Indian Rocket

2011-06-09T03:02:00.001+05:30

New blog post : Through a Lens: May 2011 http://bit.ly/k7xuNh

2011-05-19T03:13:00.001+05:30

New blog post : Buzz Review: Punk Night(mare!) http://bit.ly/kXctoX

2011-04-23T15:20:00.001+05:30

New blog post : Buzz Review: Peter Cat Recording Co @ Blue Frog http://bit.ly/eqBsJE

2011-04-17T11:35:00.001+05:30

New blog post : Watch: Coachella Webcast http://bit.ly/dWonNI

2011-04-14T09:23:00.001+05:30

New blog post : Download of The Day: Arctic Monkeys Singles http://bit.ly/fEwqE4

2011-04-10T22:26:00.001+05:30

New blog post : The Buzz Interview: Ella Riot http://bit.ly/gNrato

2011-04-09T18:11:00.001+05:30

New blog post : Download of The Day: Deeply Superficial http://bit.ly/haiS7F

2011-04-03T16:01:00.001+05:30

New blog post : Download of The Day: DSML Vol 2 http://bit.ly/iknLbS

2011-04-02T03:08:00.001+05:30

New blog post : News: Foo Fighters upload entire album online http://bit.ly/dYYvxq

2011-03-31T13:26:00.001+05:30

New blog post : Buzz Review: Two Hours Traffic at Hard Rock Café http://bit.ly/eFfmwt

2011-03-30T16:38:00.001+05:30

New blog post : Buzz Review: The Lightyears Explode EP Launch http://bit.ly/fgl332

2011-03-29T19:27:00.001+05:30

New blog post : Watch: Taking Back Sunday - El Paso http://bit.ly/flmBu7

2011-03-28T22:56:00.001+05:30

New blog post : Buzz Review: Kill The Fry Day! http://bit.ly/eJVGx8

2011-03-28T21:16:00.001+05:30

New blog post : Download of The Day: The Lightyears Explode (EP) http://bit.ly/gHtDkT

2011-03-28T17:03:00.001+05:30

New blog post : Watch: J Mascis - Not Enough http://bit.ly/ghXt44

2011-03-27T02:03:00.001+05:30

New blog post : Download of The Day: Isaac Graham http://bit.ly/eqNZXa

2011-03-25T14:58:00.001+05:30

New blog post : Watch: Ella Riot - It Could Be http://bit.ly/dXB4R4

2011-03-24T04:27:00.001+05:30

New blog post : Buzz Review: Pentagram 'Bloodywood' Launch (Mumbai) http://bit.ly/e7q7O1

2011-03-22T13:51:00.001+05:30

New blog post : Buzz Review: Fire Exit - OkBye http://bit.ly/gTtgXj

2011-03-20T23:57:00.001+05:30

New blog post : Videos of the Week: Cello Sunday http://bit.ly/gXUoI8

2011-02-27T14:32:00.001+05:30

New blog post : Download of The Day: Swarathma http://bit.ly/fodnop

2011-02-26T21:42:00.001+05:30

New blog post : Buzz Review: //veracious - //orangenoise http://bit.ly/hJuYo1

2011-02-24T21:32:00.001+05:30

New blog post : Buzz Review: Menwhopause - Easy http://bit.ly/e076zw

2011-02-23T12:37:00.001+05:30

New blog post : The Buzz Interview : Jas Charanjiva http://bit.ly/fCG5w1

2011-02-19T22:45:00.001+05:30

New blog post : Bombay Bassment - Hip-Hop [Never Be The Same] http://bit.ly/eX6X7g

2011-02-19T00:08:00.001+05:30

New blog post : Buzz Review : Dinner is You http://bit.ly/g0ipgP

2011-02-14T20:45:00.001+05:30

New blog post : Download Pack 1 http://bit.ly/heVIFd

2011-02-07T01:03:00.001+05:30

You cant be sitting at home this feb : http://bit.ly/fvp530

Rocket Feature : Dischordian

2010-05-11T11:12:00.013+05:30

1. What’s the origin of the name 'Dischordian'?
It was supposed to be a temporary name that Mel (Split) gave the project. It came from Discordianism, a joke disguised as a religion or maybe a religion disguised as a joke, which I had discovered around the time that I decided to go solo.

2. Who are the members of Dischordian?
The line-up has changed several times since I started Dischordian. I started out completely solo, then got Aviv (Split) on guitars, and later I decided to turn it into a 3-piece band. Right now it's me on rhythm guitar, lap steel, harmonica, and vocals, Agnnelo on trumpet and percussion, and Howard on guitar and backing vocals. We recently added a fourth member on a semi-regular basis - Nigel, on melodica, saxophone, and backing vocals. And Aviv's kind of a permanent back-up.

3. What genre of music do you consider your music to be? Who are your major influences?
I think genre labels tend to be either too limited or too vague. Also, it makes more sense for an outsider to describe someone's music, rather than the musicians themselves. I end up describing our music differently every time I'm asked. I guess it's folk with a strong punk and blues influence.

4. How long have you guys known each other?
I've known Howard and Agnnelo for years and years, but not too well till we started jamming together. Howard and I had a common friend in college, and Agnnelo played trumpet in the parish choir, back when I was a good little choirboy.

5. What are your favorite and least favorite venues? Any upcoming shows?
My favourite is probably the Blue Frog. The place looks lovely and sounds like a dream. Unlike certain venues I know, they've also never behaved like they're doing you a favour by letting you play there. Sure, they're expensive, but they're good to the musicians, and they're good to their patrons. We also played at the Hanging Gardens bandstand recently, and I think that's now one of my favourites. Outdoor gigs always have a lovely, relaxed vibe.

6. Who writes your songs? What are the main themes of your songs?
I write all the songs in Dischordian, except for one which was written with Aviv and another that I kind of wrote with Nikhil D'souza years ago in a band called Mr John's Banned. The themes... love and hate and death, I guess, as trite as that might sound. But it's possible to take a simple theme like that and do something beautiful and fresh with it, and I hope that's what I've achieved. Songs about love don't have to go, "I love you, please love me".

7. Could you briefly describe the music-making process?
Well... there's no fixed process that all the music goes through. Some songs have been written in 15 minutes, others have been written in bits and pieces over several months. Sometimes songs begin with a thematic idea, at other times with a melody, and sometimes with the need to get something off your chest. With most songs, I have a very clear idea of what I want it to sound like finally, but sometimes I've just played a song to the band, and taken it from there, with people adding their own parts.

8. What’s your ultimate aim for your band?
To keep making music that is beautiful and affects people deeply, I guess that's the only "ultimate" aim.

9. How can fans gain access to your music?
Right now there's a whole bunch of rough demos online. Right from the start, I wanted to keep Dischordian's music as intimate and unaffected as possible, so whenever I wrote a song and thought I was really done with it, and it was ready to be heard, I'd put up a rough demo recorded on my laptop. I've also put up a few rough mixes of the album tracks we recorded at the end of last year, but I've left all the demos up too. Apart from that, we're hoping to get the album out soon.

10. Any last words?
Nope. Or actually, yes... call up Jairam Ramesh and ask him to do something about the Dhamra port and the turtles there. The number is 011 2436 1727.

Listen to Dischordian on Facebook

Lamb Of God Road Trip

2010-05-10T19:16:00.004+05:30

Do you like to listen to metal while you are travelling?

Do you like to listen to metal LOUDLY, while you are travelling?

Would you like to a ROAD TRIP, listening to metal LOUDLY?

Would you like to a ROAD TRIP, with a bunch of metal-heads, listening to metal LOUDLY?

Then you would definitely like a LOUD metal concert right after the ROAD TRIP!

Lamb Of Goad Road Trip

Bus Route:
Bombay -Pune(they're picking people from Pune too) - Bangalore - Bombay

Leaves MAY 13th 7:00 am from Sion
Reaches MAY 14th Afternoon
Have a Day's rest. You relax, chill, socialise, make plans, etc.

Attend the LAMB OF GOD concert.

After the gig, the bus will leave on MAY 16th at 2:00 am form Bangalore.

Only Rs 1999/-
Accomodation Rs150/-

Go to www.wats.co.in for further details

Call before you run out of options!!

Contact : 09833156989, 09969711130.

Event page : http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=111840562187330

Gig Alert : Summerstorm Festival Pre Party

2010-05-10T10:54:00.006+05:30

Headlining Act
Nothnegal (Maldives) - Kevin Talley (Dååth, ex-Chimaira, ex-Dying Fetus, ex-Misery Index) Marco Sneck (Kalmah, Poisonblack)

Bands
Abandoned Agony (Bangalore)
Eccentric Pendulum (Bangalore)
*Devoid (Mumbai)
*Escher's Knot (Chennai)
*Guillotine (Delhi)
Abraxas (Pune)
*Chronic Xorn (Kolkata)

*Bands to launch EP/Album at the Pre Party

Venue : ZERO G
10th Floor,
Prestige Tower,
Residecy Road,
Bangalore,
Karnataka 560025 - 080 41236674

Date : May 14th 2010

Time : 2 PM Onwards, Gate Close At 7PM

Contact : Salman +919886563078

Be there or miss someone special!!!!!!

Event By INFINITE DREAMS ARTIST MANAGEMENT in association with OVERTUREINDIA

Rolling Stone Metal Awards 2010

2010-05-08T01:43:00.009+05:30

It’s time to flash those devil’s horns! Rolling Stone India proudly presents the country’s first annual awards to honour the best in Indian heavy metal. If you are a metal band that has released a single or an album in the period January 1, 2009 to April 30, 2010, you can nominate yourself in any or all of the seven categories, by downloading the entry form on this page.

Categories:

Best Metal Band
Best Metal Album
Best Metal Song
Best Metal Vocalist
Best Metal Guitarist
Best Metal Bassist
Best Metal Drummer

Download Entry Form (pdf)

Download Entry Form (doc)

Hurry! Entries close May 20, 2010.

Furtados is educating musicians this Summer !!

2010-05-04T20:04:00.018+05:30

Its only May but its raining events at Furtados Music! We have a lot of contests, workshops, clinics, product offers etc.

Lets start with the big news! John Tempesta (Testament/White Zombie/Rob Zombie/The Clash) is going to be performing on 3rd June at the PALM Expo 2010 to launch the new Zildjian Z3 Cymbals. We have lots of prizes including signed Cymbals by John and Zildjian T-Shirts and Caps etc. So make sure you don't miss this.

Lamb of God is performing in Bangalore on 15th May and we'll be giving away 10 tickets via a contest on www.furtadosonline.com which starts on 5th May. So make sure you enter. We are also giving 2 lucky winners a chance to meet Willie Alder in person but for this prize you need to attend Demonstealer's ESP Guitar and Band Building Workshop on 14th May at Furtados in Koramangala, Bangalore.
Event Details: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=112444742126841&index=1

Speaking on which Demonstealer is doing a 3 city tour conducting an ESP Guitar Workshop and a Band Building Workshop. The band building workshop is a special initiative by Furtados to help amateur bands understand the music business and find the mantra for success. Demonstealer is the frontman of the band Demonic Resurrection who recently performed in Norway at the Inferno Festival and just inked a record contract with Candlelight Records in the UK, he also runs his own record label called Demonstealer Records. This workshop aims to educate bands on how the scene works abroad and how can an Indian band succeed in India as well as the west. So make sure you attend this.
Event Details: http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#!/event.php?eid=116271785062154

And thats not all. There are Guitar and Drum clinics lined up all through the month.

8th May - Aditya Gopinath and Jai Row Kavi from Bhayanak Maut conduct an ass kicking guitar and drum clinic at BX Furtados in Mumbai.
Event Details: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=111897938845627&index=1

8th May - Demonstealer and Hamza Kazi - Demonstealers workshop plus an informative drum workshop by Hamza Kazi (Workshop) at Furtados in Pune
Event Details: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=121159241228587&index=1

9th May - Reuben and Benjamin from IIIrd Sovereign in their first clinic focussing on the extreme side of music. Don't miss these 2 in action at Furtados Delhi
Event Details: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=115701065119496&index=1

15th May - Darshan Doshi one of India's leading drummers in Bollywood who has played with the best of the best like A.R Rehman, Shankar Eshaan Loy and many others who is also now a Pearl Endorsee conducts a drum clinic at our JVPD Store in Mumbai
Event Details: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=121064294577656&index=1

23rd May - Ryan Colaco from Kryptos one of India's premier metal bands conducts a Drum clinic at our Koramangla store covering everything from the basics to advanced drumming.
Event Details: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=116734315015541&index=1

23rd May - Demonstealer Band Building Workshop + ESP Clinic followed by Mapex and Zildjian Endorsee Virendra Kaith's drum clinic all about speed and extreme metal drumming at JVPD Furtados in Mumbai
Event Details: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=112141438820957&index=1

30th May - Drum Extrodinaire Gino Banks conducts a drum clinic at our JVPD Showroom in Mumbai. Gino endorses Zildjian Cymbals and Evans Drumheads. He is one of the best drummers in India.
Event Details: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=112427932128102&index=1

Thats all the events we have for May and we hope to see you all attend these events and spread the word to other musicians and music lovers who would be interested.

Here's your chance to play at Independence Rock XXV

2010-05-04T11:09:00.008+05:30

Independence Rock - India’s biggest Rock Music Festival & Band Talent Hunt is back and in its 25th year, accomplishing a landmark!

As Independence Rock enters its 25th year, it aims at taking the promise of promoting independent musicians, artists and bands to a greater height. Today, Independence Rock is attempting to take these talented individuals and groups to a global arena and give them an opportunity to match their virtuosity and stand their own on an international level.

Following the Nation-Wide Eliminations, and the National Finale, the winner of Independence Rock National Finale will have the chance to compete in the Independence Rock Global Finale with bands who have won the biggest Battle of the Bands competitions in 6 regions from all over the world - Canada, USA, UK, Europe, Asia and Australia.

So if you think you have what it takes, then fill out the and send us your entry today!

Band Registration:

1. Fill out the Registration Form

2. Email the demos to: demos@independencerock.in

or

Send the demos by Postal Mail to:
Independence Rock XXV - Band Demos
c/o Rohinton Poonawala / Anuj Gupta
E18, A Division of Network18 Media & Investments Ltd.
New Era House, Mogul Lane, Matunga (West)
Mumbai - 400016

Event Schedule:
- Call for Band Registrations: 1st May 2010
- Last date for Entries: 20th May 2010
- Announcement of the selected Regional Semi-Finalists: 1st June 2010

Competition Format:
- Regions: Kolkata, Delhi, Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai
- From the 8 Regional Semi-Finalists competing at city pubs, 4 Regional Finalists will selected
- From the 4 Regional Finalists selected competing at a city outdoor venue, 1 Regional Winner will be selected for the National Finale
- National Finale in Mumbai - Winners will proceed to the Global Finale
- Global Finale in Mumbai
- Victory Lap for the Winners of the National Finale - Gigs across India

*Dates and Venues are tentative and subject to change.

