this song. Indie-legend Anupam Roy is producing this album and kudos to him and the band for keeping the bass this audible in the mix. It has a meaty sound which works perfectly with a groovy track like this. Think Incubus on speed, with some funk thrown in for good measure. The guitar and bass face-off for a solo halfway through, which will undoubtedly have the crowd going berserk when played live.

Track 4 – FOPS: Stands for Full On Party Scene, in honour of the bassist Abhinav who would ‘get high and be, like ‘full on party scene yaar!” according to Arsh. The first minute and 15 seconds feel like the musical equivalent of tripping, when notes and riffs end as soon as they begin. In fact, this whole song has an unconventional structure which makes for an interesting listen. The pace keeps altering throughout the song, going from slow to frenetic to a mid-tempo cruise. One thing’s for certain – there are worse ways to get a party started than playing FOPS.

Track 5 – Trip: A breather, finally! For the first time you get a song that isn’t coming at you all guns blazing. A moody instrumental that clocks in at 3 minutes long, it comes at just the right time to give you, and the record, some respite from the onslaught that has run you over by now. Nothing fancy or gimmicky here, just a simple yet evocative guitar harmony.

Track 6 – Tag: Goddamn I love the bass on this album. I can’t stress enough how good it sounds to hear Abhinav’s acrobatics loud and clear in the mix. We’ve had guitar gods and drum maestros in the scene before, and we have a bass virtuoso as well now. The song itself is a straightforward rocker. Abhishek is singing 3 lines throughout the 3 minutes 13 seconds, backed by groovy rhythm guitar.

Track 7 – Swindtpittle: I guarantee you will not be able to get this song out of your head once you hear it. Hypnotic riffing at its best and in typical Circus fashion it’s an amalgamation of a ton of riffs that come together to form an unlikely, yet cohesive unit. Strong melodies form a common theme to all the parts, with some electronics thrown in towards the end as well. I would love to sit in on a songwriting session and see how the hell they take so many disparate elements and build a song out of them.

Track 8: Is not recorded yet, but I’m told it will likely be an electronica track with no vocals.

Track 9 – Japanese Rebellion: Go shoot yourself if you haven’t heard this one yet. Funky, rhythm-heavy and a bass line that can set off earthquakes. Need I say more?

Track 10 – Cover Band: Starts off with some insanely cool guitar work which manages to tread that fine line between being fast and heavy without going too far and straying into metal territory. The mind-boggling bass playing is a given by now, so don’t be surprised to hear fret work from Abhinav that makes you think he has 6 arms. The solo from Arsh at 2:20 is also brilliant in the superlative – at one point it almost sounds like a raga being played on an electric sitar. The ending is absolutely bizarre (dare I say vaudevillian?), with a disembodied voice buried deep beneath electronic noise. Apparently, it is the story of a guy who is looking for pastries and goes to Africa in search of them, burns a couple of villages down and swims with sharks. “The concept behind that is that there is no concept,” explains Arsh. No kidding.

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Extreme metal is making waves in India today. Infernal Wrath have just released their groundbreaking album Inside Of Me, Bhayanak Maut’s new album only cemented their reputation as a hallowed extreme act, and Demonic Resurrection are all set to unleash Return To Darkness. As with any movement that becomes popular, scores of bands jump on the bandwagon, trying to make hay while the scene shines. But there are always a select few who stand apart, stubbornly refusing to be anyone but themselves. Like Delhi’s Undying Inc, for example.

Being themselves is something the band takes very seriously, but they needn’t worry. No one can be like them, because it is impossible to define their sound. An eclectic mix of death/thrash/progressive/math metal, songs like Manimal, Evilution and Breeding Gods defy conventional musical boundaries.

“People have called our music all sorts of stuff but I don’t want to define it,” explains bassist Ruben during a break from tracking their new album. “We talk about the elements that are there in the music – speed, groove, technique, aggression. Whatever comes out of that mix is for the people to figure out. There are so many different genres and sub-genres; Fuck that. Pick up a guitar and go with whatever sound comes out.

