Behemoth to Headline Deccan Rock 2016 in Hyderabad

Polish blackened death metal band Behemoth will make their India debut at Deccan Rock 2016 in Hyderabad. Photo: Maciej Boryna

They’ve been talking about it since 2009 ”“ and even had an unlucky turn that caused their 2012 show to be canceled ”“ but Polish blackened death metal band Behemoth are finally set to bring to their gnashing brand of music to India. One of the biggest extreme metal bands in the world, Behemoth will make their long-awaited India debut in Hyderabad, as part of the day-long metal festival Deccan Rock’s fourth edition on September 24th.

The band, who are led by vocalist-guitarist Adam Darski aka Nergal, released their 10th studio album The Satanist in 2014 and were originally slated to make their India debut after 2009’s Evangelion. In 2012, it was reported that the two-day Indian Music Conference would host Behemoth in Bengaluru but the event was initially postponed due to sponsor issues and then canceled. Organizers Orka Network’s showrunner Renu Rau says, “We have been in contact with Nergal for over two years now and unfortunately dates never worked but it finally worked this year and we couldn’t be happier about this.”

Behemoth headlines Deccan Rock festival’s fourth edition, alongside UK electro/tech-metal band Meta-Stasis as well as a heavy-hitter lineup of Indian bands. These include Bengaluru thrash/death metal band Inner Sanctum, Mumbai “stone-age” metallers Primitiv, Bhopal brutal death metal band Elemental, Hyderabad death metallers Godless and Pune metallers Dark Helm.

In operation since 2009, Deccan Rock has previously hosted the likes of Dutch prog metallers Textures and Swedish Viking metal band Amon Amarth [2009], Polish tech-death band Decapitated [2011] and most recently, French metallers Hacride [2013]. This year, the festival is selling a limited number of 1,200 tickets and even organizing a tree plantation drive at the show to raise awareness about protecting the environment, which Rau feels is ignored by lawmakers and politicians in India. Says Rau, “Metal music has always been about fighting the system and what better cause than this?”

Deccan Rock 2016 Lineup

Behemoth

Meta-Stasis

Inner Sanctum

Primitiv

Godless

Elemental

Dark Helm

Deccan Rock: The Fourth Edition takes place at Leonia Holistic Destination, Hyderabad on September 24th, 2016. Event details here.