Prizes:
National Winner:
- Rs. 1,00,000 (inclusive of Cash + Gear)
- Entry into Sutasi - an Asian bands’ competition held annually in Singapore

Global Winner:
- USD 50,000 in (Cash + Equipment + Merchandise Manufacturing)

Rules & Regulations for Participation:
- The selected bands at any stage of the contest will have to make themselves available for the contest schedule
- The selected outstation bands will be paid a stipend for their travel/food/stay at every qualifying stage. The stipend will be announced to the qualifying bands
- Demos can be submitted as an Audio CD (Postal Mail) or as Audio Files (Email)
- Sending YouTube links of the band’s performance videos in addition to Audio files by email is suggested, but not necessary
- Bands can send up to 3 original compositions (preferred), or 2 originals and 1 cover
- The qualifying bands will be required to blog, upload content, and promote their association with Independence Rock virally as per further communication
- Qualifying bands would be required to be available for press, photo opportunities and appearances for Sponsors. Rights to the same will belong with the Sponsor
- All qualifying bands will assign their audio & video mechanical and exploitation rights to their demos submitted and all performances at Independence Rock to E18

For any queries, please email anuj.gupta@independencerock.in

Indian AVIMA 2010 Winners List

2010-05-04T03:54:00.015+05:30

ASIAN ANTHEMS OF THE YEAR!

Zedde – Mumbai(India)

Best Rock Song

Junkyard groove - Imagine (India)- GOLD

Best Rock Group

The Bicycle days (India)-BRONZE (tie+o.3)

Thank You For Existing Award

Sanjeev T and The Rainbow Bridge

Best Electro/Dance Act

Shadow (India)-BRONZE

Feelgood Song of The Year

Junkyard groove – Folk you (India)-GOLD

Zedde-Mumbai (India)-BRONZE

GENRE BENDING ACT OF ASIA

Bicycle Days (India)-SILVER

T2B (Tipped 2 Be THE NEXT BIG THING)

Summerpint Junkie (India)

Prayag (India)

Go to the AVIMA page to view more : http://voize.my/music/full-avima-2010-winners-list/

Folk You (Fan Video) - Junkyard Groove

2010-05-04T03:21:00.009+05:30

Recently, Mr.Varun Agarwal made an amazing corporate stop motion video for Bangalore band Junkyard Groove & their sing a long happy song "Folk You". This effort by Varun indeed amazed the band members & supporters of the band.
We decided to ask him what inspired him to make the video & what Junkyard Groove means to him, here's what he had to say

"Well I always wanted to do a music video for Junkyard . I love their sound. In fact I usually end up doing music videos for songs I really like without featuring the band in it at all.

I made Voice for Pentagram which clocked around 98,000 hits on youtube and I did Antaragini for Raghu which got 101,000 hits. Both dont feature the bands at all.

Now I was always fascinated by the I.T industry. I always found their work environment very boring and I thought lets make a fun video on that. Thats when I decided to do Folk You on a corporate setting.

Junkyard Groove to me is an independent band that has carved a niche for itself and has not given up music to pursue something else. Their are true to their music and true to what they believe in.
And thats just brilliant."

Watch more of Varun Agarwal's work @ http://www.youtube.com/user/varun760

Junkyard Groove on youtube : http://www.youtube.com/junkyardgroove1

Also Check Our Interview with Junkyard Groove : http://indianrocket.blogspot.com/2009/06/interview-with-junkyard-groove.html

Because God Told Me To Do It

2010-05-04T03:13:00.005+05:30

Roadcrew Records (IND) and TheeBradMiller (USA) presents ‘Because God Told Me To Do It: India’, a compilation featuring 10 of India’s best musical talents, together for the first time ever! From the destructive force that is Undying Inc to the dark atmosphere of Rat King, this compilation has it all.

“Because God Told Me To Do It” is the brain child of TheeBradMiller, editor of The Other Sound, the Knight-In-Charge at Inner-X-Musick and the webmaster of the John Zewizz Appreciation Society (Sleep Chamber’s official website). After Russia and Norway comes India’s chance to feature on this famous compilation. The entire album is up for free downloads, the download link is given below.

Track Listing:

Psyborg – Ex 10 Dead Ins True Mental
Eccentric Pendulum – Sculptor Of Negative Emotions
Skrat – Stay Wild
Evergreen – From Here To Clarity
Blind Image – Deciphered
Adam And The Fish Eyed Poets – Deepthroat
Theorized – Venomous Tormentia
Rat King – Hour Of The Wolf
Hydrodjent – Dots
Undying Inc – Breeding Gods

Download Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?ymn52zgxrxz

The Beggar Mentality

2010-05-02T16:27:00.007+05:30

Stomping the Indian Metal Scene further deep in excrement are the ones who cannot make a living off it. While the children bicker about death metal/black metal/other sub-genres and irrelevant subjects like hair, clothing and other trends, I’ll talk about people making the music we worship sound like an unpaid whore.

I realized long back that rock/metal bands might not end up making a lot of money. Guns N’ Roses and Metallica did. And while making shitloads of money, Metallica opened the floodgates for other worthy bands like Megadeth and Slayer.

Most of us work during the day so we don’t need to be unhappy after playing the kind of music we love. Nobody asked anybody to quit studies or working, nobody told anybody that living the rock ‘n roll dream would eventually pay off in cash. Nobody told Lemmy, either. He stuck to it because he believed in it, and it paid off for him much later because he’s fucking Lemmy. I’m sure he didn’t think of it as an investment.

If you’re the one who thought so and aren’t making the kind of dough you’d like to, maybe it’s time to admit it was a failed experiment. The music you make is greatly affected if you’re dependent on it for income. I don’t care how extreme your band is; if you’re making money off it and not doing much else, you will, at some point, have to make it as saleable as possible so that you (and your offspring) can enjoy the luxuries of life. Does that sound cheap? You should have thought of it a long time ago.

The ones who want to create music will do it anyhow. Without a record label, without expecting people to listen to it, without thinking about how to get cash out of every kid once the album is ready.

About CDs and album sales: Ha! I can’t think of one death/black metal album made by an Indian band that is actually worth paying even 50 bucks for. What the hell are bands charging over 200 rupees for? And if that isn’t shameful enough, bands have been using guilt tactics to get kids to pay for the music. Just because you could make a CD of your songs that are not very good, why should some kid pay 200 bucks for it? So that he need not feel awkward about saying hello to you after a show?

And what happened to self-respect? Do you think Metallica went around with CDs of Kill ‘Em All saying, “Please buy the album from me or so-and-so.”? I don’t know about you idiots, but I like my metal heroes to be just that. Metal heroes. Not calculative businessmen. Not door-to-door salesmen. Remember one thing, if your album is really good, people will buy it. You weren’t kept in the dark about heavy metal being even more ‘underground’ in this country, right? Metal empowers you; let it be your strength and not your weakness.

I am certainly not going to part with even twenty bucks to promote shitty music. I don’t give a flying fuck if you’re my friend or enemy; make a good album, sell it at a reasonable price, and I might consider buying it.

I remember clearly sitting on Prashant’s terrace and us deciding that we wouldn’t ‘sell’ our music – some of you may not like our band – but we think of our music as priceless. We decided that day to never put a price tag on it. My heart and ass swell with pride every time someone asks me where they can get CDs of Exhumation’s two albums and I tell them to download them from the Internet. I love how I never have to ask any kid to put his hand in his pocket and remove money because he wants to listen to my band’s music.

When people come up to me and say, “Hey bro, your band fucking owns” and “Dude, your guitarist is a fucking god”, that’s my reward, that’s currency, baby…that’s my money right there.

Want to know what makes me cringe? Bands that say things like “Keep supporting metal”. Are you implying that metal is weak? I don’t care if it’s some cheesy Indian band or the singer of Cannibal Corpse saying it. Heavy Metal doesn’t need support – it is the strongest thing there is. I don’t know what to call this feeling I have for metal, but what I know is there is nothing more powerful than this feeling.

The next time somebody tells you to keep supporting metal, know that what they’re really saying is “please give us your money”. Someone like that cannot be my metal hero.

Your metal heroes write whiney notes and update their Facebook status for fanboys to ‘like’. My metal heroes – I haven’t seen most of them perform live and might never get to – my metal heroes make countless metalheads bang their heads in unison like possessed zombies and then tell them to go the fuck home. That’s called keeping the spirit of metal alive.

Be proud of Indian bands that make quality music instead of being emotionally blackmailed and embarrassed into buying stuff that isn’t really all that great.

I’ll sign off with a request – and I’m not speaking as Aditya from Exhumation – I’m the kid who was reborn the day he understood Metallica, the boy who stopped existing and started living the day he understood the spirit of heavy metal – please stop prostituting the music I worship.

- Aditya Mehta

crossposted @ www.mehtakyakehta.wordpress.com

Exhumation : http://www.myspace.com/44282988

Band Profile : Middle Finger Theory

2010-04-29T21:36:00.006+05:30

Genre : Nu Metal/Experimental

City : New Delhi

Contact : +91 9250370469(Ankit Singh)

Band Members :
Shubhendu Jha - Drummer
Sarthak Kush - Guitars

Deepak Bawari - Bass

Ankit Singh - Vocals

Bio :
Middle Finger Theory is a four piece NuMetal/Experimental act which was formed in 2009 when drummer Shubhendu and Vocalist Ankit were searching for like minded musicians across Delhi. The quest to form a band with a different sound ended when guitarist Sarthak accompanied by Deepak on the bass joined the band, thanks to the social networking sites. Our music is a blend of Heavy Metal and Nu Metal which gives a completely different sound. We are open to experiment and have a wide range of influences from Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Deftones to Tool, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. We have been doing a few gigs across New Delhi lately and have managed a pretty decent fan base too. We recorded our first original recently called The P Cafe. The lyrics of our songs revolve around the social stigmas and evils which haunt our society. You can check it out and expect further more music from us in the near future.

The only thing that we wanna say is that "We give the conformity and the social evils The Middle Finger...._|_

Listen to Middle Finger Theory's well known track titled "The P Cafe" on their
Myspace page : http://www.myspace.com/middlefingertheory
Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/pages/Middle-Finger-Theory/183914624862
Reverb Nation : http://www.reverbnation.com/middlefingertheory

Wanna record? (Part-1)

2010-04-29T14:46:00.011+05:30

Before reading instructions:-

1)It’s a pretty long-ass cut-to-cut and the simplest and non-technical jargon used here to make you understand.Think of it like a story and then proceed.
2)Tweaking is the ultimate key(I have learnt that the hard way).The more you indulge in messing with the softwares and the samplers,the more you progress.Now start readin fella’s.

Ok! Thank you everyone for supporting me for my scribblings so far . Take it as a return on my behalf .

Many people have been asking me after listening to my solo project Essence that how do I record,program drums,process,mix,master etc etc in short,the same things which I used to ask to my fellow awesome musicians and producers some time before and it took me many hours to learn and have a proper understanding of how production works and still I myself am not a pro in all this.

So to avoid answering all those friends of mine multiple times which is absolutely one hell of a job to do(you know that ),I decided to make up an article on how to start recording.And I will cover the basics of mixing further in the continuation to this article.This is a very long-ass read but I assure you it’s almost very non-technical and reader-friendly and y’all n00bz will get most of your basics cleared

RECORDING BASICS

So I’ll start off with what is required first of all to start your recording with.(for a guitarist)

1)How to connect your guitar to your pc?What all you need?
-You need your guitar,processor,nice cables(minimum 2),a sound card/usb recording interface.

Basically you can record using a soundcard,that is plugging your guitar into the processor and then connecting your processor to your “line-in” jack which is usually present on the back-side of your PC .OR if you have a usb interface > Line-6 Toneport UX2 ,you connect your guitar to your processor and then connect it to your USB interface like the one which I linked above and you have a USB connection from the interface to the USB hub in your pc.Nowadays processors also have USB connections for recording.So you can also invest on that.Here I covered what all connections you make just before recording.USB Interfaces cost around from 5k INR/- + AFAIK!.

2)Why is a good soundcard or an USB Interface necessary to record??
-Generally you must have heard this word named “Latency”(i know it’s a bitchy word ).Latency in simple language means the delay of output from your speakers. i.e. When you record using your on-board sound card,when you strike a note on your guitar,the sound will come after some micro-seconds which makes it pretty uncomfortable for an artist to record.So using a good sound card or an USB interface eliminates the latency to almost zero which is ub3r comfy for you to record.

3)What all do I need to get my recordings started?
-You need your guitar,interface/sound-card,processor,a DAW for starters,a drum sampler

After you are done with the connections(refer to Q1),you just fire up your DAW and start recording.

Ok so what is a DAW??
DAW is the short form for Digital Audio Workstation or audio recording software in layman terms for e.g Adobe Audition(the best DAW for starters),Nuendo,Cubase,Logic,Ableton Live,Fruity Loops etc.

Drum Samplers

-Well for an amateur/semi-pro musician in India and as well as an amateur producer,it’s a pretty tough job financially to go record live drums in a studio.Instead of that we have a very very good alternative that is sampled/programmed drums.They give out pretty good quality if processed well.Some of the e.g are EZDrummer,Drumkit from Hell a.k.a DFH, S2.0 ,Steven Slate Drums,Metal Foundry Drums etc.

Well as this guide considers to helping up beginners,EZDrummer with Drumkit from Hell is the best alternative for y’all.

-PRE-PROGRAMMING ,TO-DO LIST

To program drums,you need both of these softwares.First install EZDrummer and then install DfH.After you are done with this,open up a DAW for programming the drums.According to me Fruity Loops 9 is the best deal for us over here.Even I use FL9.

Just load up FL9(after installing both the softwares),click on Channel>Add One>More.A long list of plugins will appear,just click on “Refresh” which is at the bottom of the list so that it will show “EZDrummer”.Just tick it and close the list.Then afterwards whenever you open up your list,EZDrummer will always appear.

So,when to open up any plugin(including EZD) in FL,you click on Channel>Add One>(the list,find EZD from the list) and click on it.The EZDrummer interface will open which will consist of a drumkit.Click on each drum-part to know the sound,and keep exploring.I’ll go ahead on how to actually program.All this was “Pre-programming” instructions and how-to-start stuff.Haha already bored,are’nt you??But the drive to learn new stuff should overcome this boredom .

-PROGRAMMING THE DRUMS

So after doing all that stuff which I mentioned above^.When you come to the main interface page with the drumkit,press “Alt+P”.It will bring up the Piano Roll.A Piano Roll consists of keys(that of a keyboard) and small boxes beside them.Each key denotes one drum part i.e snare,kick.Your job=EXPLORE and tweak.Click on one box,it will be filled with a green box.Set tempo and start tweaking with the software.Similarly you can mess with DFH(which is mainly for programming metal drums) by clicking on a dropdown option which is right above the drumkit on the main interface and selecting “Drumkit from Hell”.Now start tweaking.

Sigh!I have completed the basics of Drum Programming and Recording over here.The conclusion to this guide will have the n00b tips on mixing and mastering(which I myself don’t know properly ).

All the Best!

Cheers.Feel free to pop up any questions on comments below and spread word!!

- Siddharth Nair

Crossposted @ http://essentialblend.wordpress.com/

Unseen Underground Pub Fests !!

2010-04-29T09:13:00.011+05:30

After the great success of Unseen Underground Pub Fests last year & Ragnarok'09 , Unseen Underground is planning to organize 40 pub shows this year in 6 cities -Chennai, Delhi, Bangalore , Hyderabad , Kolkata & Guwahati , giving equal opportunity to more than 100 upcoming bands from across the country .

