Indian Bands, Album Reviews
Album Reviews (103)
ALBATROSS are back! Barely a year after the kickass DINNER IS YOU(E.P), the five men Heavy/Horror Metal act from Mumbai, Maharashtra have something new to offer - KISSING FLIES, another E.P (hurray! for that). The record is being released in the form of a split with VESTAL CLARET, an US-based Occult Heavy Metal act by a fairly young & independent ROADCREW RECORDS (did I mention ALBATROSS are no longer under DEMONSTEALER RECORDS?).
This was the first KRYPTOS album I got my hands on and after the very first listen I cursed myself for not giving the band the due attention and listens it deserved. The album is not just about straightforward aggressiveness but also packs a solid punch in terms of melody. What surprises more is how the band's experience and time in the scene shows on the song-writing. The way the songs are structures, placed in the album show that the guys have really put in a lot of thought into making the album a complete grenade just waiting to be dropped and explode, devouring everything in its wake. The trend of having a soft but small interlude between two heavy tracks has hit the Metal scene since long but only few bands like KRYPTOS have the knack to compose something so serene , yet connected to the rest of the album. So also the way it is placed in the track list plays an important role when you have new as well as old fans suddenly being subjected to something so different.
Bangalore has always been a haven for Brutal Death Metal and Grindcore bands like PERFORATED LIMB and GORIFIED, and has been touted by many for having a very strong Underground Metal scene. Recently however there have been bands that seem to be more inclined towards the progressive side of things, which is what I will review today. When I found out that this is a one man Progressive Metal project, I was stunned and curious at the same time while having some very steep expectations. Did it live up to them? Let’s find out.
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One thing very noticeable about INDIAN OCEAN is the extremity of its fans. The fans who love them absolutely worship the band, while those who don’t will not be found changing sides. There is a certain ‘feel’ that is associated to INDIAN OCEAN, something that was missing in popular Indian music before, something that they brought to our notice, and that they have continued doing all these years. You cannot be unsure of whether you like INDIAN OCEAN “sometimes” or only on “some of their songs”. Once an INDIAN OCEAN fan is always a fan. And even when you’re a fan, it takes time getting used to and liking their sound, but you eventually do. It is important to start this review with India’s oldest and probably only Fusion Rock band, because that is where it began, after all, for its lead guitarist Susmit Sen, as he adds another feather to his cap with his debut solo effort DEPTHS OF THE OCEAN.
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Anoushka Shankar, daughter of the great sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar, has with her new album given herself a new direction and expanded her horizons. One could argue that music is in her blood and therefore she grasps more attention because of her lineage rather than her music but her experimentation with her genre, especially in TRAVELLER, does to some extent prove that perhaps her intentions are to create an identity for herself rather than step into the shoes of her father. As is the case with many children of established classical musicians, they tend to be overshadowed by the monumental achievements and talent of their parents and cannot properly fill the void that they seem to be confronted with.