Reviews
Reviews (119)
SWARATHMA, Bangalore based Urban Folk Rock band, recently released its first music video on their song PYAASI meaning ‘thirsty’. The song also features one of India’s best female vocalists, Shubha Mudgal. This video is the first in line of many more for this band that has become a matter of pride for the Indian music scenario. Filmmaker Shekhar Kapoor was the creative consultant for it and it was shot in Rajasthan by Pictureco, a Bangalore based firm.
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CHRONIC XORN is a relatively new Metalcore act hailing from Kolkata, West Bengal. The band comprises of a bunch of young talented musicians adding worth to a very particular niche of Metalcore genre with the band’s latest debut offering entitled DEATH.DESTRUCTION.SERMON (E.P) that has been brewing quietly over the past few years, considering our local circuit. To be honest, I never heard about the band in the past, but the moment I came across their material I started cursing myself for not being able to catch the band live on-stage. The band has already established quite a regional following in their local circuit and I hope with their recent effort the band would be able to get more global audience. Also, I agree with the statement that CHRONIC XORN have mentioned in their biography "Mutually Exclusive and Collectively Explosive", yes the band holds that statement sincerely.
Coming onto the E.P, the music played here is really heavy; the whole structure is chaotic and brings nothing less than destruction! This debut is surely worth the listening because it has a lot of different items in the song structure which makes it attractive for most of the Metalcore fans. Mixing a blend of Metalcore and Death Metal with melodic and hardcore inspired elements, the group definitely hits like a ton of bricks. You will also find some Grindcore influences which includes introduction of "pig squeals", so don't be surprised. This means styles and sound changes throughout the disk but the music is quite varied as well. While the band’s sound isn’t wholly unique, it is intelligently written and flawlessly performed. The vocals on this disc are a combination of pitch shifted shrieks, higher end screams and mid range shouts — all fused together to create a deep and rich vocal presence. Not to forget the head banging/moshing guitar riffs with a blend of melodies (Suvam & Anindya) and ear-pounding drums (Tamaghana) which will force every individual to turn up their speakers volumes, so folks let the destruction be loud!
DEATH.DESTRUCTION.SERMON (E.P) starts off with PSYCHIC CATASTROPHE, the opening track which is essentially an intro to the disc with atmospheric keyboards and symphonies adding melancholic feel, but no reason to listen to it again in the future. The silence ends up with the arrival of AFRAID OF THE UNSEEN which I think is probably one of the best tracks musically to start an album as it serves everything what a band has to offer to satiate their fans expectations. The band immediately rolls into a huge riff and then utter chaos results as vocals kicks into the track. The third track, THE FUNERAL SONG starts off with an awesome growl accompanied with more methodical drumming and thick riffs. One of the highlight about this track is the breakdown at 3:05 min and the introduction of pig squeal, man I just loved it. The title track, DEATH.DESTRUCTION.SERMON is just another foreign influenced track with whole lot of breakdowns, but one thing I liked about this track is the clean solo vocals at the latter half of the track, pretty impressive and memorable. NECROPOLIS fades in smoothly with some heavy groove and memorable guitar riffs. The pace is picked up quickly at 1:58 with heavy drums and moshing riffs, simple but crazy enough to drive you insane. The final track, MY LITTLE OBSESSION which is my personal favorite from this stellar debut is one of the most chaotic and aggressive track, so I would say prepare yourself to sprain your neck. The whole band looks pretty tight with their musical skills, but the vocals here is just outstanding. Every time I spin this track forces me to imagine how would be the atmosphere created by the band live on-stage. This one has a perfect head banging and moshing effect which just cannot be denied. I don't give a FUCK what you would call this but I call it as a MOTHERFUCKING end to the material.
