Cheisrah Play Decibels 2013 at IIT Madras

Photo: Deepak Hegde/RJ Photography

If the band name’s stumped you, drummer Amarjeet Karam simplifies things. The Bengaluru metalcore band’s name is pronounced chay-is-rah and is taken from a character in Manipuri folklore. Consisting of members from north east India who are now based in Bengaluru, Cheisrah started out in May 2011 in order to make “very groovy music with inputs from progressive elements and djent techniques,” according to Karam.

Since work commitments prevented them for traveling to Kohima to take part in the Hornbill National Rock Contest last month, the band looks forward to competing against 15 bands to open for UK prog metal band Anathema at IIT Madras’s band competition Decibels this year. Their set for the gig will include songs such as “AFSPA,” “Buried Between The Lies,” “When Shadows Left Apart” and a cover of either Australian metalcore band, Parkway Drive’s “Deliver Me” or “Back Burner” by American metallers August Burns Red.

The band is also busy writing songs for their yet-to-be-titled debut full length album, due in July. “We’re looking at nine or ten tracks, including our first single ”˜To The Subliminal’,” says Karam, adding, “We’re composing now, and in the next two months we’ll be tracking instruments at home. After that we’ve got our hopes pinned on getting it mastered in the UK.”

Cheisrah’s music draws from political issues, especially on tracks such as “AFSPA,” named after the controversial Indian legislation granting special authority to the Indian army and “To The Subliminal,” which deals with human rights. But Karam says, “It’s not always about that [politics]. We’re writing songs that also look at the brighter side of life and we’re not always writing sad songs.”

After competing at Decibels 2013 at IIT Madras, the band will perform Hard Rock Café, Bengaluru in the first week of February, alongside fellow metalcore band Final Surrender.

Cheisrah play at Decibels 2013 at IIT Madras as part of Saarang 2013 on January 12th, 2013 from 10.40am. Entry free.

Decibels finale takes place from 6pm at Open Air Theatre, IIT Madras. Tickets at Rs 400, Rs 600 and Rs 1,000 are available here.