2013

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Shashank Bhatnagar returns to Undying Inc.

After months of searching for a new vocalist, Undying Inc’s remaining members decided to bury their differences with former vocalist Shashank Bhatnagar. The Delhi band is now back to being a quartet and are writing new material for their forthcoming EP. The EP will be recorded at Keshav Dhar (Skyharbor)’s studio. About the reunion with Shashank, bass player Reuben Bhattacharya said: “We’re all a bunch of friends who just want to play metal. It’s not rocket science [to regroup]. There were good guys from across India [who auditioned to be vocalists], but in the end, there was the chemistry we had with Shashank.”

 

Blood & Iron release digital download for the new album

Heavy/power metal band Blood & Iron are back in a re-energized way with their third offering ‘Voices of Eternity’ which is now available for digital download from OK Listen’s website. The album took 2 years to make with Australian vocalist Giles Lavery taking up vocal duties, guest vocals from Youmni Abu Al-Zahab from Dubai-based band Ascendant and Vin Nair from Vin Sinners, also from Dubai. Albatross‘s now iconic bass player Riju Dasgupta provided guest bass on the song ‘Eternal Rites’.

Blood and Iron-Voices of Eternity

Headbangers India at Wacken Open Air 2013

Yes, that’s right! Headbangers India are official press partners for the legendary Wacken Open Air 2013 in Germany, where we will not only cover the event for our fans in India but also support our country mates Devoid and Kryptos as they rain hell over Germany.

The 24th edition of WOA features Alice Cooper, Deep Purple, Rammstein, Soilwork, Lamb of God, Devildriver and a host of other legendary bands at a 5 day long metal pilgrimage.

Eccentric Pendulum release new material rehearsal footage

Bangalore’s progressive metal commanders Eccentric Pendulum have released a video shot during their rehearsals of a new song ‘Tellurian Concepts’. The video shows guitar player Arjun Mulky and drummer Vibhas jamming to the song and you can view the video right here:

 

 

Blood & Iron release promo for new album

Blood & Iron, the heavy/power metal band originally from Chennai, are all set to unleash the third album ‘Voices of Eternity’ on heavy metal fans all over the world. They have released a promo containing snippets from 5 of their songs off the album. The new line-up of the band is:

Vikram Bains- guitars

Praveen Kumar- drums

Ashish Shetty- guitars,bass

The album features vocalist Giles Lavery from Australian power metal band Dragonsclaw, and guest bass by Riju ‘Dr Hex’ Dasgupta from Albatross, among others. Listen to the promo right here:

Santosh Lobo passes away

The man who started the idea of uniting Indian metal fans and bands under one umbrella on the internet, the man behind IndianRockMP3, Santhosh Lobo, is dead. He had been battling rectal cancer for a long time. He will always be remembered as a funny, sarcastic and all-round cheerful man. He always had critiques and solutions to improve the Indian rock and metal scene, he always bought music and merch and was one of the bands’ biggest supporters. Few people have done or will ever do as immense a service to the Indian metal scene. In a way, he was responsible for making it what it is now.

Everyone at Headbangers India is immensely saddened by this loss and we would like to extend our sincere condolences to his family and loved ones. The least we and everyone else at the scene can do now is to not suck at what we are doing. Do it for Santosh Lobo. Be happy friend, wherever you are.

Skyharbor to support Tesseract on Russian tour

Delhi’s progressive metal/djent band Skyharbor will be joining Tesseract during the Russian leg of the band’s ‘Altered State’ tour. Also accompanying them will be Monuments, who played in India earlier this year. This would not be the first time Tesseract and Skyharbor have shared the stage together though, being slated to do so at Tech Fest this year, in the UK. Ironically enough, Skyharbor’s current vocalist Daniel Tompkins used to be the frontman for Tesseract not too long ago. Please see the poster and do visit the bands’ pages on Facebook for more details. From Headbangers India’s side, a huge congratulations to Keshav Dhar and co for yet another landmark achievement in 2013 alone!

Tesseract Altered State tour poster

Albatross announces Australian Tour

Mumbai’s horror metal quintet Albatross announced the ‘Wings Down Under Australian Tour 2013’,  a tour that sees the band play in 3 different cities across Australia in October. This tour will be in support of their latest split EP ‘The Kissing Flies’ and will be made available at all 3 shows. The tour is being made possible by Aussie event management company Dominus Entertainment, headed by Australian power metal band Lord’s Andy Dowling. This will be Albatross’s first venture outside of India and from all of us at Headbangers India, we wish to see them make the Aussies kiss flies.

albatross-wingsDownUnder-poster

Blind Image to play Metal Asylum Fest, Dubai

Blind Image has just announced that they will be playing at the Metal Asylum Festival in Dubai sometime this November 2013.

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.

Fragarak release ‘Crypts of Dissimulation’

New Delhi-based progressive death metal band Fragarak have released their debut full-length album ‘Crypts of Dissimulation’ today, as a digital release for the moment. The album is a 6-track collection of a very progressive approach to death metal. The album has been mixed and mastered at C6 Studios, owned by 1833 AD guitarist Rahul Mehalwal. The artwork has been done by Ankit Sinha. Listen to it streaming in its entirety HERE.

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