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SHEPHERD release second single off ‘Stereolithic Riffalocalypse’

After the release of “Bog Slime” to generally positive reviews, the Bangalore based stoner/doom band Shepherd releases their second single titled “Turdspeak”. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/187167464″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /] The band will be part of the Indie March series of gigs at CounterCulture, Bangalore, alongside stoner/doom band Bevar Sea, and post metal new comers Pangea, on the 7th of February. The band will follow this up with a listening party along with a launch show on the 6th of March in Bangalore. Preorders for the album ‘Stereolithic Riffalocalypse’ will start on February 1st, through Bandcamp. Physical copies will ship on the 7th of March. Previously released single “Bog Slime” can be streamed here.

DEVOID to play at Resurrection Fest, Dubai

resurrection fest dubai 2015 poster Mumbai’s thrashmen Devoid have secured a spot at Dubai‘s Resurrection Fest, showcasing the rising stars of the various countries across Asia. The band will be playing alongside Stigmata (Sri Lanka), Creative Waste (Saudi Arabia), Maticrust (Philippines) and Smouldering in Forgotten (Bahrain). The event will take place on Friday the 13th of March at the Music Room, which has hosted several metal shows in the past and has had bands such as Krisiun grace it as well. We wish everyone in the band all the best for this show!

INNER SANCTUM return with new lyric video ‘Wake of Destruction’, announce debut full-length

Death/Thrash metal heavy weights Inner Sanctum from Bangalore, have released a video for ‘Wake of Destruction’, their first single from their upcoming full-length debut release ‘Legions Awake’. The follow up to the critically acclaimed EP ‘Provenance’, ‘Legions Awake’ promises to deliver to the listener the trademark Inner Sanctum sound; melodic, groovy and inherently crushing. The band claims there are tracks that are potential metal anthems such as Realms of Oblivion, March of the Wounded, Guardian, to name a few. The band has continued its association with award winning producer/engineer Lasse Lammert (LSD Studios Germany) for the new record, who is renowned for his stellar production with thick punishing guitars and a massive yet crisp drum sound. Lasse Lammert has worked with Alestorm, Svartsot, Halcyon Way, Synarchy and Trials, among other bands. For the video, Inner Sanctum commissioned Igor Omodei from Uneven Structure, the French progressive metal band. Igor is one of the most sought after designers whose arrangements are gorgeous and breathtaking to say the least. Igor Omodei has worked with Basick Records, Euroblast, Xerath, Escape the Cult, The Dali Thundering Concept etc. Says guitar player Chintan Chinnappa:
The video is Igor’s interpretation of Wake of Destruction.. he visualised a woman playing both a victim and an abettor. She stands there blindfolded and is unable to see the war. She is a victim of the media and the government who have misled her with information. She is an abettor because of her inaction to the violence surrounding her. We intend on releasing the album in March. ‘Legions Awake’ will hit the right spots in terms of groove and melody. Fans can expect plenty of metal anthems from the album.
 

DEMONIC RESURRECTION confirmed for Metaldays Slovenia 2015

The now household name in Indian metal, Demonic Resurrection, have been confirmed as part of the line-up for Slovenia‘s cult festival Metaldays, which takes place in the town of Tolmin. The festival lasts for an entire week (19th to 25th July this year) and this edition features a host of giant names, a fraction of them being the likes of Accept, Queensryche, Behemoth, Dream Theater and Carcass. Demonic Resurrection will themselves be sharing the stage with bands like Hirax and Butcher Babies, among others. We wish Sahil Makhija and his band all the best! May they continue to take Europe by storm, one country at a time!

CANNIBAL CORPSE, SUICIDE SILENCE to headline Bangalore’s Cult Fest 2015

Entertainment company Bohemian Live have announced April festival Cult Fest with headlining slots to be occupied by deathcore biggies Suicide Silence and death metal titans Cannibal Corpse. This festival will mark the live debuts for both bands in India, on the 11th of April. With both bands commanding quite a strong following, this is already shaping up to be quite a high-expectation festival in India. Back in 2011, we had conducted this interview with Cannibal Corpse bass player Alex Webster. While the venue awaits announcement, the tickets are already on sale via BookMyShow’s website. The carnage is priced at Rs 1350 and awaits the announcement of 3 opening bands from India. Stay tuned to Headbangers India for more. And book that ticket!  