“You can’t take our songs and say this is 70s/90s metal. It’s timeless; it’s an amalgamation of everything we grew up listening to and we’re currently listening. It’s undying, hence the name Undying Inc!”

Guitarist Biswarup agrees: “Just call it heavy music yaar. It’s just heavy metal done differently. People make a big issue of which genre a band comes under but I don’t really get it, it’s just heavy music at the end of the day”

It is this very conscious abhorrence of genres, and the limited creative scope that accompanies words like ‘metalcore’ and ‘death metal’, that allows the band to create some of the smartest, yet undeniably brutal metal to ever decimate Indian ears. Meshuggah might be a possible reference point, but be warned – it is the loosest reference possible. Undying Inc’s songs are avant-garde metal at their best.

How else can you describe a song like Membraneous? If odd-time signatures were art, this would be the masterpiece. Vocalist Shashank’s hair-raising wail pervades through most of the song, in what is arguably the most throat shredding 5 minutes of metal to come out this year. All this is built on the rock-solid rhythm foundation of skinsman Yuvraj, whose acrobatics behind the drum kit will doubtless inspire a whole new generation of kids to discover the instrument.

“I have no clue where these riffs come from,” laughs Biswarup when I ask him. “I don’t really think about the structure of songs. I’ve studied classical music and music theory but when it comes to writing songs I don’t really think about the theory; I just let it go and stick with whatever comes out. The rhythm has to be there, the groove. If we like what we’re hearing then that’s fine.”

Nor is the band much in favour of subtlety, as song titles like Existence Failed show. “Our music is extremely brutal, aggressive and unmelodic, and that’s how we are as people – 4 fucking pissed off guys, pissed off at everything in life. Maybe urban life does that to you. The music you make reflects who you are,” explains Ruben.

“Our music makes you wanna kick someone in the face and say ‘I’m not gonna take this shit from you.’ Fuck you. The earth is gonna die, accept it. All this talk of saving the world and global warming is bullshit. We’re gonna die and nobody gives a shit.”

Angst is a metal cliché, but when backed by such precocious ability it is hard not to take Undying Inc seriously. Breeding Gods, the second track which will be featured on the new album, places the spotlight firmly the band’s incredible technique. From blast beats, to a high-pitched yawp that Shashank manages to hold perfectly for what seems like an eternity, this song pummels you into submission. Ruben’s bass guitar stands out in superlative fashion as he keeps pace with the typically atypical riff – an inherent dichotomy that defines Undying’s sound.

Such variety usually comes from a band that has eclectic music tastes, and Biswarup confirms the same: “Ruben listens to all kinds of music, especially grunge. Yuvraj listens to a lot of trance and world music. Shashank listens to a lot of music of all genres. For me, if I hear anything soft I don’t like it. The only common thing is that all of us are into metal.”

Just like with the music, there is not set formula to the song writing either. “There’s no process of how we write songs. Usually I come up with a riff and everyone adds their bit to the song as things go along. It’s a collective process. Our sound has evolved over the years. We used to sound like an old-school heavy band. Our ex-vocalist Amitabh was a big fan of the Floridian death metal scene. Now the structures have become a little more complex, less straight forward.”

Credit: Shailesh Johar

The band is currently busy recording their new, as yet untitled album. They tell me that they hope to have 12 songs to choose from, which might include an instrumental. The disc is slated for release in late December/early January. “We’re experimenting right now,” explains Ruben. “We’ve down-tuned an entire scale, I’ve moved on to a 6-string bass, the tones are completely different. As of now we’re keeping our options open and adding more stuff to the songs.”

