Skyharbor Make A Clean Sweep at the Rolling Stone Metal Awards 2013

Skyharbor guitarist Keshav Dhar. Photo: Prashin Jagger

The fourth edition of Rolling Stone Metal Awards left no doubt about metal allegiances across the country. Delhi prog metallers Skyharbor took home eight of the 13 awards given away at a packed night at Blue Frog, Mumbai. 

RSMA 2013 honored and celebrated the upcoming and best in Indian metal, with three nominees performing at the event, including Guwahati metallers Rectified Spirit, Delhi black metal band 1833 AD and Mumbai thrash metallers Devoid. Both Rectified Spirit and 1833 AD’s performance showcased metal that was diverse, with Rectified Spirit powering through their 30-minute set with clockwork-tech metal drumming from Nishant Hagjer set to a vocal range from Rainjong Lepcha.

1833 AD showed off how black metal was more than just blast beats with harsh vocals. The band, which snagged the Best Album Artwork award for their debut full-length album, My Dark Symphony, went up on stage soon after Rectified Spirit, opening their set with “Who Will Kill The Emperor?” that instantly fired up the moshpit.

Devoid further fuelled the moshpit with their hour-long set, which was dedicated to Indianrockmp3 founder Santosh Lobo, who succumbed to cancer last week. Devoid’s swift, intense, no-holds-barred thrash metal extended from the band’s new material from The Invasion EP to songs such as “Battle Cry” and “The Beer Song” from their full-length album, A God’s Lie. The band closed their set with “The Grand Design,” a track they dedicated to the recently deceased Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman.

The show eclipsed when headlining act Scribe took to stage. The Mumbai hardcore band had the crowd do their bidding all through their set ”“ wall-of-deaths, circle pits, stage dives ”“ the evening belonged to the band that took to stage in Mumbai after two years. Scribe’s 45-minute set comprising new material such as “Cops Cops Cops” and “Calendar Khana Lao,” a whacky, hardcore-goes-pop cover of Justin Timberlake’s “What Goes Around”¦ Comes Around” and set regulars such as “1234 Dracula,” “I Love You, Pav Bhaji” and “Buddy,” ensured that no number of encores would have been enough to send the audience home.

Rolling Stone Metal Awards 2013 Winners List:

Best Band: Skyharbor

Best Album: Blinding White Noise: Illusion & Chaos (Skyharbor)

Best Song: “Illusion: Dots” (Skyharbor)

Best Band (Popular Choice): Skyharbor

Best Album (Popular Choice): Blinding White Noise: Illusion & Chaos (Skyharbor)

Best Song (Popular Choice): “Illusion: Dots” (Skyharbor)

Best Vocalist: Akhil Unnikrishnan (Heretic)

Best Guitarist: Keshav Dhar (Skyharbor)

Best Drummer: Shubham Kumar (Devoid)

Best Bassist: Nikhil Rufus Raj (Skyharbor)

Best Keyboardist: Pretom Boro (Tick’s Talk)

Best Album Art: Reuben Bhattacharya (1833 AD ”“ My Dark Symphony)

Best Emerging Band: Bevar Sea