HBI: Hey guys, thanks for this interview! How’re you all doing?

Mahesh: Doing great and all set for Sonic Doom!

Deepak: Doing good! Looking forward to kicking ass at Sonic Doom and watching Orchid, and Djinn & Miskatonic.

Michael: Not too bad, though, I seem to be getting old with all my back problems.

HBI: Tell us a little about your musical influences, and the elements that brought you together to form Shepherd.

Deepak: We’re all into different kinds of music, but the slow heavy kind of rock is basically our common ground. I love listening to hardcore punk because to me there’s nothing more life affirming like the unrestrained force of bands like Discharge, GBH or Fear. And I hear a lot of people talking about rock n roll being dead, but they’re just looking for it in the wrong places. The essence of rock n roll is alive and well and what we’re doing is trying to tap into that.

Mahesh: We’ve always wanted to play music that is loud, pummelling and ensnares the audience. That has been the central idea of Shepherd  since its inception. Influences are quite a few and go beyond music. But as far as the band is concerned we draw a lot from bands like YOB, Godflesh, Eyehategod and  The Melvins to name a few.

HBI: Sludge wasn’t exactly a very well known/ popular genre when you guys first started out. Were you skeptical about what the response to your music would be like?

Mahesh: We’ve been clear about playing stuff that we want to. We weren’t really thinking about the audience while figuring our sound out. Also the fact that we play a style of music that isn’t something you hear often adds to the novelty of the band. As far as the response is concerned, it’s been pretty encouraging. When we started off people would mostly just stare but TSF III was where that changed. It’s been an education so far and we’re looking to play and learn more.

Deepak: We just wanted to play music that we like listening to. But since we’ve been playing for a couple of years now, we have a sound structure that we like to work with. We still get cold stares and the occasional slow clap once in a while but it’s all good. We’re not in this for the kudos. For some of us being on stage and playing this music is just an experience we don’t have to access to otherwise.

Michael: I don’t think it is a well known/popular genre now either. I’ve always wanted to play this kind of music live, but apart from some random jams with Rajeev in the Sanctum jam room, nothing ever materialise until these guys gave me a call. I guess we’re going to keep doing what we’re doing and over time maybe more people will get into it.

HBI: Some time ago, I remember reading an interview that Anirudh (Metal Assault) did with you, where you happened to mention that your sound was going through a trial and error phase back then. Has it settled now to something that you and your audience are comfortable with?

Mahesh: That interview was with Muneeb and was done after our second or third show. Abhishek Michael (Inner Sanctum) has joined the fold since and it’s been really good. Sound wise, we’ve found a place that we’re comfortable with. As opposed to on stage jams that the band used to do back then, we’ve been playing a full set that we are settling into. Once the album is done and we have our current material recorded, we’ll get to work on newer material which will evolve from where we stand right now.

Deepak: Our only aim is to pummel our audience with riffs and as long as there are people who like real heavy music, we’ll be alright.

HBI: What’s the status on newer recordings and full length albums to be released?

Deepak: We’re just waiting on Michael to come back from Europe, where he’ll be touring with  Inner Sanctum, so we can relax and hit the studio and get this thing done. Mahesh is working on artwork for the album, and merch that’s going along with it. All our effort will be going into making this album the heaviest thing to come out of this side of the planet.

Mahesh: Sonic Doom is a precursor to the album. Once Michael’s back we’ll hit the studio. We’re looking at playing gigs as soon as we’re done with the album. A launch, et al is in order. More on this later.

HBI: Of late, there has been a lot of focus thrown on merchandise/ artwork apart from the music- (event posters, album artwork, t-shirts etc.) Shepherd is a part of this too, so tell us- 

– How good has the response been?
- Does it establish a stronger sense of community among the bands and fans?

Mahesh: Merchandise is instrumental in keeping a band afloat. Both Deepak and Namit have designed tees, Deepak’s done a couple of posters and I’ve got some artwork lined up. The response has been fantastic. We’ve sold most of the tees and posters. It definitely establishes a sense of community because we as a band know that there’s a bunch of people who enjoy what we do and are willing to invest in the band.

Michael: It’s been great! For some reason, people in India have really gotten into the whole merch scene. It works for us coz it’s quite profitable so we do have some extra cash to record the album. Not sure about it establishing a stronger sense of community or anything, we just like seeing dudes wear our tees.

HBI: The genre specific gigs like what The Mighty Riff aims to do, along with other bands like Bevar Sea, Dying Embrace etc, worked to your advantage. In your opinion, do you think streamlining the metal audience has any pros and cons?

Deepak: I think it’s great that there are genre-specific gigs happening because you know what you’re getting into as a fan. It establishes the bands involved as part of a community. But at the same time I don’t think I know anyone who listens to only one sub-genre of music.