The plan is to have the shows as follows throughout the year
Delhi: 6 shows (Bimonthly starting from May 2010)
Bangalore: 6 shows (Bimonthly starting from June 2010)
Hyderabad: 6 shows (Bimonthly starting from June 2010)
Kolkata: 6 shows (Bimonthly starting from May 2010)
Guwahati: 6 shows (Bimonthly starting from June 2010)
Chennai: 10 shows (Monthly starting from May2010).

The 1st show of this series is scheduled on 2nd May in Chennai @ Geoffrey's Pub, featuring bands:
Franks Got The Funk (Chennai),
Spitfire (Bangalore),
Escher’s Knot (Chennai)
Blind Image (Chennai).

Date
2nd May '2010 (Sunday)

Venue
Geoffrey's Pub ,
RADHA REGENT .
# 171, Jawaharlal Nehru Salai.
Arumbakkam, Chennai-106

Time
7 pm onwards

About The Bands :

1.Spitfire is a Bangalore based Heavy Metal/Melodic Death Metal band.Thoughts of forming a band were laid when Vibhas and Suhas wanted to jam to get their minds of the board-exam tension. But nothing happened as the tension grew. The idea was brought back when they recruited Charan and Akhilesh to take-over vocals and bass respectively. Spitfire had their first Jam in the month of July '05, and played their first gig at the August Sunday Jam followed by Freedom Jam '05.August 07 welcomed some lineup changes in the form of Akhilesh being replaced by Vicky and the inclusion of Ashutosh on guitars(now excluded). Since then they've been playing every show they possibly can. Spitfire is planning to hit the studios when they can afford it(funding and donations welcome).Their sound is a mixture of Metal-core with death metal, Nu metal, and experimenting a little within the boundaries of metal.

2.Escher’s Knot is a Technical Metal outfit from Chennai formed in July 2009. The band consists of Abijith (Ston’d) on vocals, Anshuman (ex-IIIrd Sovereign) on guitars, Madhav (Theorized) on bass and Manu (Blood & Iron) on drums. With influences ranging from Tool to Textures to Decapitated, the band caters to a unique blend of technical riffing and drumming, heavy bass lines and growls and screeches. Being one of the few metal bands to have cropped up in Chennai, the band has carried the mantle quite well with frequent pub gigs and outstation shows more recently. Despite their recent beginnings, the band has had considerable success come their way including being the winners of Unwind Center’s Underground Battle Of The Bands - grabbing all individual prizes, and making it to the Mood Indigo South Finals. The chance to open for Textures and Amon Amarth at the Deccan Rock Fest in Bangalore was narrowly missed by just 3 points. January 2010 marked a terrific start to the year with the band winning the Let People Live concert and subsequently finishing first (and with Manu picking up Best Drummer) in Decibels – the semi-pro event at IIT-Chennai’s fest Saarang. This gave them the opportunity to open for Swedish powerhouse HammerFall. The band is currently working on new material and plan to release an EP sometime early this year

3.Blind Image is a Contemporary/Thrash/ Groove Metal band from Chennai. They came out with their first self produced album titled "Psychobabble" on June 2008,which was launched in Unseen Underground Pub Fest-II.The band has released their second album "More than human"at unseen Underground Pub Fest-V on 15th November’09.

4.Franks Got The Funk is a Chennai based Funkjazz \ Psy \ Rock band. Within a short period of time they have achieved lot of awards for their talent. They are the winner of Underground 09 acoustic ,with best vocalist and instrumentalist. The band was placed 2nd @ IIT Saarang Powerchords 2010 with best drummer and bassy . They are the winners of Chennai live Acoustic competition & winners of MCC Deepwoods 2010 with best drummer , guitarist and Best song “ Franks Got The Funk” . They are alos Winners of Techofest 2010 with best vocalist , drummer , bassy and keyboardist titles . The band will be featured for the first time in Unseen Underground show.

For more details of the show mail us at unseenunderground@gmail.com
Or call Nicky – 9380560142

Albatross Album Art !!

2010-04-28T11:30:00.005+05:30

Albatross started out as the solo project of bassist Riju Dasgupta(Workshop, Old Monks), who wanted to marry his love of literature with his other love- metal. Later on, a lineup of like-minded musicians was standardised and hence Albatross was born. This was preceded by the success of 2 Albatross songs which were uploaded on the band's soundclick page, and with fans demanding more from the project...the band is currently recording it's debut EP called Dinner is You. If you enjoy a good story, or simply love to headbang to 100% pure unadulterated metal, you may want to check out www.soundclick.com/albatrossindia

Albatross has finally released the album art for their most awaited EP "Dinner Is You". The cover was designed by Ameya Chavan , a well known artist from New Zealand. The Albatross logo was designed by Sean Pereira, a mindblowing graphic known for his work with the the Flaming Skull Podcast. Albatross has certainly kept its impatient fans waiting for their Ep. Even from the Album art, one can judge that this is going to be nothing less than a quality release.

Join Albatross on
Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/albatrossindia
Soundclick : http://www.soundclick.com/albatrossindia

Band Profile : Zedde

2010-04-26T17:04:00.005+05:30

In mid 2008, singer 2Blue and guitar player Claver, musicians celebrated for their work in Vayu and Rust Angels respectively, got together to form Zedde. Zedde is driven by the undying passion to perform original music and the urge to carry forward the legacy of their hard rock predecessors. Their inimitable style of music unarguably entitles them as Mumbai's best shot at the resurgence of Rock N' Roll.

The Band

2Blue – Vocals

Legend has it that when 2Blue was five, Apollo – the Greek God of music – appeared before him and offered him a potion for vocal strength and prowess. Startled by the divine intervention, li'l 2Blue simply followed instructions and drank the potion. There is no veracity to this story, which perhaps was just the young boy's dream, but what is not is the sheer vocal talent that he has gathered since then. With influences of Ian Gillan, David Coverdale, and Ronnie James Dio amongst others, 2Blue has enthralled fans wherever he has performed. A self confessed maverick, 2Blue believes that a good gig is one where he finds God on stage. That, according to him, is his biggest reward.

Claver – Guitar

Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Paul Gilbert – these are just a few of the guitar legends whose music has helped mold Claver's career. But the one man who changed his life in more ways than one is Prince. Claver's obsession with the guitar began during his early teens. Two decades of obsessive practice later, he is now every bit the guitar virtuoso that he once aspired to be. A man of immense respect in guitar circles, Claver's contribution to the Indian music industry is beyond measure. His shelves full of trophies and awards bear testimony to his stature as a musician. Perhaps it was in Claver's genes, knowing the rich musical heritage that his family prides on.

Akashdeep – Bass

Akashdeep’s very eclectic influences – right from Billy Sheehan and Victor Wooten to John Myung and Jaco Pastorius – have helped add a whole new dimension to the Zedde sound. Essentially an adrenaline junkie who moved to Mumbai chasing his Rock N' Roll dreams, Akash has brought with him more than just the bass guitar. A brilliant guitar player, backing vocalist, and bass player; he has more surprises up his sleeve than meets the eye. Come, attend a Zedde gig to find out.

Trevor – Drums

When off stage, he is sober and soft spoken; but put him behind a drum kit, and Trevor metamorphoses into a powerhouse stick swiping machine comparable with the veritable Hammer of the Gods. Influences of Alex Van Halen and Dave Lombardo are unmistakable in Trevor's playing which boasts his exceptional command over phrasing and odd-time syncopation. With an uncompromised desire to break new ground in drumming, Trevor truly is the backbone of Zedde. It's quite a wonder that he says he's a drummer only by accident.

Download their music from their webpage : www.zeddelive.com

Taaqademy is the place to be !!

2010-04-26T15:38:00.004+05:30

TAAQADEMY, an initiative of the critically acclaimed Bangalore rock band Thermal And A Quarter (TAAQ), offers bands what they most crave -- and deserve: An accessible and affordable space to learn, jam and create music. TAAQADEMY's 300 sq ft sound-proof rehearsal studio is fully equipped and completely air-conditioned with power backup. We have one of the few facilities that can record live drums. The rehearsal pad at TAAQADEMY has been tested to satisfaction by renowned local and international music professionals.

MUSIC EDUCATION WITH A DIFFERENCE

With music schools mushrooming everywhere, learning music is no longer a challenge. But few music schools can teach their wards what it takes to play in a band. TAAQADEMY's band-focused music education goes beyond teaching students to master their instruments. At TAAQADEMY, students will learn approaches to songwriting and make music in collaborative environments. By interacting and creating together, they will hone interpersonal skills that will benefit them in life beyond music.

MAKE SPACE FOR MUSIC

TAAQADEMY highlights the importance of making space for music in our lives. This summer, TAAQADEMY introduces drum and guitar lessons, as well as special packages for corporate professionals to use music as a tool to bolster team integrity and confident interpersonal interactions.

EQUIPMENT

Electro-Voice PA with JBL Cabinet Design
Behringer 20 Channel Mixing Board
Studiomaster 2000W Power Amplifier
Shure and Audio-Tecnica Vocal Microphones
Boom Mic stands for Vocals
Randall 100W Guitar Combo Amp with switchable channels, stereo FX loop and reverb
Carlsbro 80W Guitar Combo Amp with switchable channels, stereo FX loop and reverb
Laney 160W Bass Combo Amp with 7-band EQ, Compressor/Limiter and D.I. out
Separate stereo channels on Mixer for Keyboard/Drum Machine/Groove Box inputs
Boss ME-8 FX Processor (Charges extra)
Line 6 POD XT Live Amp Modeler/Guitar Effects Processor (Charges Extra)
Mapex M-Birch Pro 5-piece Drum Kit with 3 cymbal stands

CONTACT

For details of guitar and drum classes, jam room rentals, music workshops or recording facilities, please call Divya Joseph at +91-9980797014

Facebook page : http://www.facebook.com/Taaqademy

Band Profile : Digital Suicide

2010-04-26T15:12:00.005+05:30

Digital Suicide is an alternative rock band from Guwahati, Assam. The band consists of Daniel Langthasa on lead vocals and guitar, Dpak Borah on backing vocals and bass guitar, and Ratan Bordoloi on drums and percussion.

Originally hailing from Haflong, they have been friends since their formation in early 2008 and changed band names a number of times (such as Ahimxa, Spice Boys) before adopting the name Digital Suicide. But like so many other places in North East India, their hometown was badly hit by insurgency. They had to move out in order to save the future of the band. The band regrouped in Guwahati after almost 2 years and has been creating music with more fervour and zeal than ever before.

Their sound is a refreshing blend of alternative rock music, grunge, punk, old school Bollywood music, mid- 90s boy band pop and progressive rock. Digital Suicide is the new voice of independent rock scene of India. Strong bass and drum groove acts as the driving force behind the band’s music with the guitar providing simple atmospheric and ambient textures to the songs rather than just carrying the melody. Digital Suicide’s flirtation with 70’s disco and 80’s pop melodies reflect on their vocal melodies. Their music has been inspired by the works of R. D. Barman, Bappi Lahiri, Classical Music, Bands like RHCP, Placebo, Joy Division, R.E.M., Sonic Youth, Lady Gaga, MJ, Radiohead, Nirvana etc.

The band is known for their energetic and stylish live performances. Their lyrical themes and inspiration involve California dreams, love, communal hate, regional terrorism, real politik, fatty food, sex, hallucination, wild life, animals, global warming, aliens etc and to see a clearer sky is Digital Suicide’s concern.

They have just finished recording a 5 song demo CD which they have recently released in Guwahati and also a free download on12th March 2010.

Myspace- www.myspace.com/thedigitalsuicide
Facebook- www.facebook.com/digitalsuicid3
Reverbnation- www.reverbnation.com/digitalsuicid3
Twitter- twitter.com/digitalsuicid3
E-mail- thedigitalsuicide@gmail.com
Tumblr- digitalsuicid3.tumblr.com
Download their Demo : http://digitalsuicid3.bandcamp.com/

Inder Sidhu & The Non-existent Scene?

2010-04-22T07:32:00.015+05:30

Recently, there was a lot of hue & cry about an article Mr.Inder Sidhu wrote in Tehelka Magazine, Vol 7, Issue 15, Dated April 17, 2010. Most of the content put forth in the article had was based on inadequate research done by the writer. He makes false accusations throughout the article & even refers to music scene in India as a non - existent one.
Initially, I wasn't going to going to put a link to this article on my blog as it goes against everything musicians in India stand for. . It makes my blog seem pointless . . But I realized that its about time musicians were aware of what the so-called "Media" thinks of us.
Here's a link to the article : http://www.tehelka.com/

This article caused quite a storm among musicians in India & the well - known Thermal & A Quarter decided to give a staunch reply to Tehelka.

Dear Tehelka,

Thermal And A Quarter is a Bangalore-based rock band with delusions of world domination since 1999. We read Inder Sidhu's outcry against "the media's hysterical coverage of Indian rock bands" with familiar feelings of resigned amusement and piquant regret. While Sidhu makes some pleasant noises and points available fingers at the usual suspects, he disappoints us by stating the obvious and therefore fails to offer us any fresh insight into what actually ails the rock scene. What ails the media we already know.

First off, Tehelka could have attempted to address the question: What is uniquely "Indian" about the Indian rock scene? You get really excited about Indian writers in English, so why can't an electric guitar and English lyrics employed to express Indian themes excite you as much? Is the Indian rock "movement" -- as some like to call it -- merely about the explosion of rock band competitions and sponsored collegiate rock festivals? Is it only about the so-called mushrooming of venues for Indian rock? Is it about the legitimacy accorded to it by weak-willed Bollywood flicks such as Rock On? Is it more than a West-aping deluge of residual post-adolescent hormones? Or is it merely a vehicle for selling phallic fantasies associated with jeans, bikes, movies, or alcohol?

Why can't the music scene you obsess about be the product of entrepreneurial activity or the struggle of independent artists to secure a platform for expression in a milieu notorious for the absence of infrastructure or patronage? Is it not also about artistic independence -- and what is indie in an Indian context anyway? Is it not about the paucity of industry support for independent music (and just what is this "industry"?)? And why are we in such a hurry to pack it all up in one store shelf labelled 'rock' - what about Carnatic blues, or Indian jazz-rock, or Indian prog-rock, or Indian death metal, or Devotional jazz-rock, or Malayalam thrash metal, or Hindi country blues, or Kannada funk?

Which part bothers you the most: that the Indian media is writing about Indian rock music at all, or that it is covering rock without balls or brains? After all, we read your magazine because it tells us what we believe is closest to the truth. But never has it once offered lip service to this movement, apart from getting musicians to applaud their favourite bands at the back of the book. When it comes to the coverage of underground music acts in India Tehelka, too, is part of the "lazy press" you love to deride. Your dispirited coverage reinforces the fact that in this country we have no national newspapers or news-magazines -- only parochial ones. When it comes to covering the independent music scene, even Tehelka cannot look beyond Delhi or Mumbai before your vision gets all blurry and your perspective degenerates to homogenising what you attempt to analyse. Isn't it time you became free, fair and fearless in writing about this too?

Sidhu writes that the "vocabulary and context for rock criticism does not exist in India." When was the last time you met an editor who condescended to carry a major story about any westernized urban counterculture in India? When was the last time any self-respecting commentator (such as you, we hope) turned away from the clippings morgue and did some legwork to find out what's really happening in India's underground music scene?