FRAGARAK to embark on a South East Asia tour in February

Fragarak-SEAtour2015   Progressive death metal act from New Delhi, Fragarak, has been confirmed to tour South-East Asia in February 2015. The 3-date tour will mark the band’s live debut in Singapore and Malaysia. After their inaugural Asian tours in Nepal and China last year in support of full-length release Crypts of Dissimulation, the band is all set to play 2 shows in Penang (Malaysia) and Singapore, supporting legends Impiety in their 25th anniversary shows followed by an exclusive third show in Kuala Lumpur. Filling in on the drums for the band will be Siddharth Manoharan (from Nihilus, Djinn & Miskatonic). The dates and venues are as follows: 6th February – Penang, Malaysia (Dusthall Studio, Seberang Jaya) 7th February – SIngapore (The Substation, Armenian Street) 8th Febraury – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Pennylane, Sunway Mentari)

Headbangers India Staff Picks: Top 13 albums of ’14

The year 2014 is clearly over, but it left in its wake several metallic gems that some of us writers just can’t get over. This year was especially eventful as it saw several top-tier titans returning with new albums, a lot of new promise emerging from different bands around the world and yet, disappointment also abounded as familiar faces quit bands and left legacies behind, tours got cancelled and some albums that just did not do justice to a band’s reputation were put out. While we would love to talk about the latter, we prefer instead to talk about those albums that we still can’t get over. Five of us have handpicked our top 13 albums (because 13 is so metal a number that its now considered lucky) each. You may agree with our lists, you may disagree or you may even find names that you had absolutely not heard of before this. We ourselves are quite surprised by how varied our lists are, and seldom have any common names. Tell us what your favourites were because we hope your year was as metal as ours.  

Madhav Ravindranath:

2014 was a fine year for metal. Swedish metal legends At The Gates brought out their first album in 19 years and Exodus brought back Steve ‘Zetro’ Souza into the fold. Closer to home, Demonic Resurrection released their 4th full length The Demon King and followed it up with a UK tour, culiminating at Wacken Open Air, while Kryptos continued their love affair with Europe and toured 4 countries with Italian black metal giants Graveworm. As I mentioned, truly a fine year for metal. My Top 13 of 2014 was not easy to narrow down to; so many bands, so many great albums, not enough time to hear them all. In any case…
  1. Behemoth – The Satanist
  2. Exodus – Blood In, Blood Out
  3. At The Gates – At War With Reality
  4. Triosphere – The Heart Of The Matter
  5. Arch Enemy – War Eternal
  6. Falconer – Black Moon Rising
  7. Holy Moses – Redefined Mayhem
  8. Vader – Tibi Et Igni
  9. Cannibal Corpse – A Skeletal Domain
  10. Amoral – Fallen Leaves & Dead Sparrows
  11. Accept – Blind Rage
  12. Slough Feg – Digital Resistance
  13. Crimson Shadows – Kings Among Men
Honourable Mentions:
  • Tankard – R.I.B
  • Wolf – Devil Seed
  • Overkill – White Devil Armory
  • Job For A Cowboy – Sun Eater
  • Machine Head – Bloodstones & Diamonds
 

Adarsh Rajagopal:

A year of a fair amount of fantastic releases. The year I dug deeper into stoner, sludge, and doom. Dead Congregation’s was easily the best death metal release of the year for me, although it hurts a tad bit to not have favorites Autopsy in my top 13. Legendary Judas Priest’s release was big let down, great to see Opeth doing some mad shit, while Mastodon just erupted like a volcano. And Over Kill still showing the world why they can literally “own” while a ton of thrash bands from the 80s seem to fade year after year.
  1. Grand Magus – Triumph and Power
  2. Sanctuary – The Year The Sun Died
  3. Mastodon – Once More ‘Round The Sun
  4. Overkill – White Devil Armory
  5. Dead Congregation – Promulgation of the Fall
  6. Suicidal Angels – Divide And Conquer
  7. Skull Fist – Chasing The Dream
  8. Eyehategod – Eyehategod
  9. Agalloch – The Serpent and The Sphere
  10. Triptykon – Melana Chasmata
  11. Holy Moses – Redefined Mayhem
  12. Monolord – Empress Rising
  13. Crowbar – Symmetry In Black
 

Manaswi Gundi:

