Durance of Hate Tour Resumes This Week

Since 2016, the Durance of Hate tour has been bringing metal bands to cities they’ve never performed in before, courtesy of event and artist company Proximity Music Management. Following the likes of New Delhi extreme metallers High Frequency (2016) and death metal band Killchain (2017), the third edition of Durance of Hate tour kicked off on October 25th in Hyderabad, followed by a show in Chennai on October 26th.

Tonight, Mumbai death metal band Atmosfear, fellow metallers Darkrypt and Hyderabad thrash/death band Hostilian will perform in New Delhi. They’ll later head to Kochi (November 16th) and close on home ground in Mumbai on November 24th.

Although Atmosfear have been around for more than a decade, this will be their debut gig in the capital. Frontman Bruce McKoy recounts that they’ve played in Chennai and Kochi too, but it was too long ago. The trio released their long-awaited self-titled debut album in 2017 but McKoy says the Durance of Hate tour is their first shot at a promo run of shows in different cities. The frontman adds, “Trying to get shows outside Bombay has been a challenge for us. A lot of things you can factor in to it – like the availability of venues and feasibility of shows. Plus you need someone to take up the mehnat (effort) of hosting the shows. We need those kind of people.”

For the tour, Atmosfear’s drummer Mayank Sharma will be replaced by Aaron Pinto (from death metallers Gutslit and metal act Providence). McKoy adds, “Set wise, it’s going to be the songs on the debut album. We’ve had a month and a half or so for Aaron to pickup the songs, which was quite challenging. He knows the songs in and out now. Intensity wise, it’s going to be great.”

Elsewhere on the billing, Darkrypt – who were part of the 2017 Durance of Hate tour as well – are also working with a different lineup. They have veteran growler Nitin Rajan (from Mumbai metallers Primitiv) helming vocals and bassist Sushant Yadav (from metallers Wrath) to complete the band. Hostilian, for their part, are promoting their 2019 EP Catalyst, which released early this year. The band said in a statement, “After receiving great feedback from the people who’ve watched us live in Hyderabad and Mumbai, we’re stoked to be able to play in front of people from different cities and scenes. This Tour would help us channel out our style of thrash/ death groove to metalheads across cities.”

Durance of Hate tour w/Atmosfear, Darkrypt and Hostilian

October 25th – The Moonshine Project, Hyderabad

October 26th – Unwind Center, Chennai

November 7th – I&I Sessions at Raasta, Green Park, New Delhi

November 16th – Plug N Play, Kochi

November 24th – Blackblood at Above the Habitat, Mumbai (w/Stark Denial)