One thing what I found sapless about this E.P is its track listing while all are great songs individually, if listened to one after the other. This disc actually took a couple of listens to grow on me, but with each listen I am finding new elements within the music that makes me want to keep it in the disc for a few more spins. The sound production is pretty heavy and distorted than many other Indian albums adding death piercing value to the band’s debut material. The work done by the quintet is pretty admirable and if the band continues to step in this style, they will stand where they deserve. The recording and mastering for the E.P was done by Suvam Moitra, which is pretty admirable. The chaotic vocals, shredding guitar riffs accompanied with powerful drumming found on the disk is plenty of reason enough to pick up this well executed album. If the DEATH.DESTRUCTION.SERMON is any indication, I have nothing but high hopes for their upcoming full-length. All in all DEATH.DESTRUCTION.SERMON is highly urged to be played when you out there with your family at some events/gathering...hehehe!
Bottom Line: DEATH.DESTRUCTION.SERMON (E.P) is a straight-forward Metalcore debut which cannot be ABNEGATED! (Recommended)
Pravin Prajapati(LordMessiah)
Punk Rock has a new heir. And from what it looks like, the going can only be good.
A calm and synthesized guitar maneuver opens D’luzion’s debut studio effort, ‘All over again’ on a jovial note- “I just wanna sing loud, scream my head out. It’s my life I’m gonna do whatever I want to. When everything seems to fall apart, I’m gonna pick up the pieces and start all over again!” shouts Himon, merrily, as the sense of glee shoots up. “Will we always, sing the same old songs we used to? Will they always tell us how to change our ways?” a punk/pop beat raises the temperature, until Bibhash’s guitar explodes into portentous nu-age rock concord and sunlight and summer breeze, (Very, very cool it is!: P) – suddenly when a single tracked sonata of Himon’s vocal keys level their buoyant spirits: “Our whole town, is the only place where we wanna hang around. Wish we always, stay the same till the time we let go. Don’t wanna worry where we gonna end up, Just take this moment as your very last day!”
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JOSHISH, Arabic-Persian for ‘enthusiasm’ is a name that truly speaks for this band’s passion for music which is what brings them together. Started by Sameer Rahat in 2006, this band has surpassed genres and generated inspiring music for a cause. This has been done with a lot of energy and fervor and they have found new meaning to ‘music works where nothing works’ for themselves . JOSHISH is Sameer Rahat-Compositions/Backup Vocals/Bass/Arrangement, Pranjal Joshi-Keyboards/Composition, Shwetang Shankar-Drums, Shatarchi Hundet-Guitars, Amit Mishra-Mixing and Mastering and Shobhita Singh-Lead Vocals/Lyrics.
STILL NOT TOO LATE is JOSHISH’s second single and is a dedication to the Kargil soldiers who fought for India and it is a call to us citizens to join hands and fight back because it is STILL NOT TOO LATE. This very appropriately named song was written by and featured Shobhita Singh as the lead vocalist. It was released for a project called W.A.T.T.S. (We Against The Terrible System) to say that despite 62 years of Independence, 10 years since Kargil and decades of democracy, society is still plagued by terror and hate. Yet, it is still not too late to change the state of affairs. It hopes to spread awareness about this issue through the band’s music.
The song is even included in an album called THE YOUTH SYNDROME, produced by Dfuse.in, Bangalore. The song has a nice beat that goes well with the words. The chorus is especially impactful when you hear it because of a certain aggression in the voice which comes through because of Shobhita’s feelings for the cause coming through. There are interesting guitar solos interspersed in the song making it a pleasure to hear even if not for the lyrics. It ends on a softer note making one really want to listen to it once more and make sense of the lyrics, which are thought-provoking and poetic in nature.
Lines like
“In the name of religion, we destroy and kill,
We fight our own brothers, and innocent blood we spill”
truly depict what mankind has become and shows that the perpetrators do not stop to think of the harm they are causing in their search for revenge, money, power or whatever it is that they seek.
“It’s time to come together; It’s still not too late” suggests a hope from the same mankind to improve and to snap out of the farce that makes them commit their crimes."
Rohini Kejriwal
The gods have finally descended and it seems as though they are here to stay, this time around.