Bhayanak Maut Get Bloody Disgusting

Vinay Venkatesh, R. Venkatraman, Ishaan Krishna, Rahul Hariharan, Aditya
Gopinathan, Sunneith Revankar (from left). Photo: Roycin D’Souza

[easyreview cat1title = Man cat1rating = 4 cat1detail = Self-released]

‘Man’ artwork by Kikyz1313

Bhayanak Maut [BM] don’t mince words and on their third album Man, the Mumbai metal band searches for beauty in destruction. From bestiality to the most perverse lot of murders, Man follows an overarching theme of creation, destruction and rebirth. Vocalist Vinay Venkatesh has previously left listeners squirming with his stories on death metal band Reptilian Death’s album The Dawn of Consummation and Emergence last year, but with his guttural twin and co-vocalist Sunneith Revankar, Man proves that they are masters of horror.

With their untitled second album out in 2009, they put a Rorschach blot on the cover and the cover of Man, which features graphic artwork by Mexican artist Kikyz1313, is a voyeuristic look at a kid who’s holding up a mangled, lifeless human head. After four years of no word and absolute secrecy when it came to their song and album concepts, listening to Man finally is also a voyeuristic experience with webisodes explaining each song’s themes and writing process. Man is also the band’s hardest album yet with stories about drowning children [“Bhayanak Maut”] and incest [“Princest”].

Sonically, there are sure signs of experience. They’ve shunned breakdowns, and found a crushing mix of heavy metal, death metal and groove metal that bears down on you with equally horrific intent as the artwork and stories. The 17-track album features a few interludes and stand-out songs such as live staples “I Am Man,” “All Glory to the Beard” and “Perfecting the Suture.” While Venkatesh and Revankar spar and swell on vocals, guitarists Aditya Gopinathan and R. Venkatraman aka Venky match them on riffs and solos. Bassist Ishaan Krishna, who joined the band in 2013, adds monster grooves while drummer Rahul Hariharan is like an atomic clock with his timing and structures. Man is a barrage of dirty, heavy riffs but the oddest and best of the lot is “XOXOXO,” not just for its tale of a perverted serial killer who targets cheerleaders, but for the grooviest lead section and a voice sample of cheerleaders chanting the song title.

With 17 tracks, Man is an intense, compelling listen with potential to turn into your favorite worst nightmare.

Key tracks: “XOXOXO,” “All Glory to the Beard,” “I Am Man”

Listen to a preview and buy Man over on Bhayanak Maut’s website.