For instance, how do Indian bands approach songwriting, where do they learn to play their instruments, where do they rehearse? How do they finance gear, studio time and production efforts? What level of initiative does it take for a band to bag concert dates at Hard Rock Cafe or Blue Frog, or plan a five-city tour? Or to cut an album and market it independently?

These realities offer story ideas for any journalist with a serious interest in writing about Indian rock. Perhaps Sidhu might want to consider exploring these areas instead of expending two thousand words on a subject he believes is not worth writing about. That's laughable. Of course, we are aware these stories can't be written within a week's deadline but has any journalist cared to investigate the possibilities, or any editor dared to commission them?

For instance, on February 14 this year Thermal And A Quarter hosted the 'One Small Love - Bangalore for Mangalore' concert. Commemorating the first anniversary of the attacks on women in pubs in Mangalore and Bangalore, it brought musicians and speakers together to give voice to issues like freedom of expression and tolerance. About 500 people attended the concert in Bangalore and many more logged in to watch the live webcast. The Facebook page for One Small Love added 1,300 fans in a single week sans any advertising or PR.

The media did not take notice of One Small Love. Why? Because we took a decision not to invite any mediapersons to cover it.

In its weekend magazine supplement, a leading national paper gushed about an "unsponsored" concert in Bangalore by two independent rock bands held on February 13, the previous evening. While we attended that concert and doffed our hats to the bands that pulled it off, we noted dourly that the journalist had not done his homework when he hailed the unsponsored concert as a first-of-its-kind event. Thermal And A Quarter was among the first bands in Bangalore (perhaps in the country) to pull off successful (in terms of attendance and gate collections) self-funded shows dating back to 1999. National Public Radio in the US reported our Floodaid concert of 2005 (a fundraiser for the families affected by the 2004 Asian Tsunami) but no Indian publication bothered to do so. Just because no press releases were issued, does it mean these were not events?

We'd be happier if the media did not write about the "scene", because clouding these half-cooked reports and analyses with poor reportage, bias and myopia is far worse. As some wise guy once said, "It's better to shut up and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt."

Every "music journalist" wants to be the next big commentator on the Indian rock music scene. In 14 years of being around, we've seen these megalomaniacs crash and burn and we have outlived them all. On the Indian rock scene, longevity is to die for. As the only band in India to release four studio albums in our career through independent distribution plans, we are not looking for benefactors in the media to make or break our career, thank you.

Frank Zappa said, "Rock journalism is people who can't write interviewing people who can't talk for people who can't read." We wrote a song about journalists like that - it's called Paper Puli. And we have an annual award for music journalists who satisfy Zappa's criteria. It's called the Paper-Pulitzer. We might consider nominating you.

Love and peace.
TAAQ

This reply may not be published in the Tehelka because it proves them wrong & potray's their lack of research & knownledge about the ever-growing music scene. What Inder Sidhu & Tehelka don't realize is that Indian Original Music sells but their music doesn't sell-out like their magazine.
I'd like to thank the scene for making some of the best music in India & for those of you who still haven't heard TAAQ & their song "Paper Puli", log to their Myspace page : www.myspace.com/thermalandaquarter

Long Live Indian Original Music !!

A Knockout Sale by Roadcrew Records

2010-04-21T14:59:00.004+05:30

Roadcrew Records is back after an extended hiatus to bring you a new sale!
Buy more than 5 CDs and get a free CD! Limited stocks, so email and confirm your order ASAP!

Rs400

ASTROFAES - Live Hate DVD (Only 1 copy!!)

FOR RUIN - Last Light

Rs300

BOUND AND GAGGED - Fornicate The Gutted

DEADEN - Feast On The Flesh Of The Dead

DEADEN - Hymns Of The Sick

INCARRION - Into The Exposed Abyss

INCESTUOUS - Brass Knuckle Abortion

MALIGNANCY - Cross Species Transmutation

MALIGNANCY - Motivated By Hunger

PUTRID PILE - Collection of Butchery

NEEDFUL THINGS - Dead Point

SINGLE BULLET THEORY - Behind Eyes Of Hatred

FLESH CONSUMED - Mutilate, Eviscerate, Decapitate

REPULSIVE DISSECTION - Cut Open The Aberration

YOGTH SOTHOTH - The Dark Waters Are Shaken

CHOKED BY OWN VOMITS - Shit Autopsy

AMPUTATED - Wading Through Rancid Offal

REMNANTS OF FLESH - Degenerated Human Cells

ARTERY ERUPTION - Driving My Fist Through Her Chest

IN ARTICULO MORTIS - The Day After The Darkest Day

ISRAFEL - Chainsaw Gynecology

IMPOSER - Divine Intolerance

DEMONIC RESURRECTION - The Return To Darkness

SEVEN WITCHES - Amped

GROM - March Of Voices Of Dead Souls

THORN - Hermitage Of Non Divine

Rs250

HALLOWS DIE - World Of Ruin

ADYTUM - Echos Of Refuge

DEATHMARCH - Deathmarch

PANZERFAUST - The Dark Age Of Militant Paganism

WILL OF THE ANCIENTS - Will Of The Ancients

THE EXALTED PILEDRIVER - Metal Manifesto

TEARS OF MANKIND - Silent Veil Of My Doom

MOONSPELL - The Great Silver Eye

WINE FROM TEARS - Through The Eyes Of A Mad

UBERMENSCH - Evolution Beyond The Species

Rs150

GORIFIED - Ruptured In Seconds

BLIND IMAGE - More Than Human

Rs100

RAT KING - Larva

RAT KING - The Plague Of Hamelin

To order any of these Cd's, all you have to do is send an email to : roadcrew.records@gmail.com

Kastadyne's new album HOVER launched

2010-04-21T14:41:00.005+05:30

Kastadyne's second album, HOVER, was officially launched on April 16th, 2010. Hover has 12 songs which are composed by Tejas Narayan and Sheldon Fonseca.According to the band, HOVER represents the "sound they've been looking for". For the first time, the band has blended in keyboard and percussive textures into their typical alternative rock sound with solid lyrics.

They have revisited songs composed two years ago and tweaked them for an overall consistent sound to the album. Priced at Rs 200 (including lyric sheet and band poster), HOVER is available at Furtado's outlets as well as online places like cdrack.in and the band's website kastadyne.com (delivery within India); and CDBaby.com, Amazon.com and iTunes (worldwide delivery).
The album art is designed by Phishpot, a talented graphics

artist/photographer regarded highly in Flickr, Tumblr and the ad world. The poster was also shot by him.

Track List:

1. Digging deep down
2. Leecher
3. Mortal moonlight of the untidy soul
4. These are the people
5. Ghosts
6. Bricks
7. Come hover over Earth
8. Flamboyant citizen
9. What will you buy next?
10. Evil woman
11. Creeping beauty
12. You are the light

Rocket Review : Not Over Yet

2010-04-16T19:11:00.019+05:30

Album : Not Over Yet EP
Artist : Cyanide
www.cyanidemusic.com
www.myspace.com/worldofcyanide

The 1^st time I heard Cyanide was at the Launchpad Eliminations at Hard Rock Café, Mumbai. Rohan Kale’s brilliant riffing, Rohan Soloman’s melodious vocals, Bharat Bindal’s smooth bass lines & Srijan’s tight tempo’s certainly caught the eye of the Mumbai crowd & every judge on the panel. Cyanide became a force to reckon with.

Cyanide is a Delhi based alternative band which was formed 2001. They started out as a school band which won a couple of band competitions. After a couple of line – up changes later, Cyanide finally released their most awaited EP titled ‘Not Over Yet‘. They currently have the most perfect line – up which features Rohan Solomon on Lead Vocals/Guitar, Srijan Mahajan on Drums, Rohan Kale on Bass/Backing Vocals, Nikhil Malik - Guitar/Backing Vocals.

Living up to the “Modern Alternative Rock” genre, Cyanide has undoubtedly created a splendid 5 song EP which was recorded at the Grey Studios, Delhi & was mastered by the well - known Anupam Roy. The band has a very heavy yet melodic feel which has helped increase their popularity amongst the the heavy listeners as well. The signature sound created by Cyanide can be seen throughout their EP.

Let me break it down for you.

Cover Design: The cover isn’t very attractive at all. It looks very dull & its not something that I would purchase if hadn’t heard about the band before. The only thing I like about it is the “Parental Advisory” logo on it which makes you wonder what’s so explicit about the Cd.

Tracks:

Not Over Yet – This song starts off with an incredibly distorted riff which certainly is the most unforgettable riff on the entire EP. Srijan‘s excellent drumming skills can be heard throughout the song. Lyrically, the song speaks about liberating oneself from strife & uncertainties that appear in life. The best part about this song is the bridge where the song goes acoustic & then the tremendous build up after it. At the end of the song you’re hooked on the lyrics of the song “Cuz now it’s not too ......... Now it’s not too late”
Pretence – Pretence has a very thrash-metal intro. This song has a incredibly metal feel to it but at the same time there is simple melody which tends to stick in the minds of the listener. The bass line in the interlude of the song brings about a new variation in the song. The lyrics speak of the pretense of marriages. Lines like

“Infiltrating, Hyperventilating, Hypocrisy all in all
Illusive passions and pretentious actions, A leap which results in a fall
Inane reasons backed by pessimism, Always willing to fight”

make this the most well written song on the EP.

Holding Cell – Holding Cell is one of Cyanide’s older compositions. The timing in the intro is not your regular 4/4 beat. This is a song about a desire to overcome blinding depression. It has a simple melodic chorus. The short yet distinct lead at the end of the song is surely remarkable.
Untold Misery – Untold misery is the 1^st song written by Cyanide. The lyrics of the song are quite weak compared to their other tracks on the album. The song begins with mellow guitar picking & Rohan’s calm harmonious vocals. Srijan’s minute work with the cymbals in between the chorus adds a lot of details to the song. The chorus has an incredibly easy tune & anyone can sing along to it. The lead solo in the song is too short but awesome and it keeps you asking for more.
Tomorrow – This is probably the best way to end the Ep. The lyrics mainly speak about war .The song begins with a well panned out crunchy guitar riff on the left side of my headphones. The verse has a sudden drops every time the vocals come in. This not only creates a whole new dimension but also adds to the intensity of the song. The break down in the middle with just the bass & drums sounds extremely neat and well thought out. This is the best song on the entire disc.It has been released as a single in the compilation “Delhi Underground” by HMV Sa Re Ga Ma.

You can even watch the music video made for the Delhi Underground Compilation: http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=37136876

Overall, the Ep comes across as an excellent effort by a well – experienced band. The detail put into each song is easily recognizable. Even the variety within the 5 songs is quite commendable. Cyanide is indeed something to die for!!

Review by Jared

Demonic Resurrection to get signed by Candlelight Records

2010-04-14T01:30:00.005+05:30

Demonic Resurrection has completed 10yrs of creating some of the best metal Indian has ever. They proudly celebrated their splendid success by performing at the Inferno Festival, Norway & they created a landmark in the history of Indian Metal. Well, that's not the only great achievement for the creators of Demonic Metal. Recently,the band has announced that they've signed with Candlelight Records for the worldwide release of our third album 'The Return to Darkness'. In signing with Candlelight, they're joining a roster of bands that have been an integral part of our musical growth and they couldn't be prouder. Demonic Resurrection believes Candlelight is the right fit for their music and a label that completely respects their artistic integrity. DR looks forward to a longstanding relationship with them to take their music to the next level.
Read more @ www.candlelightrecords.co.uk
Demonic Resurrection on myspace : www.myspace.com/demonicresurrection

Amogh Symphony releases tracklist for Quantum Hack Code

2010-04-12T20:03:00.012+05:30

Amogh Symphony aka Vishal.J. Singh released Abolishing the obsolete system which was beyond the expectations of every metal head in the country. Amogh Symphony incorporated death , progressive, ambient & jazzy grooves in his 1st release. This audio-geek has definitely inspired a generation of young musicians to pick up a guitar & play till their fingers bleed. Amogh Symphony recently announced that will be releasing his second album "Quantum Hack Code" which features vocals by Shashwat Gupta. He has recently released a track list of "Quantum Hack Code" on his myspace page. For those of you who are excited about the album, keep an eye on Vishal's myspace page & while your there, you can even listen to his latest track "The Master Who Bleeds". If your a Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Katatonia, John Petrucci, you will definitely like this single.

Track list:
1. Intro : The Clairvoyance
2. Rise of Osiris 1 : Malfunction detection
3. The Mainframe Interpretation of Q-Web Hack Code
4. The Polymorphic Infection : Prototype Worm “Proteus” Automation
5. Infinity Chamber of Uncertainty : Search of “Karna”
6. The release of X-Karna : Operation “Wave Duality”
7. Outro : The Collapse of Osiris 1

Amogh Symphony on myspace : http://www.myspace.com/mohenjadaro

You Gotta Know : Bharat Bindal

2010-04-06T19:27:00.008+05:30

Bharat Bindal is Multi-instrumentalist, self proclaimed psychonaut from New Delhi. Ex bass player of prominent Alternative Rock act Cyanide and Metal band Tearcube. He started recording and producing his own music towards the end of 2009.

He has recently embarked on a new solo project "Until There Is Light" which is a culmination of thoughts and ideas and changes in perception over time. Those which cannot be expressed in words. Finding inspiration in the magnificent beauty and physics of the world and the universe. A search for answers to existence. The insignificance of self in this infinite cosmos surrounding us and eventually coming down to a meaningful moment in time and space. A moment which is again lost as it can never be grasped completely. Until another quest begins and then another and another till....... your brain melts.

His new track "Multiverse" is a beautiful mix of ambient tones and grooves with a touch heaviness .. you really need to give it a hear

Myspace page : www.myspace.com/untilthereislight

Rocket Feature : The Circus

2010-04-05T15:09:00.013+05:30

1.Hey Arsh, Thanks for the interview. So, how has the scene been treating you?
The scene’s been treating the band pretty ok, comes with its shares of highs and lows, so you’ve got a couple of great gigs, then a bad one, then none at all, then another couple of gigs, so it’s a bit of a frustratingly enjoyable rollercoaster really, where we oscillate from being really happy to really not so happy and wanting more.

2. Alright so first for those who don't know, tell us how the circus came together and why the name the circus?

The Circus came together in sometime spring 2007, when Abhinav had just joined the band after Anshul, Abhishek and me were left with no bass player after the breakup of our previous band (which sucked balls incidentally) and started jamming on random material. The first three months were spent just jamming out random parts till we reached some sort of a sound , and in july 2007 after we were a little more certain of ourselves we played our first gig, which incidentally sucked like everyone’s first gig.

The name “the circus” came about just before our first gig when i was sick of thinking of what band name we should keep for us, so i just sent in the name “the circus” to the event organizer and got posters made out of it, and since then it just stuck, more out of sheer frustrated coincidence than persistent deep thought.

3.Your album 'From Space' has been in the pipeline for a really long time. Any plans on disclosing the release date?

“From Space” was finished as a recording product almost a year ago, and since then due to circumstances which were generally in the realm of the unfortunate it got pushed further and further down the date lane, and its almost a year later and the album still isn’t out.

But on a brighter note, the launch is expected to be quite big, the packaging and the cd looks fantastic, and It’s a lot better product now than what it was let’s say six months ago, so as a product it should come out in great shape.
As for the release date we had planned early april but realised that everyone’s exams would be on so the date got further pushed down, I’m afraid of sounding like the boy who cried wolf here but the album should be out in the first half of may, and I’m hoping enough people turn up for the launch even after such a long delay in the proceedings.

