It’s not just international metal bands that make a beeline for Bengaluru when it comes to playing live, it is also bands from across the country who like to put the city on their radar. In fact, one can say that Bengaluru is the metal capital of India for international metal bands as much as for national bands that come to visit.
The fifth edition of gig series Insurrection is on September 6. Organised by event management firm Sound Awake, led by Sangeeth Ram and Preetham Rao. While the gig was announced more than a month in advance, the organisers did have to deal with the setback of dropping Bengaluru doom band Djinn and Miskatonic just this past week, owing to logistical issues.
The organisers have enlisted upcoming heavy stoner/sludge and doom band Grim Mage to add to the extreme metal line-up, which includes six more bands from across the country.
Insurrection includes black metal band Solar Deity and symphonic black metal band Cosmic Infusion from Mumbai, Kolkata thrash metal band Armament, Jaipur death metal act Winter Gate, Hyderabad death metal act Escharified and local black metallers Antakrit. Keeping in tradition of what the regular metalhead likes, this is one old school black and death metal billing that will give fans, both old and new, varieties within the genre.
For Armament’s frontman Indranil Dasgupta, the Bengaluru crowd has been a very familiar crowd with lots of known faces. Dasgupta says about his third visit to the ‘fabled Metal Capital’: “We are pretty sure that it just gets bigger every time. The last time we were here was exactly a year back last September opening for German thrash metal band Destruction and other great acts from the Indian metal scene at the Bangalore Open Air 2014 and that visit was surely a heck of a memorable one.” Dasgupta agrees that there’s a little bit in common between Kolkata’s and Bengaluru’s liking for metal. “Metal is one of those genres which we felt always varied from one culture to another. Bangalore and Kolkata both have a flavour of their own in a very distinguishable style but of course it is heavy metal that binds us together as brothers.” The band is also ready with its new release First Strike , of which they released the single ‘Chaos Prevails’.
The band identifies itself as the four members of the apocalypse or armament with Dasgupta going under the moniker War and bassist Sayan Ray is Conquest. Drummer Subham Ghosh and guitarist Wrijul Dass are the newest members in the band, called Death and Famine respectively.
Insurrection also includes the return of Mumbai black metal band Solar Deity, who are often considered a studio-only project that wakes out of hibernation to perform live. For Solar Deity, who last played live in Hyderabad in May, it’s a rare outing. Including playing songs from their 2013 EP Devil Worship , the three-member band will also perform from their debut EP In the Name of Satan . Frontman Aditya Mehta says, while there are new songs brewing, they aren’t ready to play it live yet.
He’s looking forward to play in Bengaluru after nearly two years, and then go back to getting started on new material. Unlike the boys in Armament who are looking to go pub hopping around the city, Mehta says his stay in the city will be very short. He explains: “I can’t even stay for that long, because I have to take care of my cats.” As gruesome and intimidating as they might sound on stage, this should be telling of just about how normally functional metalheads are.
Insurrection 5 takes place at Pebble – The Jungle Lounge, Palace Ground. Tickets priced at Rs 400 available on Bookmyshow.com.