2014 was a year with too many highs, which is always a good thing. Truckfighters, Whitechapel, Exodus, Entombed AD. Whilst the albums were amazing, the live gigs I attended will have to be the highlight. Opeth, Red Fang, Hatebreed, Carcass and The Ocean were simply mind blowing live. Definitely a year worth remembering. My top 13 of 2014:
  1. Yob – Clearing the Path to Ascend
  2. Opeth – Pale Communion
  3. Obituary – Inked in Blood
  4. Mastodon – Once More Round the Sun
  5. Killer be Killed – Killer be Killed
  6. At the Gates – At War With Reality
  7. Animals As Leaders – Joy of Motion
  8. Anaal Nathrakh – Desideratum
  9. Devin Townsend Project – Ziltoid 2
  10. Slipknot – .5: The Gray Chapter
  11. Behemoth – The Satanist
  12. Cannibal Corpse – A Skeletal Domain
  13. Corrosion of Conformity – IX
 

Anand Bhaskar:

I’d like to say that my proclivities for the heavy metal genre were invoked by bands that boasted of a classic metal soundscape. However, as I expanded my scope of listening to other sub genres in metal, I came to like a lot of the modern sounding bands who borrowed influences from electronica, pop and in some cases even reggae. 2014 for one, has been one year that brought forth bands and albums that are consistently redefining the heavy metal landscape and pushing the boundaries set by their erstwhile contemporaries. There are many albums that I heard, but here are my top 13:
  1. Feed The Rhino – The Sorrow And The Sound
  2. Overkill – White Devil Armory
  3. Monuments – The Amanuensis
  4. Intervals – The Light Within
  5. Accept – Blind Rage
  6. Anathema – Distant Satellites
  7. Chaos – Violent Redemption
  8. Wolf – Devil Seed
  9. Slipknot – .5: The Grey Chapter
  10. Killer Be Killed – Killer Be Killed
  11. Insomnium – Shadows Of The Dying Sun
  12. Bhayanak Maut – Man
  13. Demonic Resurrection – The Demon King
 

Ishaan Kumar:

A year of several slumbering giants reawakening (At the Gates, Sanctuary, Bloodbath, Behemoth etc), new alliances being forged (Conquering Dystopia, Killer be Killed) and of course the year that Cannibal Corpse released an album that made it to my top 13! Also the year I attended Hellfest Open Air metal festival in France, the single most memorable event of my life till date.
 
  1. Behemoth – The Satanist
  2. Septicflesh – Titan
  3. Mors Principium Est – Dawn of the 5th Era
  4. Evergrey – Hymns for the Broken
  5. Bloodbath – Grand Morbid Funeral
  6. Cannibal Corpse – A Skeletal Domain
  7. Anaal Nathrakh – Desideratum
  8. At the Gates – At War with Reality
  9. Sabaton – Heroes
  10. Triptykon – Melana Chasmata
  11. Insomnium – Shadows of the Dying Sun
  12. Conquering Dystopia – Conquering Dystopia
  13. Wolf – Devil Seed

SHEPHERD heralds the ‘Stereolithic’ age with new track stream ‘Bog Slime’

After two years of writing, recording and performing, India’s premier sludge/heavy rock band Shepherd is ready with their mammoth debut album. Titled ‘Stereolithic Riffalocalypse’, it is slated to release on 7th March 2015. The album will be available for pre-order on 1st February 2015. To kick things off, fans can get a taste of the album here. Formed in 2011, Shepherd has been making waves in the underground, drawing influences from the guitar-driven sounds of early 90’s hard rock (Soundgarden, The Melvins, Eyehategod) and the aural assault of 80’s hardcore punk (Black Flag, Discharge, Fear). They have built a reputation for themselves as an ever-evolving and unpredictable heavy rock entity. Stereolithic Riffalocalypse has been recorded by Premik Jolly at Bangalore’s Area 51 Studio and mixed by Rahul Ranganath and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege, who has previously worked with the likes of YOB, Obituary and Oathbreaker. Album artwork by Sonali Zohra (Dangercat Studio). Shepherd is: Deepak Raghu – drums/vocals Namit Chauhan – guitars/vocals Abhishek Michael – bass/vocals Stereolithic Riffalocalypse tracklist: 1. Spite Pit 2. Turdspeak 3. Crook 4. Black Cock of Armageddon 5. Stereolithic Riffalocalypse 6. Bog Slime 7. Wretch Salad 8. Stalebait