Back to the Global Grind: Five Metal Acts Touring Overseas this Year

As much as Indian metal bands strive to pack the house at shows on home ground, it’s been a steady realization for many of them that international frontiers are where they can really spread their wings.  

Like with any artist, the pandemic and its heavy travel restrictions sent a lot of touring plans for India’s heavy acts flying out of the window. Visas, and travel and accommodation bookings – all of it was perhaps considered burned and future moves were put on hold. However, the bridges built on previous tours have proved to be sturdy for India’s metal frontrunners and rising artists alike. With international travel guidelines much more open now, here are five bands who are returning to or debuting in new territories in Europe and North America in the coming months. Additionally, Visakhapatnam metallers Against Evil are also plotting a tour through Europe in August and September to support their album End of the Line and Bengaluru-based hard rock/heavy metal band Girish and The Chronicles will perform in Spain between July 7th and 8th. 

Bloodywood’s Nine Inch Naans tour of Europe and U.S. (August to October 2022) 

If Raj Against the Machine wasn’t eye-catching enough, New Delhi-based folk metallers Bloodywood announced their return to Europe and the U.S. as part of the Nine Inch Naans tour to even more hype. And rightly so, because the next few months will include some of the biggest stages for the band, who released their debut full-length album Rakshak earlier this year. First, they’re heading out to Europe between August 9th and August 21st, performing at Brutal Assault Festival in Czech Republic, Bloodstock Open Air in the U.K. and the Summerbreeze Festival in Germany. Right after, September and October will mark Bloodywood’s long-anticipated U.S. debut, one that was put off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Big-ticket appearances include Louder Than Life festival in Kentucky, the Gramercy Theater in New York and Aftershock Festival in California.  

Gutslit’s Brutality Unleashed tour in Europe (August and September 2022) 

Mumbai brutal death metallers Gutslit have been itching to get back to their favorite stomping grounds in Europe and their proverbial Butcher Shop is heading into a 23-date Brutality Unleashed tour, starting August 19th and ending September 10th. They will be joined by Germany metallers Stillbirth and New Zealand’s Organectomy for some slamming times. In addition to covering familiar ground in Czech Republic and Germany, Gutslit will perform in the U.K. as well for the first time. 

Project MishraM’s U.K. tour (July 2022) 

Bengaluru prog-fusion band Project MishraM – who released their debut full-length album Meso in early 2021 – are currently in the U.K. and returned to perform at Tech Fest this past weekend. Prior to the festival performance, the band also performed an intimate set at the Nehru Center in London, turning their grandiose, shapeshifting style of Carnatic-informed prog into something more journeying and quietened. There are seven more dates between July 4th and July 10th, making it a nonstop run of shows for the septet.  

Kryptos’ Nowhere To Run Europe tour (August to November 2022) 

Among the most seasoned Indian metal acts to notch up kilometers on the road in Europe, Bengaluru heavy metal veterans Kryptos will come back stronger than ever to Europe with their first-ever double-legged tour of that continent. Performing in 12 cities in Phase I between August 18th and September 3rd and in 19 cities in Phase II between October 20th and November 19th, there’s a month’s breather for the quartet, who released their most recent album Force of Danger in October last year. It stays true to Kryptos’ fist-pumping, chant-along style of heavy metal, crafted out of stories straight out of the Eighties.  

Systemhouse33’s The European Reborn tour (September to October 2022)  

Also among the regular Indian acts appearing in European and American touring circuits for a few years now, Mumbai-based metallers Systemhouse33 were among the first to head back on the road earlier in March 2022. Now, they’re doubling down following the release of their album Salvation in April, with a tour supporting Hungarian thrash metallers Ektomorf through Europe starting on September 22nd and ending on October 22nd. It’s a rigorous touring schedule for Systemhouse33, who will perform 28 shows with just a handful of days off in between.