4.You guys are signed onto Grey and Saurian. How has working with them been?

Grey and Saurian has probably been the best thing to have happened to us in the last one year, the management has constantly pushed us into becoming better as musicians, has constantly brainstormed with us and looked out after the best interests of the band. They’ve gotten us shows, figured out our PR and networking, and helped us understand the logistics of being in a band and trying to get an album out, I have seen Shashwat , Ashwin , Anupam and Keshav working their asses off and i hope us as a band haven’t disappointed them in our delivery towards their work.So all in all it’s been a great experience working with them and I hope this partnership continues into bigger things in the future.

5.The circus has been experimental with their sound. What do you keep in mind or how do you go about writing the guitar parts? What all have you drawn influences from?

Well, we haven’t really tried to be experimental as far as our sound goes, we just naturally enjoy whatever lies inside the halo of the weird,eccentric and slightly nonsensical. Our jams generally end up being long pieces where tangents are drawn to every piece of music we create so as to reach an odd perplexing conclusion which surprises even us at times. That generally keeps things fresh, and since we don’t really like to confine ourselves to a sound or style it helps us reach out into the realm of the strange and grab hold of an odd yet tasty musical recipe from there.

As far as my guitar parts go, I generally try to be a subservient to the song, where my parts are made exactly for the song in mind without trying to be too flashy or masturbatory with the guitar parts, I generally also have a large bank of effects and a lot of songs are made around these effects,most of which are skewed at absurdly unbalanced parameters, and new patches generally lead to new songs in our scenario. If something we make sounds a little strange then it is generally kept as a part of a song.

As far as influences i think contradictions, randomness, radiohead, the mars volta, grapes, are some of the leading influences in our sound, although i don’t think we sound like any of the aforementioned bands or fruits in question.

6.You guys entered launchpad. Any 'behind the scenes' memory that you would like to share with us?

Launchpad was a lot of fun and not even one tenth as bitchy as it was made out to be. Well, most of the times we were not on camera we were sitting around chilling with the other band members and producers.

One moment I still remember from the launchpad season is that of the Demonstealer running behind our drummer with a guitar in his hand, serenading him while our drummer ate chholas and kept running. There were a lot of fun moments which were shared and a lot of them involved doing and smoking things which we weren’t supposed to, so let’s just remember the Demonstealer running and be done with it.

7.Are you happy with where the band has reached till now?

I am happy with where the band has reached till now but i think we aren’t even one-fifth of where we would like to be, right now shows abroad, at least three more albums,a lot more shows and doing this professionally with a decent standard of living is what we’re aiming for at the minimum, from there lets see where the road takes us. Hopefully, it involves a lot of music and a lot of partying while we’re at it.

8.As a band, do you feel you've progressed well?

I think we’ve progressed well in the sense that we’ve written a lot of songs, have become tighter and tighter with our shows, learnt from our mistakes and gone a step ahead into where we want to be as a band.

Once “From space” is out we’re probably back in the studio recording our second album for which the tracks have already been written and I’m looking forward to the album being released and the next album being tracked this year the most as of now.

Alright this is the Random questions section -

Top 5 dishes –

Shwaramas ,kababs, Abhishek Bhatia, chicken and wine, wine?

Current CD's that your spinning –

From Space, Alice in chains-black gives way to blue, Digitalism-Idealism

Summers or Winters-

Summers

Grapes or Oranges –

Orange grapes and Purple oranges

Another Vertigo Rush or Indigo Children –

AVR

Favorite movie of all time –

Eternal sunshine of a spotless mind(?)

Last words for fans?

Hello, if you’re out there please buy our CD (whenever) it comes out and we hope to see you at our shows.

Interview - Eshaan Sood

Avima 2010 India Nominees : Official release

2010-04-05T09:04:00.007+05:30

AVIMA(The Asian Independent Music Awards), the World’s Biggest Independent Music awards (20 countries), kicks into the next gear with a slew of exciting music talents. Leading the charge are acts from Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Brunei and Philippines predominantly clocking up nominations in the hip-hop and rock categories. But it was Inch Chua, the petite electro-acoustic singer from Singapore that stunned everyone with her 6 nominations, icnluding Best Pop Song (Rule The World),Best Pop act and Most Mindblowing Music Video.

The Nominees From India:

Best Rock Song

Sanjeev T and The Rainbow Bridge – Free Will

Demonic Resurrection - A Tragedy befallen

The Summerpint Junkie – Forbidden Fruit

Prayag - Bas Karo

Junkyard groove - Imagine

Best Rock Group

Motherjane

Sanjeev T and Rainbow Bridge

The Bicycle days

Best Rock Vocalist

Suraj – Motherjane

Sanjeev T

Kartik basker – The Bicycle Days

Pranab- Prayag

Best Electro/ Dance Song

Sanjeev T and Rainbow Bridge – Give in to me

Best Electro/Dance Act

Shadow

Moody melancholic masterpiece

The Bicycle Days – Circles

Summerpint Junkie – Hallucination

Feelgood Song of The Year

Junkyard groove – Folk you

Zedde-Mumbai

Most Mindblowing Music Video

Motherjane - Broken

The online polls begin on April 8th and the link can be found at http://voize.my/category/music/avima/ from that day onwards. The AVIMA scoring is unique and drives home the philosophy of “band talent-fans power”. As such, the winners are determined via an online polls that makes up 30% of the overall scores and the remaining 70% to be determined by global judges.

Join the AVIMA 2010 Facebook group for all the updates.

For more info : http://voize.my/music/avima-2010-nominees/

Lucid Recess all set to release 'Engraved Invitation'

2010-04-05T03:48:00.006+05:30

Lucid Recess is an Alternative Metal/Hard Rock band from Guwahati, Assam. Their 7 song EP ‘Carved’ was released in Dec 2007 and was the CD of the month in the June 2009 issue of RSJ. The song “Painstaking Obsession’ from the EP was featured in the GIR XII compilation. The EP is now available for free download at their website: www.lucidrecess.com

Lucid Recess will be releasing their new album ‘Engraved Invitation’ on 26^th April 2010. The album will have 12 songs including previously released singles ‘Can’t Help Me’ and ‘Socially Active Warrior’. For the first time, the band has also recorded a piano based song ‘Calling’ for this album. The album is recorded at Lucid Recess Studios, Guwahati and is produced by Siddharth Barooa. It is supported by Grey and Saurian and RSJ.

Track list:-

Time To Change
The Tribe
Purpose
Lost
Colourful Deja Vu
Feel Like Human
Away
B.Y.T.C
What’s It Io Me
Can’t Help Me
Socially Active Warrior
Calling

For more details and updates, visit: www.facebook.com/lucidrecess

Samples available at www.myspace.com/lucidrecess

The first 1000 copies will be special edition box sets and will include 20 Page Booklet, Poster, Sticker and will come in a Hand Made Box. It will be priced at Rs. 200/-.

It will be available at all the Furtados Music Stores (Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Pune, Gurgaon, Mangalore & Dimapur) as well as various online sites that will deliver it all over India (Cash on Delivery available) : -

CD Rack www.cdrack.in ( Noida)
The Flaming Skull Distribution distributions@tfspodcast.net (Mumbai)
Road Crew Records contact@roadcrewrecords.in (Chennai)
LR Records distribution.lrrecords@gmail.com (Guwahati)

You Gotta Know : Inferno

2010-03-26T12:54:00.007+05:30

“INFERNO”- an “intense & uncontrolled Fire” an outburst of passion, a flame of virtuosity and an awakening, a re-establishment of human emotions to 'Kindle the fires within'.
Inferno is a Mumbai based band that likes to be recognized as an 'Indian Band' that plays hard rock/metal came to existence in the latter half of 2006. A group of musicians led by lead guitarist Raghu, who have truly been living up to the expectation that it creates with its name, have been quite popular in Indian rock fraternity. They have consistently been creating magic and putting forth some electrifying and increasingly inspiring performances.
Inferno has two splendid tracks 'Freedom' & 'No Pain,No Gain' uploaded on their myspace page.They have created a signature sound with high pitched vocals,brilliant riffing, smooth bass lines along with a simple sing-a-long melody. So get familiar with their music @ www.myspace.com/infernoindia

Inferno is :
Bob John - lead Vocals
Raghu - Guitars (lead)
Manbir Singh - Keyboards/backing vocals
Anant Khare - Bass/backing vocals
Rishi Agnihotri - Drums/ backing Vocals

Also check out:
YouTube : www.youtube.com/infernoindia1
Official Fb page : www.facebook.com/infernoindia
Freeat63 : www.freeat63.in/

Siddharth Nair releases "Twisted Minds"

2010-03-26T10:18:00.005+05:30

Siddharth Nair, well known guitarist of Blind Image has released his second track "Twisted Minds" for his solo project titled "Essence" . He wanted to make a track that truly defines Essence that is Metal with a nice amount of Ambience,with Groove and a tinge of dJent & that's exactly what he did. The tracks begins with an unforgettable riff & gradually moves into a number of groovy variations with plenty of ambient sounds which create a beautiful atmosphere but the heaviness is still maintained. This track is certainly a treat for everyone, especially guitarist.
It is available for free download on his Reverbnation page.. The name of the track is Twisted minds . enjoy !!

Also check :
https://twitter.com/EssentialBlend
http://www.facebook.com/blindimageofficial
http://www.reverbnation.com/siddharth

SERENITY - INDIA AND PAKISTAN METAL COMPILATION

2010-03-25T04:57:00.012+05:30

Roadcrew Records (IND) Ironline Group (PAK) and Stampedes Inc (PAK) have joined together to bring out a music compilation featuring 12 of the hottest bands from India and Pakistan in an attempt to promote cordial relationships between our countries and to bring an end to the violence. The compilation features bands such as Inner Sanctum, Zygnema and Demonic Resurrection from India and Half An Eye, Communal Grave and MobrulZ from Pakistan, among others, and is up for free download from the Ironline group, Stampedes Inc and Roadcrew Records
websites!

The entire track listing is given below.
01. Half An Eye - A Different Day
02. Communal Grave - Blinded By Deceit
03. Imran Siddique - Afra Tafri
04. Half An Eye - Wasting My Time
05. MobrulZ - Demolition
06. Anesthezia - Turning Around
07. Heretic - Reprise
08. Rat King - The Wake
09. Demonic Resurrection - A Tragedy Befallen
10. Zygnema - 59
11. Inner Sanctum - Quarantine
12. Manoj Jacob - Who's Line Is It Anyway

Go ahead, download the compilation and support the cause! Cause in the
end, music speaks louder than words!

Download link: http://www.mediafire.com/?ry3yd5hgiyu

Summer Storm Festival 2010 Headlining act - Lamb Of God

2010-03-25T04:51:00.003+05:30

Bangalore is going to get a little hotter than usual and it won't be because of global warming.
Beware!!! The Wrath of Richmond, Virginia is upon you.
The only Wall you'll be seeing after the IPL: The Wall of Death.

Summer Storm festival is a euphemism of what Bangalore is going to face on the host sunny day of May, the Fifteenth. Summer Storm is only an excuse to help you break your necks, to vent your frustration out and to support a new wave of Indian prominence in Metal.
Follow us on twitter for ticketing details.We will announce them shortly.All I can say is get your finances together,limited tickets on sale.

http://twitter.com/Overtureindia

Or Our official Fb page

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Overture-India/330209106458?ref=ts

Follow these pages for official Merchandising.Will be on sale soon.

BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE:

https://www.kyazoonga.com/summerstorm

LIMITED TICKETS ON SALE SO HURRY!!!

All Seeing Hand T-Shirt release

2010-03-23T17:11:00.004+05:30

The All Seeing Hand is the latest Bhayanak Maut T-shirt which will be available from 25th of March. The T-shirt has been designed by Venky (Bhayanak Maut Guitarist).
It is priced @ Rs 500. You can order ‘All Seeing Hand’ online from cdrack.in or mail to bookings@greyandsaurian.com.
‘All Seeing Hand’ will also be available at Avenger Toys, Bandra, Mumbai.

RIOT ACT X

2010-03-16T23:49:00.006+05:30

Riot Act is back with a Line up made to kill ...
Date: 28th March
Time: Gates open at 5pm.
Venue: SFIT Quadrangle, Borivali (W), Mumbai.
Line Up:
TRIPWIRE
ROSEMARY
BLAKC
THEM CLONES

Passes will be available on the venue. In case, you don't want to take a risk of waiting till THE DAY, you may get in touch with us.
Contact:
Elroy Dsouza (Pronite Head) - 9820762635
Royston Gaga (JEDI) - 9833983636

Before & Beyond for free download !!

2010-03-16T18:05:00.006+05:30

Slain, a progressive rock act from Bangalore has brought back the vintage rock sound with their aggressive riffs & melodious vocals on their latest EP 'Before & Beyond' . . .

"Before Beyond (8/10)- Slain are on their way to step into the limelight." - Ice Vajal (Germany)

"Before Beyond (9/10)- Everything sounds just perfect on this EP of Slain." - Strutter'zine (Holland)

Moreover, they've given their EP for free download :

Tracklist :
1. The Armour

2. Behind the Line

3. More Than Conquerors

4. Star (Demo)

Download Now

Know more about their latest gigs & updates on :
www.slainandbeyond.com
www.myspace.com/slainindia

Metal Hammer Article on Indian Metal.

2010-03-14T18:08:00.006+05:30

Abhijeet Ahluwalia, an avid blogger is well known for his reviews & articles on Indian Rock .. He has done the Indian Metal Scene proud with his article in the metal hammer. . . Click on the image alongside to read the article....

U can even read more of his articles on : http://youstolemymusic.wordpress.com

Snatch D'Monk release 1st demo !!

2010-03-14T15:36:00.007+05:30

Snatch D'Monk, a Mumbai based Rock/Funk/Blues/Alt/Progressive band certainly did entertain us with their originals @ Celebrate Bandra. They've undoubtedly brought the funk & blues back in India with their new original which can be heard on their Facebook Fanpage : http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000860001590#!/pages/Snatch-DMonk/197151486753

Snatch D'monk is :
Arjun - Guitar/Backing Vocals
Demetrius - Bass
Sameer - Guitar
Nikhil - Keyboard/Backing Vocals
Sambhav - Drums
Keegan - Vocals/Harmonica/Guitar

You can even catch them live @ Not Just Jazz By The Bay on 15th April, 2010

Paradigm Shift release new single !!

2010-03-12T13:22:00.006+05:30

Paradigm shift is a Delhi based Rock n' Roll ,Funk, Rock, Progressive, Experimental band.This brilliant 5 piece are well known for their hits like 'Into the Deep' ,'Damn' & 'Radiance' which are available for download on their Gimmesound page. They've added yet added yet another single to their tracklist, it's called 'Mother Perfect'.

So please go ahead and give it a listen, here: http://www.myspace.com/paradigmshiftindia

Bhayanak Maut on Metal Hammer !!

