Album Review: Coshish ”“ Firdous

Hindi prog/alt rock band Coshish. Photo: Bharath Chandrasekar

[easyreview cat1title = Firdous cat1rating = 3.5]

Firdous Album Art

It’s been more than a year in the wait, prompting fans of Mumbai progressive rock band Coshish to even make a ”˜Hitler Reacts’ video about the delay of their debut album. Firdous,  is finally out  and the 10-track album is as much about the music as it is about the artwork.

The band, comprising drummer Hamza Kazi, vocalist-guitarist Mangesh Gandhi, lead guitarist Shrikant Sreenivasan and bassist Anish Nair, finished recording the album in early 2012. The result is a complex, multi-layered album that attempts to match up to definitive prog rock albums like Lateralus by American prog metal band, Tool. The album conveys the story of a man who takes a journey to attain nirvana. Like in Lateralus, there are hidden passages and hints in Firdous’s  artwork, which when pieced together offer an alternate mode of listening to the album as if it were one long, seamless track.

But on first listen, even when listeners are yet to crack the clues, there’s enough in there for alt rock fans who like the occasional sing-along and progressive rock fans who like to count the off-beat time signatures and heavy riffs. Coshish aims to please both crowds with the album ”“ from the half-dark, half-hopeful “Raaste” to the radio pop rock “Coshish.”

The production is flawless, which only makes it easier to appreciate individual parts better, which have also been delivered effortlessly. Tracks like “Woh Kho Gaye,” where every solo and instrumental movement is a standout piece of music are what make the debut an exceptional effort. “Maya” remains most memorable for being catchy as well as technically proficient. Coshish go all-out prog on the instrumental closer “Mukti,” an eight-minute mammoth mix with a tip of the hat to bands like Tool and Porcupine Tree.

Firdous needs to be heard by rock fans that usually dismiss music just because the songs are in Hindi. Coshish is among the first bands to prove that singing in Hindi isn’t limited to any genre or any lyrical themes. 

Listen to a promo sampler of Firdous here. Buy the album on iTunes or Landmark.