Four International Underground Metal Bands To Perform At Trendslaughter Fest

Singapore black metal band Impiety perform at Trendslaughter Fest IV.

Compared to upcoming bands that were lined up to play at last year’s metal festival Trendslaughter, this year the festival has cast a net wide enough to host four international metal bands, including Singapore black metal band Impiety, who will headline the show in Bengaluru.

The fourth edition of Trendslaughter Fest (TSF) also includes three bands from the subcontinent ”“ Bangladesh death/thrash metal band Orator, Nepal death metallers Ugra Karma, Sri Lankan black metal band Serpents Athirst ”“ Kolkata death metal band Necrodeity and Bengaluru doom/death metal band Dying Embrace. Says head organizer Sandesh Shenoy, who also runs event production company and record label Cyclopean Eye, “It [the lineup] is a sort of a showcase of the finest acts to both fans and the bands as well. It is also a great way of introducing each other to the extreme metal scenes from their respective countries.”

Headlining band Impiety, who formed in 1990, make their India debut at Trendslaughter. The Singapore-based band’s bassist-vocalist Mohammad Abdul Ariffen Deen aka Shyaithan says the experience will be an eye opener. Says Shaiyathan, “I think Vik [frontman Vikram Bhat] from Dying Embrace and Sandesh [Shenoy] will show us around and educate us with more knowledge on history, culture, the South Asian metal/music movement.” The bassist says Asia currently has the “hungriest audience” for metal, but doesn’t feel popularity would affect an underground metal band such as Impiety. Says Shyaithan, “We will never succumb to the weakness of popularity, and I honestly don’t care for such things.”

Trendslaughter also marks the return of death/thrash metal band Orator to India, who performed at the first edition of TSF in 2011. Says frontman Amit Skullbearer, “We have new songs to perform and more experience. I am sure many comrades are looking forward to it.” Orator’s released their debut album Kapalgnosis in February last year. The album’s release was followed by shows in Kuala Lumpur and Dhaka. In May this year, Orator will also perform at the three-day Maryland Deathfest in the US.

Local metal veterans Dying Embrace, who reunited in 2011, are also slated to perform from their split CD Through Corridors of Dead Centuries with Pakistani doom metal band Dusk. Four tracks by Dying Embrace off the split CD will be the band’s first new material recorded in over a decade. Says vocalist Vikram Bhat, who is also a TSF co-organizer, “The songs still have that old atmosphere to them, but it’s still up to date with the extreme metal scene.”

Trendslaughter Fest IV lineup

Impiety

Orator

Ugra Karma

Serpents Athirst

Dying Embrace

Necrodeity

Trendslaughter Fest IV takes place on February 1st, 2014 at No Limmits, Bengaluru. Entry: Rs 1,200 [early bird tickets available here] and Rs 1,500 [at the gate]. Event details here.