Mahesh: Playing a genre-specific gig is a plus cause you’re playing to an audience that is aware of the band’s musical roots and hence might better appreciate your music. Playing alongside bands like Bevar Sea and Dying Embrace has helped us reach out to an audience that enjoys doom and hence potentially enjoys our combo of sludge (a doom derivative) and hard rock. Having said that, we’ve also played shows alongside acts that are nowhere near our musical territory and it’s been equally good cause we played to a new audience. The way I see it, streamlining of the audience is something that a band should not be concerned about, as long as the band is clear about who they are musically.

HBI: Great job on your version of “Sacrifice”, by the way. I think it’s one of the best in the album to be honest! What are your thoughts on the Motorhead Tribute? Any particular favourites?

Deepak: Djinn & Miskatonic’s ‘Don’t Believe A Word’, definitely.

Mahesh: Same here. I’m looking forward to Djinn’s ep. I got to hear a rough mix and they’re the band to look out for.

Michael: Even though I might sound like a dick, I have to agree with you. I thought we did a damn good job and it turned out better than we expected. I enjoyed Albatross, Witchgoat and the hidden Bevar Sea track as well.

HBI: If you were to work on a tribute album for any other band, who would you choose?

Deepak: Fear, maybe. But I’ll have to get my chops up.

Mahesh: The Melvins. That’ll mean everyone needs to get their chops up.

HBI: So what are you listening to right now? Do you like any modern rock/ metal or do you stick to the older bands?

Deepak: I’m still trying to catch up with a lot of the older stuff. Some swedish hardcore/d-beat bands – Anti-Cimex, Totalitar, Driller Killer. Newer bands like New Keepers of the Water Towers, Pissed Jeans and the new David Bowie album have been doing a lot of rounds at my place.

Mahesh:  I’ve been tripping on Flipper for the last month. Also on the list is Acid King and Black Cobra as far as stoner metal is concerned. Boredoms, Throbbing Gristle and Merzbow to satiate my appetite for dissonance. Oxbow are a fantastic band that I’ve been listening to and Horn of the Rhino’s latest album, ‘The weight of Coronation’ has been blowing my mind. Javier Galvez is one of the best new singers I’ve heard.

Michael: I guess I listen to a bit more modern rock/metal. Heck, if something sounds good, I’ll give it a spin, doesn’t really matter when it was released. I’ve been digging the new Intronaut and Klone, both are pretty awesome albums. I’ve also been listening to some Graveyard, Torche, Ironweed and the new Meshuggah.

HBI: What’s coming up for the band in the next couple of months? Anything exciting that we could look forward to?

Michael: Sonic Doom! It’s our first headlining show, so that’s awesome. We’re going to be hitting the studio after I come back so that’s definitely something to look forward to.

Mahesh: Our main priority after the gig is to hit the studio and get the album done. It should be out in a couple of months. We’ll keep ya’ll posted on that front. A few shows may follow to promote the album.

Turn up for SONIC DOOM on the 26^th! It’s the first time we’re headlining a gig. There’s some really cool bands on the bill, artwork, a stand up comedian, merch and a good time in general!

HBI: Thanks for talking to Headbangers India! \m/

Check out the official event page for Sonic Doom here. And watch this space for more exciting gigs and interviews, all coming your way very soon!

The band is no longer active, but has just uploaded their entire EP, titled ‘Discord’ for free download.

You can download your copy here.

‘Discord’ was released in 2010 and since the band has sold out all their physical copies, they decided to upload it along with high resolution artwork.

Check out Headbangers India’s review of Discord here.

Following their SE asia tour 2012 , Blind Image is now in the studio working on their upcoming third album which is expected to release by mid 2013. The band has already confirmed their tour of South East Asia (September 2013). Dates for the same will be announced shortly.

Regarding their slot at Metal Asylum, the band’s chief spokesperson Krishna says -”We played in Dubai in the year 2011 as a part of the global metal bash. The experience was unique and we are really glad that we will be hitting Dubai again this year for playing at the Metal Asylum festival which also feature various band across Europe and Egypt.

We will be hitting Dubai right after we come back from our SE Asia part 2 which will be happening this September.

These 2 tours will follow our third album’s launch which will be happening mid 2013. Prior to this we will also be touring India.”

The Metal Asylum festival is one of the biggest festivals that happens in Dubai every year and features a lot of underground bands from all over the world.

Check the official event page for more.

Lineup:

Threinody (Thrash)

Albatross (Horror Metal)

Dark Desolation (Satanic Black Metal)

Djinn & Miskatonic (Doom)

Neolithic Silence (Doom/Thrash)

Bhoomi (Heavy Metal)

and more to be announced!

