Orion - On The Banks Of Rubicon EP - Album Review

Year: 2013

The one aspect that everyone universally expects from music is memorability. Be it any genre, the listeners always want to hear something that will stay with them for a while after they've listened to the album. When dealing with a genre like death metal, catchy song writing is a particularly hard feat to achieve. So death metal bands instead, focus on technicality and brutality as opposed to catchiness. So when I stumbled upon a death metal band that was both progressive and immensely memorable, it came as a surprise indeed.

Bookakee - Whorrific - Album Review

Year: 2013

A band’s name and how they look, is as important as how their music sounds. All first impressions are made from the name and the appearance of the band. So when I googled Bookakee, I got pictures of men in black paint, covered in what could only be described as Hulk semen. Plus, the name of the band itself is a tongue in cheek reference to a pornographic act. Usually, when bands go for such daring names and looks, their music usually is a joke. That is not the case of Bookakee fortunately.

Fragarak - Crypts Of Dissimulation - Album Review

Year: 2013

This year, I have listened to way more records than I usually do. However, there weren’t any records that absolutely knocked me off my feet and shattered all my expectations. That is, until I heard this beauty of an album called ‘Crypts of Dissimulation’ by Fragarak. Right off the bat, I’ll declare that this album is beautiful masterpiece and nothing less than that. In fact, this is one of the best albums I’ve heard from the Indian scene for quite some time now. Go ahead and buy this. But in case you need more convincing, read on.

Winter Gate - Dis-Illumination EP - Album Review

Year: 2012

Writing a song with a long runtime takes skill. Keeping the listener engaged throughout the length of the song requires even more special skills. The number of progressive bands in India are actually very limited and even the few that do exist, tend to stick to shorter song lengths (with exception of one or two songs ofcourse). But never did I imagine that when I discovered such a progressive band from India, it would be from Jaipur of all places! While the general public had been focussing their attention on bands from Bangalore, Kolkatta, Delhi and Mumbai, these lads have achieved something which quite a lot of bands in this country fail to do - release a spectacular debut!

Chaos Plague - Chaos Plague EP

Year: 2012

What is essential in any music album is that it should be memorable. The riffs must invade the listener’s mind in such a way that they haunt him long after he has hit the stop button. But this is a lesson that seems to be lost on many bands today, especially when it comes to the technical and progressive genres. Most of these bands try to cram in as much technical riffs in their songs as posiible and to leave the listeners in awe. The result of this is that the songs are instantly forgotten after the last note, though they manage to keep the listener enthralled for the length of the track. Still, there are quite a few bands that are an exception, who make their music both memorable and technical. Which of these categories does Chaos Plague fall under?

September Murder - He Who Invokes Decadence - Album Review

Year: 2013

Progressive Metal is a genre, which is known for it's eclectic tempo shifts and time signature changes. Now, put this together with something as heavy as Brutal Death Metal, and the resulting concoction is something which is truly interesting. The mark of a good Progressive Metal band is to keep the listener hooked, while keeping the changes coming. On the other hand, a Brutal Death Metal band aims to pulverise everything in it's path. New age metallers, September Murder succeed in achieving both, for the most part.

Gojira - L'Enfant Sauvage - Album Review

Year: 2012

Gojira are all set to headline the Indian Metal Fest this December 15th. I had never listened to any of their work before. So I decided to give their latest offering a spin before the concert. And dare I say, Gojira might have found themselves a new fan in me.