Scribe’s Grand Salute to Bollywood

Scribe. Photo: Avni Murthy

[easyreview cat1title = “Hail Mogambo” cat1rating = 4 cat1detail = Self-released]

‘Hail Mogambo’ album artwork

What else do you need when you’ve got vocalist Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy, rapper, beatboxer and growler, all in one? The frontman of the Mumbai hardcore band is the voice of pure madness on their third album, Hail Mogambo, which throws together plots from Bollywood movies such as Mr. India, chaotic metal riffs, and cinematic synth.

Krishnamoorthy’s vocal theatrics have been on display ever since their 2006 debut EP Have Hard. Will Core, mimicking actor Amitabh Bachchan on “Bookie Love Song,” and then singing “Roop Suhana Lagta Hai” from 1994 Hindi film The Gentleman on “Ate A Banana,” off their 2008 album Confect and famously speed-narrating food recipes on “I Love You, Pav Bhaji,” from their 2010 album Mark of Teja. On Hail Mogambo, the vocalist takes off, starting from “Calendar Khana Lao,” throwing in a bit of Malayalam, rapping too fast to decipher on “Cops Cops (Cops Cops),” but shining through on “Black Diamond,” going from clean to mean to doing multiple voices. Becoming a little self-aware, Krishnamoorthy even goes into a Hindustani classical vocal harmony on “The Fumanchurian,” coughing at the end of his attempt.

Guitarists Prashant Shah and Akshay Rajpurohit have outdone themselves on the album. Rajpurohit opens “Hail,” with some regal synth lines and adds an atmospheric intro to the brutal “Ha Ha! We Are Poor!” Along with bassist Srinivas Sunderrajan and drummer Virendra Kaith, Scribe’s music is as unpredictable as it is ingenious, going into a swing, acoustic guitar part on “Tomato Aryabhatta.”

Hail Mogambo continues Scribe’s unmatched brand of dance-heavy, breakneck riffs, crushing breakdowns. The album is proof that Scribe remains to be India’s most radical metal band.

Key tracks: “Calendar Khana Lao,” “Cops Cops (Cops Cops),” “Black Diamond”

Scribe, Dark Circle Factory perform at Blue Frog, Pune on October 15th and at Blue Frog, Mumbai on October 16th. Entry: free. 

Listen to “Cops Cops (Cops Cops)” here. Buy Hail Mogambo on OKListen.