2010-03-11T14:35:00.005+05:30

Metal Hammer did a recent search around the globe to find the best metal known to man & that exactly what they did. The march issue of the mag comes along with a 15 track heavy metal CD which includes tracks from bands all around the globe. Bhayanak Maut and Undying Inc both are featured on the March issue of Metal Hammer the famous metal magazine from the UK.The songs Breeding Gods and Blasted Beyond Belief are featured on the ‘Planet Metal’ cd.
Here is what the editor of the magazine, James Gill had to say about Bhayanak Maut: “In our search we came across not only the wild and wondetrful but simply some of the best heavy metal we’ve heard in years – seriously, check out the Bhayanak Maut track on the CD“

Source : Metal Hammer.co.uk

NewsFlash : Albatross makes it to Rolling stone !!

2010-03-10T13:03:00.003+05:30

Albatross, well known for their albatross metal have made it to the Rolling stone. They speak about the making of their Ep & other things. Read the whole article @ http://www.rollingstone-india.com/news/newsdetails.php?newsid=214

Album Launch of "Stitched" by The Echoes

2010-03-10T04:43:00.005+05:30

The Echoes is all set to launch of their debut Album "Stitched" at Hard Rock Cafe, Mumbai on the 11th of March, 2010.

The Echoes always dreamed of being a band who would be known for their original music and the dream has come true.The Album has been signed on by World Renowned Label EMI/Virgin.
The Album has 10 tracks and it is a theme album. It's like a musical story about the various struggles that everyone faces when they set out to follow their dreams and be something. The journey has it's ups and downs, practically sowing the outcome that stitches the garment of that individual's life. Hence the album is called, "Stitched."

The Echoes are:
Aidan Lewis - Lead Vocalist
Soumitra Bhat - Guitars and Vocals
Shawn Pereira - Drums and Vocals
Abhishek Shah - Lead guitar and Vocals
Ishaan Krishna - Bass and Backing Vocals
Saakshi Vyas - Keyboard

The Tracks in the Album are:
1. Stitched - Title Track. Tells you what to expect from the Album
2. Insomnia - A Song of uncertainty and sleepless nights
3. Hold On - A song for happy motivated days
4. I Need You - To Someone You love
5. No Escape - Ever lived amongst people who keep telling you "I told you so?" This song is for you guys
6. Warcry - Song of Rebellion / Revolution
7. Nothing Man - Song about dying unnoticed / unaccomplished
8. Unite - A song for the country
9. Living Without You - A heartbreak song
10. Free - The achiever's / accomplisher's song.

Join Their Official Fanpage on Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Echoes/380681660916?ref=share&v=wall

Official Website : www.echoeslive.in

Digital Suicide - Demo tape.

2010-02-26T23:18:00.005+05:30

Alright, Indian Rocket is back. We are extremely sorry about not being active in the last few weeks as our chief Jared is stuck with his class twelve boards.

So just to kick things up I've decided to write a review for a Demo tape of the band- Digital Suicide.

I got this CD from a friend of mine. And well

The first song is called "The prophet" and its not bad at all! The first thing that struck me was the production quality. Its much much better than some of the release's being thrown around. The sound of the band again is quite remarkable. The second song "Ninja" opens up with a really catchy riff and almost the whole song has a fast vocal line. Its quite easy to find yourself singing along after a few listens.

Next up is "Paint Me Dry" this starts of slow and then gets into this really psychedelic-y riff transiting to the vocals. This then has a small whammy solo which will remind you of the solo of "killing in the name" by Rage against the machine.

"Amnesia" is the most non-appealing track from the 5 tracks. At least to me, so I'm not going say anything about it.

"Overdrive" is my favourite song, I like the melody the catchy-ness the whole song is really nice.

I enjoyed this sampler. The guitar playing is good. All the instruments are tight. The bass has nice parts. And it has cool vocals to soar over all that. Now I'm waiting for the album.

Overall I'd give this a 8/10.

Rabbit Is Rich EP Review

2010-02-07T00:42:00.004+05:30

I just got myself this EP from CD Rack, and I am defiantly not disappointed. 100 bucks well spent.

I put this CD in my player and I hear this really kick ass riff from their song "Time" This song has the power to make you move even in front of your desk. This song has a really cool metalcore-ish break down. A Killswitch Engage influence can clearly be seen which has been mixed with a little hint of As I Lay Dying and a little Lamb Of God. Up next is the song "421" which again has the same Killswitch Engage and AILD feel to it. But none the less is extremely kickass (I'm a lil partial to metalcore.) Then the Ep transits to a softer side at least for the intro and then comes back to killswitch Engage. The guitar playing in this one is diffrent though not the usual metalcore riffing. Some additional flavour has tried to been added with guitars on this one. It goes to a experimental - psychedelicy feel towards the end which is my favourite part of the song. The last track is their acclaimed "Kaboom" which is my favourite track on the EP. It is the most orignal sounding song on the whole album. The guitar riffs combine with the vocals o give you a hard hitting feel.

All in all the music is GOOD. Yes, it has influences of other bands but the music is good and original to an extent. The only downside was the packaging. no lyrics no booklet just a sleeve in a normal CD case, but well the music covered up for that.

- Eshaan Sood

The Return To Darkness Tour - Bangalore Leg

2010-01-26T21:49:00.001+05:30

Rock Castle & Demonstealer Records Present

The Return To Darkness Tour - Bangalore Leg

In Association with Furtados Music

Featuring

Demonic Resurrection
Inner Sanctum
Abandoned Agony

Date: Sunday 31st Jan
Time: 7pm Onwards
Venue: Kyra Theatre
2001, Katti-Ma Centre, Above Adidas Showroom,
100Feet Road, Indiranagar, Bangalore-38.
Phone: 080 43389292, 9632203333.
Entry: Rs.200/-

A bit about the bands.

Demonic Resurrection - One of India's lead extreme metal bands, performing this year at the Brutal Assault fest in Czech Republic and Inferno Festival in Norway. Headlined and played all over India including major festivals like GIR, I-Rock, Livewire etc. Their music is a blend of Death, Black and Power Metal, fused together to form what they call 'Demonic Metal'. The band released their 3rd full length album on Jan 15th along with their 1st music video as well. Check it out on www.myspace.com/DemonicResurrection orwww.reverbnation.com/DemonicResurrection

Inner Sanctum - This Death/Thrash outfit from Bangalore has been creating waves for quite a while since their inception in 2007 but it was only September 2009 when the band released their debut EP 'Provenance' did the shit really hit the band. The band is known for their explosive live shows and have won most major competitions and even bagged a slot opening for Amon Amarth and Textures at Deccan Rock. Check out Inner Sanctum onwww.myspace.com/innersanctumindia

Abandoned Agony - Brutal is the best word to define this skull crushing Death Metal quartet. Hailing from the Garden city the band has been receiving rave reviews about their live performances which have been labeled as 'smack in the face brutal'. Inspired by bands like Suffocation, Nile, Cryptopsy etc, this band promises to deliver uncompromising death metal. Listen to Abandoned Agony at http://www.myspace.com/abandonedagonyind

Demonic Resurrection's album 'The Return To Darkness' will be on sale at the gig for Rs.300. Also available Inner Sanctums EP 'Provenance' for Rs.100 and other merch as well.

See you all there!

Indian Metal: Something that grows each and every day.

2010-01-21T20:12:00.000+05:30

I got introduced to Indian Metal in 2007 when my friend told me-“Man! Listen to this song ‘Apocalyptic Dawn’, your balls will drop off! And the best part is it’s by an Indian Band!” Okay, so he had good taste in music so I go home and hear the song on Demonic Resurrection’s MySpace page. That day I found about the underground heavy metal scene in India. In the next 48 hours I knew over at least 5 songs by heart by Indian Bands. And here we are today with over 10 releases every year. So just to give you an insight on what Indian Metal can do to you, I’ll tell about the Top Metal songs in my mind.

(These are not arranged by rank.)

Everlasting Burn (IIIrd Sovereign) - Third Sovereign is as brutal as it gets! Their song ‘Everlasting Burn’ starts off with a bass solo leading path for the guitars and drums. And I can give it to you in writing that as soon as the vocals come in; during a live gig you’ll see bodies in motion! The whole song makes you want to jump around and shout your guts out. After the break down you’d probably die if you don’t take care of yourself. Overall this song was made so that you kill yourself with music this brutal.

Apocalyptic Dawn (Demonic Resurrection) - My first taste of Indian Metal, a taste that still lingers on my tongue. It’s amazing how a song can be so heavy and extreme and still have so much melody. The intro solo will wrap you up and take you to some place far away where the beast is ready to kill you. You’d bang your head out if probably if you’re listening it to the first time on a cranked up speaker and that’s what’s required from a metal song. Though their new album has much better lyrical content this song has awesome lyrics which were quite a benchmark when it was released.

Breeding Gods (Undying Inc.) – You like extreme metal? Well then this song is for you. I heard this song on the RSJ ‘Breaking Boundaries’ Compilation. Undying Inc. can be defined as energy, energy and more energy! This track is five and a half minutes of pure mayhem. Everything from guitars to bass lines to drumming patterns is amazingly killing. And to top it all up you have one extremely killing vocals. If you don’t watch out you WILL get hurt in the pit.

Blasted Beyond Belief (Bhayanak Maut) - This song lives up to its name. It will blast you beyond belief. Every time I hear the opening riff a strange energy over possesses me. The vocals in this song are my favorite especially in the middle where there is a strange laugh like part. The intention of this song is breaking you down. Limb by limb.

Ate a Banana (Scribe) – BAKTAAVAR! The song starts with a shout. This has vocals that are really weird but fit quite well there are loads of creepy laughs and lot of “ Roop Sohanna Lagta Hai” chants in this song. This song sounds like the result of lots of energy capsules eaten with Red Bull and releasing it all in one go. The song has basic two patterns, the band has decided to keep it short and strong.

Mindwrap II (Acrid Semblance) - You can call this band your ‘Children of Bodom’ from India. The Keys, The guitars and bass lines are extremely melodic yet brutal. This song is a two minute instrumental. The end features a small bass solo which is treat to listen to not because its fast or anything because it goes quite well with the theme of the song.

Sphere VII (Kryptos) – One of India’s finest bands. Not the fastest thing you’ll hear, but this song will easily make you move your head and tap your feet. If you’re a guitarist this song is a treat for you. Depending on how you like it, you might like this song more live or might like the record more. This song has very little vocals but the instruments are extremely mind boggling and keep you moving your head throughout the song.

Indian Metal is getting more extreme, more brutal, and more energetic with every song, every riff, and every note.

- Eshaan Sood

Rocket Feature : Demonstealer

2010-01-19T20:33:00.013+05:30

Greetings, from Indian Rocket, How’s life treating the Demonstealer?

Life is good but extremely hectic, I’m busy packing the 275 pre-orders for DR’s new album, I’m waking up early every morning to go to the post office and ship them. The band is practicing everyday for the album launch tour and besides all this I’m also producing 3 bands at the moment in the studio. So yeah life is good.

Your new album 'The Return To Darkness’ has been appreciated by fans and critics. Did you expect this or has it taken you by surprise?
I’m always a bit sceptical about getting good reviews mainly because I always feel there is a huge change in the band’s sound which fans may not appreciate or its just paranoia in general. Also if you have lower expectations you feel a lot better when they are surpassed. So yes I’m surprise and extremely happy with the response to the album from everyone.

Alex Webster said your sound Is killer. How do you feel about that?
I feel fucking great! Its always great when musicians you look upto think your work is good and Alex is a brilliant musician who we all look upto so we are on top of the world.

For all your fans, who are too lazy to interpret the songs for the story of the darkness trilogy, would you give a synopsis?

If they are too lazy to do that it’s probably because they downloaded the album I’m pretty sure anyone who spends his hard earned money on buying a bands album will at least read the lyrics once and I think that itself will give them an idea. But for the readers who may have never heard our music the previous 2 albums talk about how the world was engulfed by darkness and evil forces and the protagonist tries to leave earth after he has lost everything but when he reaches the point of no return he starts to question himself and if he is doing the right thing by abandoning the world that needs him. That is where beyond the darkness leaves the story. The Return to darkness is pretty much about how he comes back and saves the world

Any chance of a re-release of the debut album ' The Demonstealer' ?
It is on the cards and I have been pro actively working on it as well. The idea was to re-record all the old songs with the new sound and lineup and I had even worked on the rough tracks but lost everything on my hard drive last year (without backup) so once I get some free time I will start working on this as well. I felt it be fittingly called ‘Prelude To Darkness’ since it is what has lead up to ‘A Darkness Descends’ and the DR legacy.

What are your views on Booze, Weed and smoking?

I’m very anti smoking because I’ve seen people close to me suffer as a result so I really think it’s the worst thing in the world and I hate being around smoke. I’m really not into getting high by drugs of any kind; I find that music is the only thing I really need. As for booze, its fine in moderation.

You are also known for your cooking skills. How did you develop a liking for cooking?
I love food and therefore cooking comes naturally to me, everyone in my family can cook, my grandfather was a great cook and I’d like to think a little of his skill rubbed off on me.

Where do you plan to see your Bands Workshop, DR and RD in the next 10 Years?
Well with DR I am expecting regular tours abroad, worldwide releases through major labels of our album and just generally making it my life. Workshop will have more albums, more gigs, more fun!!!

And Reptilian Death will maybe actually have a line-up and I’ll get to play drums on stage. If not I’ll just release an album everything I feel ‘the unrelenting surge of vengeance’ no pun intended

Any new releases via DSR this year?

DSR is looking for bands to release but after the DR album only the new RD and Workshop albums are planned but there is no definite release date, hopefully we’ll sign some good bands and release their albums too.

Last words for your fans?

Buy the new album! Watch our video and enjoy the music!

Cheers & Stay Demonic!

The Demonstealer

Demonstealer Records : www.demonstealerrecords.com
Demonstealer's Blog : www.demonstealer.blogspot.com

Interview by Eshaan Sood

Melakartha - Infidel

2010-01-18T12:11:00.003+05:30

After the success of his debut guitar instrumental album "Transcend" which is available for free download @ gimmesound.com , Sridhar aka Radius_Vector decided to release "Melakartha" which is a much more heavier project. Here's the music video of "Infidel" which first track of his album

Contact Details
Official website : http://www.sridharsmusic.com
Youtube : http://www.youtube.com/user/RadiusVector
Facebook page : http://www.facebook.com/sridharsmusic
Buy Transcend from : http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sridharmusic

You can download HQ versions of all the songs from http://www.gimmesound.com/Melakartha

Rocket Review : Return to Darkness

2010-01-17T13:52:00.009+05:30

After hearing the clips, seeing the video, seeing all the tweets and facebook updates not listening to this was like being near a chocolate cake and not eating it. Finally when my doorbell rang this morning and I saw that Brown Box in which I usually get all DSR CD’s, I knew that this was the album and could wait to spin it. In the last 12 hours I have heard this 4 times already. The first time I heard it was on normal computer speakers and it still killed me, BUT the next time when my mom had gone to work and the home was empty I decided to play it on the 5.1 in the living room (after reading Mikhail’s review that said it would sound awesome on a 5.1) And right from the first track till the closing note I couldn’t believe the excellence of the quality of the music.

The Packaging – The EP and A Darkness descends most disappointing thing was the low quality jewel case which I had managed to break in 2 days. But this one is a sturdy, nice jewel case and doesn’t have C.D. written on the back.

Artwork – The cover which I had seen so many times looked a little duller but never the less stood out from the rest of the albums so far by the band. Each page has its own artwork which is a good thing. Also the artwork has been printed on really high quality paper and when you do not open it looks like a 36 page booklet but is an 18 page one.