Nerij, a one man dark ambient project from Italy, chooses to aurally depict the introspective transcendence attributed to the aforementioned substance, and reviewing such an effort which is bare-boned drone is quite the tightrope walk – it is as easy to dismiss the effort as trivial on account of the glaring absence of melody, rhythm or structure and chock-full of pretense as it is to label it as a work of art that supposedly derives the utmost from deep introspection in a singular direction and paints a picture of a post apocalyptic scenario in various (and to be harsh, tempting to say fifty) shades of grey. Unfortunately, these divisive opinions are not equally justified in this case. For those like me with temporally fluctuating musical preferences, the appreciation of this album solely depends on the mood. This is not an album for the summer heat of May, where a cold beer and a dose of some thrash or grind would be more apt. Neither is this for the dark and dreary days of the monsoon, or the winter, where one can turn to doom metal like October Tide or some ambient jazz like Bohren & der Club of Gore. This is music to be heard in complete solitude, in a state where your environment does not affect your perceptions, where music like this will be the perfect background for some serious contemplation of whatever it is that you want to contemplate. You can’t like or dislike this music, you can merely allow it to exist in the background or simply turn it off in favour of a more active musical voice.

Some valid criticisms still remain, criticisms that go for most artists belonging to this sub-genre of music – mainly the fact that it belongs more to the domain of experimental noise rather than music in its more classical form – like an exotic creature that is neither aesthetically pleasing nor vitriolic, but easily forgotten once you go back home after having spotted it in the zoo as a mere novelty, one lacking any depth or detail to make it memorable. This approach has been around for quite some time now, Coil’s Time Machines being another experiment in this direction (albeit a much more successful one), where songs were tested for ‘maximum psychedelic potency’ and so forth, but whereas Time Machines still has an unsettling impact (especially in silent closed spaces, where it’ll throw your sense of time off track and make you think you’re high), this is one aspect where Nerij and other artists in this style would do well to look into if they actually want to make music with a listener in mind, even if it is the composer himself, else it is like attempting to ‘record’ a piece like John Cage’s 4:33 – it simply does not make sense, neither is it worth the time and energy, no matter how infinitesimal. Narcissistic impulses without impact are wasteful at best.

Bottomline – a decent soundtrack to meditation and/or altered states – it will amuse you when you’re there, but it lacks the strength and conviction to take you there on it’s own.

Rating: 5.5/10

The aptly-named Iron Fist Records have now released the much awaited Motorhead India tribute album, featuring 12 ear-splitting covers spanning various genres of metal from bands of different backgrounds. The album can be streamed in its entirety on Bandcamp, where you can also order a special edition bundle with a poster and a limited edition t-shirt. The bands and songs featured are thus:

The album kicks off with the title track, whose theme is probably an exaggerated dig at exaggerated digs at power metal. Hence the entire song is actually quite a generic power metal track, with its galloping three-note rhythm over a regular 4/4 beat, complete with a nicely flowing guitar solo. The lyrics are an explicit description of…well…a dragon having the nasty done to it. As a track it sounds great but for what Workshop sets out to do, which is to make ridiculous jokes, it misses the mark. Now while I’m not a student of sketch comedy, I would have liked certain subtleties in their otherwise all-out approach to the lyrics, but then that’s just me. The next track, ‘Down to Dahisar’ however, does do justice to that to a certain extent. The song is essentially about a regular Mumbaikar trying to find affordable real estate but gets ridiculous prices and turned-down offers because of the background he comes from. The music is regular hard rock that delivers the message of discrimination in India satirically well, along with the anxiety and dog-eat-dog lifestyle of the common Indian. The tracks that follow this one are tales of a mansion haunted by a horny,vengeful ghost; 2 bar dancers who are named after popular Bollywood item number protagonists; a really, really fat person trying to get laid; a desperate married woman with a non-existent sex life; a serpentine; a man who never gets lucky with the ladies; a (supposed) Arabic version of a previous Workshop track and a ‘Bonuts Song’, an instrumental. Musically, the band essentially switches between regular hard rock, power metal and groove metal styles, with certain songs having the quick flourishes of a black metal riff here and a death metal blast beat there.

Now the reason why I say this album doesn’t make my rib tickle is because there is a lack of new comedic ideas for new themes. The last album was a first of its kind, it had its close-to-home jokes and phrases that added a sense of familiarity to the messages in each song. There was also a way those jokes were told, a certain sense of seeming discretion that suddenly threw the punchline in your face quite hilariously. This album however, has no such levels. There is no element of surprise, only really vivid descriptions of sexual or gluttony-related themes. There are a few songs here and there that do provide the kind of smart humour that the last album did, like ‘Down to Dahisar’, ‘Munni Jawan v/s Shiela Badnam’ and ‘She Came’, but that’s the extent of that. To end, I would say this: the album is there in terms of musical skill and vocal talent. However, this time, the joke? I really didn’t get it…

• Fantom
• Terminus Exitium
• Nihilus
• Dequma
• Errorz
• Ontologus
• Fortified Destruction
• Slither
• Distorted Melody

Like the last ‘The Pits’ We are sure to deliver much higher entertainment worth more than what you have to pay!

Entry Fee: Rs 300

Pre-orders for the album can made by e-mailing fragarak.india@gmail.com