Domination ”“ The Deathfest V Full Lineup Announcement

Death grind band Gutslit will perform at the metal festival. Photo: Ashish Kamble

At a time when underground metal barely sees one gig a month [the last one was, surprisingly, at the city’s well-known Blue Frog in January], the revival of a metal festival which last took place in 2003 comes as good news to metal bands and fans of genre.

Featuring old favorites such as brutal death metal band Exhumation along with upcoming bands such as progressive metal band Orion and death grind band Gutslit, the fifth edition of Domination ”“ the Deathfest is slated to take place in Mumbai on March 10th. Other bands on the lineup include Bengaluru black/thrash metal band Witchgoat, Guwahati blackened death metal band Insane Prophecy and groove/death metal band Atmosfear. “There’s also an opening band I don’t want to reveal because the band has asked me not,” says Nitin Rajan, co-founder of the festival.

With help from Riju Dasgupta, bassist with heavy metal band Albatross, Rajan is co-organizing the “genuine underground” metal festival, which was started in 2000 with his then bandmates from death metal band Morticide.

In June 2000, the first extreme metal festival took place at the lawns outside Razzberry Rhinoceros at Juhu Hotel. The lineup included Morticide, Bengaluru old school metallers Kryptos and Chennai death metal Blasphemy among others. “We created a platform for people like us,” says Rajan, adding that there were no metal gigs at that time, apart from Thursday nights at Razz Rhino, where one metal band played every week. This time around, Hotel 21 in Thane is hosting Domination ”“ the Deathfest.

After 2003, when Rajan’s core team of organizers left the country, he could no longer continue running the festival. However, Rajan says Domination ”“ The Deathfest will be annual affair from now on. “I want to keep it really underground [with the lineup] and not make it too fancy. I’m not looking at it from a profit perspective or to make it a big festival, but just keep it going every year. Next year, it could be a two-day fest,” says Rajan.

Domination ”“ The Deathfest V

 

Exhumation

Insane Prophecy

Witchgoat

Gutslit

Atmosfear

Orion

[Surprise opening band]

Domination ”“ The Deathfest V will take place at Hotel 21, Thane on March 10th, 2013, 3.30pm onward. Entry Rs 250. Event details here.