Interview with Halahkuh

Year: 2014

Halahkuh - as they suggest-has been borrowed from a descendant of Genghis Khan, Hulagu Khan. Their songs also invoke the same imagery of utter dominance and power.From the time they were formed, these guys have been hitting fans hard like a steamroller, gig after gig until finally they get a slot at Thrashfest, with the country's best in Thrash.

Metal Gallows interviews Halahkuh ahead of the Thrashfest.

MG: The last time you played at Thane, during  Metal At The Tavern,it was a blast! There were people chanting your name, and you also got a lot of praise after the gig, during the band interaction. Did you expect the response to be so phenomenal?

Halahkuh: For bands like us who have been trying to make our mark in the scene ever since the band's inception, Metal at the Tavern was one hell of an opportunity given to us. We made sure to jam rigorously as this was a gig which was more like a proving ground for us. Encores and chants are some things that metal bands in the Indian scene crave for and only get them if the crowd feels the band is flawless. We were amazed by such a response. The energy could be easily felt on stage which led to us playing the other half of our set with full force.

MG: How would you describe Halahkuh? Musically, lyrically and conceptually.

H: Halahkuh is derived from the name of the famous mongol ruler Hulagu Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan. His ideals of conquering the world with great ferocity led to the band's inspiration. Desecration in particular revolves around the common man's day to day suffering and struggles which have been penned down throughout all the tracks, particularly the last song of the EP emphasising on a 'never giving up' attitude even in the most harsh circumstances of life. The new material is however quite different from our past release

MG: The EP you guys released last year,”Desecration”, which has got the likes of Undying Inc’s Shashank Bhatnagar on guest vocals,received some rave reviews from the scene. Now,talks are already going around about a new album. In a scene where bands wait for years between releases, how do you manage move on so fast?

H: We were glad to know that our hard work really paid off. We believe that it's the best routine for a band to play live as much as possible to grow as fast as it can. Our aim has been this from the very beginning. Playing live often means delivering something new each time you face your audience. This poses a great challenge for the band which instigates a feeling to work even harder and possibly jam on new material regularly. We do have a lot of new tracks brewing in the Halahkuh camp. The next release would definitely be an album but this idea might take some time to shape up due to various reasons involved in the process.

MG: Again back to the EP, it has a variety of influences ranging for Black, Thrash, Death metal to even Metalcore and Deathcore (According to me,it even had Djent parts). How could you, so flawlessly  integrated such contrasting genres into one kickass EP?

H: The amalgamation of all the genres that have been mentioned comes from the fact that each member has distinct influences. Thus each of us try to get the best out of our preferred genres though keeping in mind the real genre of the band. This doesn't mean we confine ourselves to something specific, rather we try to imbibe the best and blurt it out in the jam room which in turn is worked on for hours and takes shape as the final product.

MG: Other than being musically awesome,you guys also look beefy as hell.What’s your fitness secret?

H: Hahaha. We think you're referring to Shubhro here. Well he is a gym fanatic, so that's his secret mantra. PrasenJit's workout regime includes his drumkit bashing. While Chinmay and Prakhar are footballers and represent their college football teams respectively. No strict diet plans for us.

MG: Coming back to Metal at The Tavern, you guys just broke into an impromptu blues jam in the middle of the gig, and left everyone in wonder with their mouths gaping wide. Any such surprises this time around too?

H: In short, expect surprises in all the upcoming tracks. That doesn't mean we'll be incorporating blues in all of them. Things have elevated to a new level altogether in the Halahkuh camp. We'll surely be playing something new at Thrashfest. So watch out for that!

MG: Anything new on the Thrashfest setlist? Something you’ve never played before?

H: Slight change in the setlist, which will feature our new track 'Break the Shackles' and a cover which we have been planning to play for a long time and doubt any Indian band has covered yet!

MG: A message for all the fans please,we’re eagerly awaiting your performance at Thrashfest!

H: To all our fans out there, we are nothing without you. Your presence makes us stronger each time we take stage. As mentioned, we will be unleashing new material this time. Also we have got tons of new stuff at the merch stall. The lineup for this mammoth fest is as good as it gets. The organisers, sponsors and all the bands are putting a lot of effort to pull this gig so as to be able to start a trend and organise more of such events in future. This is a good enough reason for all of you to show up in numbers. All of us shall catch up very soon. Until then keep thrashing!