The Music –

1. Between Infinity and Oblivion - This is a two minute instrumental. Those who pre-ordered the Box set would recognize it as the background music from the website. When you hear this you feel like something’s coming towards you. Something big, mighty and powerful, which is exactly what this album is. This is one of the Best album opener’s I have heard in a long time and I hope live the band opens with this too.

2. Dreams and Darkness Unite - Just like in ‘The Darkness Descends’ where there is no gap between ‘The prelude to Darkness’ and ‘Dreams of the Dead’. The same thing has been done here also it has been executed very smoothly. It kicks off with a riff and blast beats. Lyrically you can connect with the ‘Beyond to Darkness’ EP on this song. About midway in the song there is a guitar breakdown and it changes the theme of the song. When the guitar part changes so does the frame of mind the warrior changes.

3. The Warrior’s Return – The intro of this song makes you feel like someone royal is being welcomed after a long exile, and I’m not just saying this because the song is called ‘The warrior’s Return’. After the Intro it has a really power metal feel to it but all that changes after and you can see black/death metal part of DR. No wonder you can’t classify them to one genre and have to place them in the category of Demonic Metal. And suddenly there is calm. If you listen to this on a good set of speaker it actually feels like you’re alone and cold winds are blowing beside you this part features a keyboard break down. An after this a really awesome solo is there which will blow you apart, and it merges very nicely with the mood of the song. And as Mikhail said in his review not just mindless shredding. Lyrically the song tells you about the warriors ‘Return To Darkness’ and his purpose of returning. Also in the end there is another solo which is a really amazing one and is hard to believe the amount of feel in it.

4. A Tragedy Befallen – This is my favorite song on the album. It features clear clean vocals. The beginning is extremely aggressive and brutal. Also it creates a very eerie feeling when there is a verse sung almost in a whisper. This song has my favorite solo on the album too. It talks about the sorrow one feels after committing a mistake.

5. The Unrelenting Surge Of Vengeance - The song everybody has heard and enjoyed. The intro to verse transition on this is very amazing. It makes you feel the anger. This track is good musically and sounds good, but that power that hits you when you hear it is a little low on this one compared to the other songs on the album. But after the keyboard breakdown even this one changes its face completely. Another song I will not forget so easily.

6. Bound By Blood, Fire And Stone - A melo-death feel can be heard in this song specially in the intro. After the growls of the first you can hear clean vocals coming from a distance. The drumming on this one is extremely amazing. The riffs and the bass lines and the drumming mix very well together. The vocals in the end make you feel the aggression of the warrior.

7. Lord Of Pestilence – The intro is like the calm before a storm. It is like the eye of the cyclone. It will bring back memories of the ‘Beyond the Darkness’ EP. This song was the song I anticipated the most being eleven minutes long. As soon the clean part is over, the cyclone starts its devastation. In the midway of the song all the anger and energy seems to break lose, there is a really long growl in this part which I really couldn’t believe. After this part there is a keyboard breakdown which leads to my favourite section of the song. This part features aggressive vocals but at the same time are clear you can understand what is being said if you pay a little attention to them.

8. Dismembering The Fallen - This song had been released on the band’s MySpace page earlier. Before I had heard the rest of the Album this was my favorite DR Track. When I heard this on a 5.1 I realized that the panning of this is amazing you can feel the drum rolls move back and forth. The riff and the number of changes is what I like about this song.

9. The Final Stand – The intro sounds like the beginning of the war scene in the movies. The song contains nice keyboard patterns mixed with heavy riffs. Lyrically this song talks about the end of the enemy. This song also has an excellent solo. The Keyboard part in the end sets the mood of the end of the song. It feels like you are moving forward and you can hear that with the guitar part going more and more distant.

10. Omega, I – This is the most brutal song on the album and has lyrical contribution by Daniel on it. This song closes the trilogy well tells you about its end. The closing part has a really ‘catchy’ riff and after it is the calm part which is the end of this long journey.

This album is worth every single buck spent on it. From artwork to music to lyrics everything is top notch. Buy the album if you haven’t already!

Demonic Resurrection Website : http://www.demonicresurrection.in/
Reviewed by Eshaan Sood

ZeitGeist 2010

2010-01-15T16:10:00.001+05:30

BLAKC is coming back to Pune. A nice open air show in Koregaon Park, our friends from Pitch Black Symphony will be opening for us.

Show starts at 6, tickets are available at the venue. We're doing a nice long set, the whole album and other new stuff which you may or may not have heard before.

Tickets are selling really fast.
Call : +91 97660 38781 for more details and to book your tickets cos they might be SOLD OUT by the day of the show

CDRack.in

2010-01-15T15:42:00.003+05:30

Its has always been difficult for an Indian musician to get his album to a vast audience. Its even more difficult for a fan to find an album of their favourite Indian artist. But, now all thats changed. CDRack.in has brought about a revolution in the Indian scene by starting its online music store & their primary goal being the "Promotion of the Indian artist" . So now you can be a couch potato & sit on your ass while CDRack.in does all the work.You can buy CD's online & there's no need to have an account, all you need to do is place your order,confirm it & wait for the postman to bring the cd at your doorstep. Payments can be made via money order, drafts, cheques & Value Payable Post (VPP). So buy an album today ... log on to : http://www.cdrack.in/

Incase your an artist & you want to distribute your CD via CDRack,
contact :
www.cdrack.in
B-2/202, Ananda Apartments
Sec-48 Noida U.P.201301

Email: info@cdrack.in

Stupid Stupid Stupid !!

2010-01-14T03:10:00.013+05:30

ennui.BOMB and Indiecision proudly present Stupid Stupid Stupid – the third edition of our annual-ish Stupid Ditties compilation. Stupid Stupid Stupid features 21 bands from around the country and you can download it here free!

High Quality Download (320kbps MP3s neatly compressed in a RAR file, 168MB) (download WinRAR)

Pretty High Quality Download (192kbps MP3s neatly compressed in a RAR file, 111MB)

Tracklist

1. Seven Degrees – ‘Shadows In The Dark’

2. The Circus – ‘FOPS’

3. gravy theory – ‘Radio’

4. Aftertaste – ‘Wronged’

5. The Mavyns – ‘Freedomslinger’

6. Emperor Minge – ‘The Choot Song’

7. The Lightyears – ‘The Weapon’

8. Lavender Carnage – ‘In Love With You’

9. Khiladi – ‘This Is Sparta’

10. Boomarang – ‘War’

11. Messiah – ‘Boys Don’t Cry’

12. Fire Exit – ‘The Village Song’

13. Workshop – ‘Pudhe Sarka’

14. Artificial Red – ‘Human Theory’

15. Dischordian – ‘The Old Whore’

16. The Second Shift – ‘July People’

17. Constellation Project – ‘Ring The Bell’

18. Noush Like Sploosh – ‘3 Act Circus’

19. Sridhar/Thayil – ‘The Drowning Song’

20. Medusa – ‘March’

21. Digitalkids – ‘Make Some Love’

CD: Inlay (band details) | Inlay (poster)

Wallpapers: 1600×1200 | 1280×960 | 1024×768

As posted on : http://www.indiecision.com

Rocket Feature : ALBATROSS

2010-01-11T17:03:00.005+05:30

Albatross is the solo project of Riju Dasgupta, featuring some of the best musicians from around the scene. The music is thrash/horror/power/epic metal.

Indian Rocket: What’s the origin of the name "Albatross”?

Riju: Well, the project was started to fuse my two loves- storytelling and metal. Yes, I was a geeky little kid who looked forward to English class in school. The Albatross is actually a seabird, most notably present in the poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge called 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner'. If you are an Iron Maiden fan, you probably also know that there's a song by the same name. Later on, when Biprorsee Das, who's the current vocalist of the band and I wanted to start a traditional power metal band, my brother suggested this name. That project never took off, but I loved the name so much I wanted to start my own project based on this name. This time it's not straightforward power metal though.

Indian Rocket: Who all are involved with this project?

Riju: It started out as a solo project with just me writing the songs, with different musicians playing on every song. But eventually I wanted to standardise the lineup as I wanted to take the project live.

Raj: Albatross is a brainchild of Riju Dasgupta who also plays the bass guitar. Me and Jimmy Alexander, who is a MTV Rock On finalist are on the guitars, Biprorshee Das (ex- Joy and the Ice Creams, Zohak) on vocals and Jay Thacker (Colossus) on the drums complete the current live lineup of the band.

Indian Rocket: What's the genre of this project ?

Riju: Haha...I'd like to borrow a page from my friend Sahil's book, and call it Albatross metal(like Demonic metal). It's got elements of power metal, thrash, heavy, death, doom and black metal. One easy term to describe it would be horror metal, since every song is metal and tells a horror story. Because every song is so mood oriented, every song can have a variety of genres. For example The Dining Table starts off as a thrash metal song, building into a power metal song, with a doom interlude and outro, with some inherent blues influences.

Indian Rocket: What are your influences ?

Riju: King Diamond, was and remains to this day my biggest inspiration. It's inspiring...the effort he puts into telling a story through a song. Other influences are of course Mercyful Fate, Wolf, Manowar, Helloween, Iced Earth, Pyramaze, Force of Evil, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Megadeth and Metallica.

For my songwriting influences, Stephen King, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Edgar Allan Poe, Michael Slade, Dean R. Koontz, old folktales, urban legends and spook stories.

Raj: Progressive rock and metal bands like Tool, Meshuggah, Sikth, Porcupine Tree, Opeth, Textures, Hacride and the like. Other bands like Karnivool, A Perfect Circle, Alter Bridge, Creed, Blackfield, Incubus, Funeral for a friend, Clutch, Anathema, Isis, Pink Floyd, Death Cab For Cutie, Stonesour, NIN, Unearth, Death, Judas Priest, Post 1980's Black Sabbath, Dio, Van Halen, Skid Row and new Megadeth. I like listening to loads of stuff not included above like hip hop, black metal, Neo Jazz, Romantic Western composers such as Vivaldi, Paganini, Rossini, Wagner etc.

Biprorshee: Definitely Iron Maiden. Maiden is the sole reason why I love singing in a band. From a vocalist's perspective, it will have to be Freddie Mercury, Bruce Dickinson, Ronnie James Dio, Sebastian Bach and Jon Bon Jovi (very necessarily in that order). These guys in every sense inspire me to sing myself hoarse. And whatever people may say, do not believe a word when they tell you I ape Dave Mustaine. :P

Jay: Dream Theater, Lamb of God, Porcupine Tree, Opeth, Pink Floyd, also drummers like Portnoy, Adler, Martin Lopez, Chad Smith, Gino Banks, Jai Raokavi, Rahul Hariharan and Hamza Kazi.

Jimmy: My influences vary. I try to input all that I have heard in what I play. Some of my influences are Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Megadeth, Black Sabbath, Randy Rhoads, Dio, George Lynch, Van Halen, etc... My indian influences are Zero and MotherJane.

Indian Rocket: What inspired u to start this project?

Riju: I realised I'm never gonna write that book of horror stories I always dreamed of writing. It was then that I heard the King Diamond concept album 'Abigail' and I was blown away by how he fused storytelling and metal. Once while travelling to work, I suddenly imagined a doll looking at the moon and singing a sad tune in a chilling, haunting voice. And that's how Gigi was born. And the rest is geography :P

Biprorshee: Riju is a buddy turned rock idol to me. More often than not, we agree to agree on the kind of music the world should listen to. And when he asked to come aboard, I did not have to think twice. I knew all I had to do was sing. The rest of the headaches belonged to Riju. The kind of insane dope I'm getting to pen my autobiography someday from the 'Albatross experiences' is my remuneration.

Indian Rocket: Can u describe the song writing process?

Riju: It starts with me racking my brains for a decent horror story.

Raj: The song writing process begins with Riju who conceptualizes each track and writes the lyrics. Then Riju and I usually have a few guitar and bass jams at my home studio to flesh out the structure of the song and all the guitar and bass parts. Once this is done we write the drum track with the help of Jay and melodies and harmonies with Jimmy and finally the vocals with Bipro.

Riju: It ends with us sending the track to our manager Ashwin Sharma in Delhi. Post his go-ahead, we release the song.

Indian Rocket: What advice do you have for people who want to form their own bands?

Riju: As long as you're convinced about the music, don't listen to others who say its crap. Don't think like a guitarist or bassist or vocalist or drummer, think in the context of the whole band.

Raj: Believe in your creativity. Spend time to acquire originality in your sound, look, theme, genre etc. instead of playing covers or originals which sound like covers. Persevere and make sure that you are comfortable with your instrument atleast up to the level that your band requires.

Biprorshee: Does anybody need any advice these days? Making music has become so much easier than ever before. But yes, the biggest problem is not the music part of it but staying together. From my own experiences, all I can say is that ensure that your bandmates are on the same wavelength as you are even if they aren't really Petruccis, Menzas or Wootens on their instruments. STICK TOGETHER! Have more beers and laughs initially than jam sessions. :P

Indian Rocket: Where can we find your music?

Riju: You can check us out on www.soundclick.com/albatrossindia

There are 2 songs uploaded, the Dining Table which deals with a man who plans to have dinner and ends up becoming dinner himself and Gigi, a doll who in the quest for life enters into a deal with the devil.

Indian Rocket: Any last words ??

Riju: Thanks for everyone out there who's believed in Albatross from the start. We're gonna take the stage soon...so get ready for some bone crushing metal.

Biprorshee: Am I dying already? Anyway then, Dinner WAS you and you gave me an upset tummy!

To contact Albatross,

Riju Dasgupta: rdore2000@gmail.com

www.soundclick.com/albatrossindia

Red Ribbon Superstar

2010-01-09T17:53:00.000+05:30

This event is an event sponsored by NACO which is a competition of Manipur Bands from the preliminary rounds of District levels on which this day is going to be a Final Round. Some 30 Bands and Artist are playing on this day.

Bands : Cleave + 29 others
Cleave is a Metal Band based at Imphal which plays "Progressive Seclusion Metal
Date : 16th of January, 2010
Venue : BOAT, Imphal East, Manipur.

Epiphany is Here !!

2010-01-08T18:33:00.001+05:30

Bands (Line-up in order):

1. 1-800 - 6.30pm to 7.20pm
1-800 was formed in 2008 in Pune with Puneet on vocals, Swatantra on guitars and backing vocals and Sreekar on Drums.After coming across several bassists 1-800 finally found its match with Sajib joining on bass in late 2008.After gigging for a while in various parts of the country Aditya joined 1-800 on Guitars.1-800 has played gigs in Pune ,Nagpur ,Hyderabad and Bangalore.

2. Workshop - 7.30pm to 8.20pm
A polyrythmic drummer, a classic rock chromatic scale playing bassist and a fiery demonic monster all combined, with their powers united as one, a musical comedy of sorts is the best way to define the creative power of the Workshop. Playing a vast span of genres ranging from EMO to Garba to Bhangra to Pop but all injected with the venom of demonic metal is what the musical creations of Workshop could be classified under.