This album, too, will be produced by Anupam Roy, who has already become something of a legend in the Indian metal scene – akin to Scott Burns and the impact he had on the nascent death metal scene in Florida. “We’ve been working with Anupam for quite a while now,” says Ruben. “Besides being a producer he’s a great friend of ours and knows us as people, which is really important for the band. If you don’t know your guys, you cannot pull the best out of them. Because he knows us well he gets us to work harder. And if we want to push the boundaries on something and we tell him ‘let’s do something more with this’, he’s always game for it.”

Undying Inc also has a fantastic slot on the GIR 2009 bill to look forward to, which is why it comes as a surprise to hear ‘yeah, whatever’ as the reply when I question Ruben about it. “It is like any other gig; you have to give it 100%. We won’t play much better just because it’s GIR,” explains an equally calm Biswarup. “It’s a big platform for us but I’m not in awe of it.”

And therein lies the crux of the matter. Undying Inc just don’t give a damn. They play what they want, whether you like it or not. They treat each gig equally, who cares how many people show up? Every track is meticulously pieced together, so what if it takes 2 weeks instead of 2 days? Evolution is important, but once you’ve hit upon a formula that works for you – why bother changing?

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Another weekend, another metal gig in Bombay, and this time it was Fr. Agnel’s in Vashi who played host to Bhayanak Maut, Zygnema and Chronic Phobia. The stellar lineup delivered a stellar show that the college isn’t likely to forget in a hurry.

Chronic Phobia were the first to hit the stage and generated quite a buzz. Having a female bassist helped no doubt, that’s still a rarity in Indian metal. But there was no doubting her ability, or the band’s for that matter. Grind-influenced extreme metal is their weapon of choice and the potential displayed by the young band even had Jai Row Kavi on his feet in applause. Their set, though not perfect, was tight, technically sound and backed with enough good riffs to get the crowd asking for an encore. Expect to see a lot more of the band in the coming months – after lots of lineup changes the band has finally settled on a foursome that works and drummer Pritesh tells me they hope to be hitting the college festival circuit in earnest over the next year.

Zygnema can count themselves unlucky that their set coincided with the prayer times of the next-door mosque. That meant they had to interrupt their set thrice, for 5-10 minutes each time, to allow the holy men to conduct their prayers. It meant the band had to work twice as hard to get the momentum going after each interruption, and that was a challenge they more than met. Songs like 59 and Discriminate are built to be crowd pleasers and, sure enough, the moshers had a field day. Whether you like their music or not, you can’t deny that Zygnema are probably the most energetic band out there today, and that energy was put to fantastic use today. The crowd went wild when vocalist Jimmy jumped off stage and headed for the barricade to sing a few lines. A brilliant set all around, which was capped by an absolutely phenomenal cover of Pantera’s Slaughtered, with Vinay and Sunnieth from Bhayanak Maut helping out on vocals. They somehow managed to make a heavy song even heavier, in what was probably the highlight of the night.

Jimmy puts on his metal face. Click on the pic for more images

Which left enough time for a little magic from the grandmasters of heavy metal. There’s heavy, and then there’s Bhayanak Maut. Playing through their new, self-titled album from start to finish, they left no doubts about why they’re being hailed as the top heavy band in the country today. Ranti Nasha and Ungentle were greeted with some of the biggest moshpits of the day, and there will definitely be a few sore necks out there tomorrow. The intensity even got to guitarist Aditya at one point, who was forced to take an impromptu breather and sit down in the middle of the set! Being the perfectionists that they are, the band wasn’t very pleased with their performance, but if this was Bhayanak Maut having an off-day, god help us all if they manage to hit the peaks they’re aiming for.

The crowd deserves a special mention as well, for maintaining order every time a band was forced to stop playing to allow for the aforementioned prayers at the mosque. Metalheads may have a reputation for being a rowdy and unreasonable bunch, but not one soul complained or booed when a band stopped. Two big thumbs up to them – days like this make you proud to be a metalhead.

Check out Bhayanak Maut’s interview, backstage at I-Rock XXIV here

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