Abraxas Return with New Single “Deviation”

Abraxas. Photo: courtesy of the band.

After a year of no gigs and no releases, Pune metal band Abraxas have roped in new members and are back in the game with a fresh single, “Deviation.” Guitarist Abhimanyu Singh Negi jokes that they are now thinking of calling their upcoming full-length album The Curse,considering the time they spent on it, the lineup changes they suffered and lost out on gigs in the process. Last week, Abraxas played their first show in Mumbai after a gap of two years [their last one was at the Rolling Stone Metal Awards in 2012] at gig series Grand Mammoth Festival and went on to play their first Pune show in three years.

Negi admits that 2013 was an “unproductive year” for the band, while members took time off to concentrate on personal commitments and vocalist Karan Pote was a part of Mumbai groove/thrash metal band Providence until mid-2013. While drummer Naman Sachdev parted ways with the band in October 2012 to pursue business administration in Delhi, guitarist Vinay Joseph left later that year due to personal commitments. It was only this year that Abraxas shifted gears and recruited drummer Harshvardhan Gore [from Pune thrash metallers Anarchy] and guitarist Tiasunep Aier, and began recording material for their upcoming full-length album earlier this year at Ethereal Tracks Studio and Tonehenge Studio in Pune. Abraxas gave fans a taste of their all-new lineup with the single “Deviation,” which was written in 2009 and released last week. Says Pote about finding new members, “Truth be told, we have been scouting for potential members since the last six months and we tried a couple musicians to fill the spots. Harsh [Gore] was auditioned in July and he made an impression on day one.” Negi adds that they first found a guitarist and graphic designer in Nungsung Shinobi Lemtur earlier this year, but Nungsung passed the opportunity on to his roommate and fellow graphic designer Tiasunep Aier, who has added solos on “Deviation.” However, the band has retained Nungsung as their graphic designer, who is currently working on the band’s album art.

For now, the band is working on their full-length album, which does involve re-recording guitar tracks on at least four tracks, according to Negi. While they played consecutive gigs in Mumbai and Pune, Abraxas perform at a pre-gig to the BIG69 metal festival in Indore, followed by a set in Bhopal. Says Pote, “Making up for lost time is our motto and we’re doing everything, from effectively being active within the scene on the live front to having our own brand of merchandise available. That’s where the bands’ immediate plans lie.” Negi adds that unlike 2013, “I’m pretty kicked for the year ahead.”

Abraxas perform at the BIG69 Pre-gig powered by Fest 666 on December 27th, 2014 at Jamroom, Indore, alongside Providence, Elemental, KillKount and Zero Gravity. Entry: Rs 150. Event details here.

Abraxas also performs at the Great Bhopali Festival on December 28th, 2014 at 10 No. Community Hall, Bhopal. Entry: Rs 100. Event details here.

Listen to “Deviation” here