3. DNPB (Nitish Pires) - 8.30pm to 10pm
DNPB is all about the soul, power and meaningful expression through music that Nitish Pires creates. His songs and concepts are primarily his state of mind, which in the form of music is always ready to explode, to create the storms in a person. life changing storms that help in transforming someone, into a completely different personality. The music is deliciously raw, right from the first note of the guitar to the last, and hits the hearer right in the gut. Each instrument has a reason to exist. Harmonizing perfectly with the rest, yet unique in itself.Perfectionism being an ingrained trait in Nitish, the music is an extension. Among the 5 piece rock genre, DNPB explodes the shackles of expectation, and soar beyond the limitations of the 5 senses - touching new unheard of chords in the music lover, envisioning a new world, sniffing at new scents beyond the boundaries, hearing the unsung song and bringing it to the world, tasting the exhilaration of going beyond what is normal and expected - yes indeed, DNPB has the courage to dream the impossible dream!!!!DNPB looks at all genres of music and soar above, delighting with the unheard of melodies, believing in head banging and the candles lit in the sky above, and knowing the earth rocks with the power of five DNPB today, stands rocking the crowd, way up high above the ground soaring ever higher.

Location: Symbiosis Infotech campus,
Rajiv Gandhi Infotech park phase-I, Hinjewadi
Pune, India
Entry : Rs100
Web : http://graffiti.org.in/epiphany.htm

Tribute to the beast 2

2010-01-08T18:14:00.000+05:30

Date: October 22nd 2007. Vincent Pereira, an ardent metalhead, mosher, bassist and friend of the metal community in Mumbai passed away because of an asthmatic attack. His bands, Prakalp, Spiked Crib and Atmosfear along with his close friends decided to come together and organize a pure metal fest in his memory. This gig was to celebrate the life and work of a fine bass guitarist whose musical talents and sheer humility took him places. He featured in everything from the ‘The Nagpur Times’ to the ‘Global Metal Documentary’ by Sam Dunn. A die hard Iron Maiden fan who did nothing but made music, all day long.
Last year, the gig was held on November 8th - 2008 and was a smashing success with bands like Spiked Crib, Zygnema, Atmosfear, Demonic Resurrection, Devoid and Blakc ripping it apart.

This year it’s going to get better and bigger. The sequel of the gig will bring you some of Mumbai’s finest bands and an affordable entry to enjoy them.So keep yourself free to mosh, headbang, drink and do all that you want to prove your allegiance to heavy metal! Up the Irons!!

Bands Playing:
Spiked Crib
Atmosfear
Devoid
Infernal Wrath
Abraxas
Zygnema

Location: Hotel Bayview, Gorai Creek,Borivali (w)
Time: 6pm onwards
Entry: 100 Rs

Unrelenting surge of Vengeance

2010-01-06T18:16:00.001+05:30

From the new album 'The Return To Darkness'

Directed by: Vijesh Rajan and Srinivas Sunderrajan
Produced by: Demonic Resurrection and Enter Guerrilla

Line Producer: Shekhar Mohite (For Blind Walk Entertainment)
Edit-Post Production: Vijesh Rajan and Srinivas Sunderrajan (For Enter Guerrilla)
Associates on the project: Sharad Jadhav and Shomi Gupta
Gear Sponsored by Furtados Music (www.furtadosonline.com)

Pre-order the album: www.demonicresurrection.in

Demonic Resurrection is:
Demonstealer - Vocals/Guitars
Daniel Rego - Lead Guitar
Mephisto - Keys
Husain - Bass
Viru - Drums

DISCHORDIAN Live at BLUE FROG

2010-01-01T06:20:00.001+05:30

Dischordian's first gig in 2010!

An intimate, candle-lit evening with the band at Blue Frog.

Come along and let's kick off the new year in style!

Entry: Rs 300

The Dance Of The Diaspora

2009-12-31T00:36:00.000+05:30

We speak English when we're polite. Our exclamation marks are in the mother tongue. The food on the table is continental. Before bed, it's Sanskrit prayers at night.

This is can only happen in India. Where the culture is ancient. The attitude is future. And the state of peace is an unlikely mix of madness and endless calm.

This is the folk music of the Indian city.

Pinknoise has released The Dance Of The Diaspora which is a Free Ep for download, (Yes I said Download). Here's the Tracklist

Temple Dance
Old Bad, New Good
The Nani Season

You can download their album at Bandcamp.com
To find out more about the Band log on to : http://www.itspinknoise.com/

'Feels good to be live' now on Amazon

2009-12-26T14:14:00.001+05:30

The long awaited STR album "Feels good to be live" was finally lauched this month.
Their Tracklist includes :

They've made it very easy for u guys to buy it online by selling it through : Amazon
So get your copy 2day cause 2moro you'll be a working man !!

Rip Asheem Chakravarty !!

2009-12-26T14:07:00.000+05:30

Indian Ocean fans call him “the man with the golden voice”. Amazingly, Asheem sings and plays the tabla simultaneously with remarkable clarity and ease, a difficult feat almost never achieved by Indian percussionists. Asheem’s rhythm structures are uniquely his own, contributing in large part to Indian Ocean’s signature sound, while the melodies he creates are wonderfully different. He loves improvising vocal lines on stage. He plays traditional Indian percussion instruments in completely innovative ways. Brought up in an atmosphere of Indian classical, folk and other Indian forms, Asheem showed his rhythmic spark at an extremely early age.

Asheem is Mr Tangent, king of the non-sequitur. Nobody (including Asheem) understands how his brain works, and he's won many an argument hands-down with his unique brand of logic, and statements such as: ‘Has Pele ever sold chole bhature? No!’ Asheem is the founder and resident guru of the “Soch mat” (Don’t think) school of thought. Permanently in search of a permanent residence, we're still trying to decide if he's incredibly determined or incredibly flaky. He's into Osho, numerology, astrology, naturopathy, yoga, meditation - you name it; Asheem's spiritual quest for the truth is as perennial as his quest for a house. His cheerful philosophy is ‘Sab badmash hain’ (They are all scoundrels). He reads books that nobody else reads – sometimes not even the author.

Source : http://www.indianoceanmusic.com/

Converse presents 'b.R.a jammin' featuring Dischordian & Red Nebula

2009-12-26T05:47:00.000+05:30

Two chilled out rock bands, one cool brand and an evening to get rockheads together. Bombay Rock Association and Converse have just the thing in mind to do that. The brand new Converse outlet at Khar Linking Road will be the hotspot that will see Red Nebula and Dischordian make quite a few heads bang at bRa Jammin’ on the 26th of December, 2009, 7:30 pm onwards.

Over two hours of a chilled out jam session is just what the rocktor ordered.

Event: bRa Jammin'

On: 26th December 2009, 7:30 pm

At: The Converse Outlet, Khar Linking Road, Next to Telephone Exchange, Khar(W)

Bands: Red Nebula and Dischordian

Blakc's album made available online !!

2009-12-24T17:45:00.000+05:30

BLAKC (Mumbai) formerly known as BLACK have released their debut album, Choking on a Dream, which is an eclectic blend of alternative rock remniscent of bands like Blind Melon, Pearl Jam and Alice in chains. With a twin guitar attack and a strong rhythm section, this album will appeal to all rock music listeners. The music production on this album is excellent and provides a great sonic experience. This audio CD comes with a 12 page inlay featuring original artwork and lyrics.

BLAKC - Choking on a Dream Track Listing:

Rift
Alone
Sold(Loose change)
Newspaper boy
Devils Sympathy
Field Of Thought
Ambush
Somewhere In The Night
Sold

U can buy the cd at http://www.bajaao.com/

Demonic Resurrection reveals album cover art, myspace clip and more

2009-12-24T17:37:00.000+05:30

Demonic Resurrection have revealed the cover artwork for their new album 'The Return To Darkness' on Youtube.

Cover Artwork: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKv1QnoFPIE

The artwork has been done by Xaay who has previously worked with the likes of Nile, Karl Sanders, Necrophagist and Behemoth. The album features 10 tracks of Demonic metal.

Tracklist:
1. Between Infinity And Oblivion
2. Where Dreams And Darkness Unite
3. The Warriors Return
4. A Tragedy Befallen
5. The Unrelenting Surge Of Vengeance
6. Bound By Blood, Fire And Stone
7. Lord Of Pestilence
8. Dismembering The Fallen
9. The Final Stand
10. Omega,I

DR will also be releasing a video of the 1st single from the album 'The Unrelenting Surge Of Vengeance' which has been directed by Vijesh & Vaas (Scribe).

The band has also uploaded an unmastered clip of the track 'Where Dreams And Darkness Unite' on their Myspace Page(www.myspace.com/DemonicResurrection) and Reverbnation Page(www.reverbnation.com/DemonicResurrection).

Stupid Stupid Stupid - Tracklist and Launch Gig info

2009-12-24T17:17:00.000+05:30

1. Seven Degrees – ‘Shadows In The Dark’
2. The Circus – ‘FOPS’
3. Gravy Theory – ‘Radio’
4. Aftertaste – ‘Wronged’
5. The Mavyns – ‘Freedomslinger’
6. Emperor Minge – ‘The Choot Song’
7. The Lightyears – ‘The Weapon’
8. Lavender Carnage – ‘In Love With You’
9. Khiladi – ‘This Is Sparta’
10. Boomarang – ‘War’
11. Messiah – ‘Boys Don’t Cry (No Gogo They Don’t)’
12. Fire Exit – ‘The Village Song’
13. Workshop – ‘Pudhe Sarka’
14. Artificial Red – ‘Human Theory’
15. Dischordian – ‘The Old Whore’
16. The Second Shift – ‘July People’
17. Constellation Project – ‘Ring The Bell’
18. Noush Like Sploosh – ‘3 Act Circus’
19. Sridhar/Thayil – ‘The Drowning Song’
20. Medusa – ‘March’
21. Digitalkids – ‘Make Some Love’ .

Stupid Stupid Stupid will release Wednesday, January 6, 2010. Mumbai, be at Zenzi Mills, Lower Parel from 9pm on that day for The Mavyns, Medusa and Sridhar/Thayil as we launch SD3. It’s a FREE gig!

Laura Marling and Mumford & Sons play 6 cities this December

2009-12-15T17:11:00.000+05:30

Two of the UK’s biggest folk acts, Laura Marling and Mumford & Sons, are touring India this December. The artists will undertake a nation-wide tour and also collaborate with Indian musicians in a special project. The tour covers six cities in India (schedule below) and the bands play a mix of auditorium gigs as a fundraiser, crowded nightclubs and chilled-out outdoor venues.

Check out their videos online - http://www.indiecision.com/soundpad/ and then you’ll know why this is something you don’t want to miss!

This tour has been conceived and organized by the British Council in collaboration with Only Much Louder and is the second in a series called ‘Soundpad’, a platform designed to encourage the exchange of ideas, culture and musical influences between artists in the UK and India. It has also been supported by The YP Foundation.

Tour Schedule

10th December 2009 – Delhi – Ashoka Hotel (Fundraiser: The YP Foundation)
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=326550115491&ref=mf

11th December 2009 – Pune – High Spirits
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=189325851826&ref=mf

12th December 2009 – Mumbai – Bandra Amphitheatre
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=171655802613&ref=mf

17th December 2009 – Bangalore – Kyra
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=194443502043&ref=mf

18th December 2009 – Hyderabad – Live
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=215902546564&ref=mf

19th December 2009 – Kolkata – Someplace Else
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=233041090048&ref=mf
*Check out the facebook links for specific details of the gig in your city.

About Laura Marling
Laura Marling is a folk singer-songwriter from Hampshire, England. Marling has toured with a number of well-known indie artists in the UK and beyond including Adam Green and Jamie T, who invited her on tour with him in 2006 after he attended her second-ever gig. She performed at the 2007 O2 Wireless Festival and also performed at the first Underage Festival in August 2007 at Victoria Park, East London. Her television appearances include The Late Show with Craig Ferguson in the US, and Later With Jools in the UK. Her debut album Alas, I Cannot Swim was released on 4 February 2008 and was nominated for the 2008 Mercury Prize.
http://www.lauramarling.com/
http://www.myspace.com/lauramarling

About Mumford & Sons
Mumford & Sons are a folk ‘n roll band from London. The band is made up of Marcus Mumford (vocals, guitar, drums), Winston Marshall (vocals, banjo, dobro), Ben Lovett (vocals, keyboards, organ), Ted Dwane (vocals, double bass). They formed in late 2007, rising out of London's folk scene with other artists such as Laura Marling, Johnny Flynn, Jay Jay Pistolet and Noah and the Whale. In February 2008, the band completed an extensive UK tour with support from Alessi's Ark, Sons of Noel and Adrian, Peggy Sue, Pete Roe, The Cutaway and more. They have been long listed for the BBC's Sound of 2009. BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe made "Little Lion Man" his "Reaction Record" on 27 July 2009, before naming it the "Hottest Record in the World" the following evening. Mumford & Sons won Best Band at the 3rd Annual Balcony TV Music Video Awards in Dublin on 3 July 2009.
http://www.myspace.com/mumfordandsons

Season II Episode I - Call For Entries.

2009-12-14T12:03:00.000+05:30

The long awaited Season II is finally in the making. This is a call to all bands and musicians who'd like to see their work featured in the episodes to come, to kindly send your tracks in at least 128kbps mp3 format to: tubelighton@gmail.com Previous episodes of the Indian Underground Podcast can be heard - http://iup.mypodcast.com

Demonic Resurrection will be supporting Amon Amarth and Textures.

2009-11-27T16:52:00.000+05:30

Demonic Resurrection will be supporting Amon Amarth and Textures at the Deccan Rock Festival happening on 5th December at the Palace Grounds in Bangalore. Other Indian bands performing will be Kryptos, Bhayanak Maut, Inner Sanctum and Undying Inc.

For more details on the show visit Deccan Rock Website

Tickets available at: Book My Show

Tough on Tobacco - The Happy Goat

2009-11-22T11:14:00.000+05:30

Tough on Tobacco is a 6-piece progressive disco dance metal bhojpuri act from Outer Mongolia.Tough on Tobacco is a humour-tinged pop-rock-reggae sextet from Mumbai.Yes. I said sextet.Tough on Tobacco (the name) is meant as an anti-smoking mantra.We smoke too much!!!!Tobacco is bad for you. It is addictive. If you haven’t started smoking, DON’T.If you have, well, too bad, join me for a smoke? … (but really, DO NOT START SMOKING).ToT began in 2007 as a two-man (Sidd Coutto/Hans Dalal) production project with the sole intention of making music for music’s sake. It took a year for us to find a sound we were happy with.Johan Pais and Jai Row Kavi played with Sidd in Helga’s Fun Castle (HFC) while Gaurav Gupta and Pozy Dhar played with Sidd in Zero.HFC and Zero broke up in 2008 and ToT (the band) was born.The gigs are fun. The music is easy.It’s time to get Tough on Tobacco.All 6 members are in the top echelon of their fields:

Sidd Coutto (vocals/guitar) – #3 Rasta wannabe on Hill Road.

Gaurav Gupta (guitar/vocals) – #2 fake Parsi on Turner Road.

Pozy Dhar (guitar) – #1 Work/Music juggler in Wadala

Neil Gomes (violin/sax/flute/vocals) – #3 Apologetic Brother from Goa

Johan Pais (bass) – #2 burping motor cycle enthusiast in Shivaji Park

Jai Row Kavi (drums/vocals) – #1 Gang Banded musician in Bandra

Download the entire album here :http://download.toughontobacco.in/