Gutslit Have Got ‘No Time To Die’ On Upcoming Seven-City Tour This Month
The Mumbai brutal death metallers have enlisted Bengaluru-based Ishwar Hariharan as a sessions guitarist
Gutslit with Ishwar Hariharan (second from right). Photo: Frank Pawar
One of India’s most unsparing live bands – brutal death metallers Gutslit – are reacquainting themselves with tour life after a long pandemic-enforced break. The Mumbai outfit will head out to seven cities as part of their No Time To Die Tour, kicking off on May 14th at Kolkata festival Moitree Concert III, followed by stops in Guwahati, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Thiruvananthapuram through June and July.
It’s not lost on Gutslit bassist Gurdip Singh Narang that their tour shares its name with the most recent James Bond movie. He was thinking more about the way the world is right now and its randomness, including the passing of his peers like guitarist Rajarshi Bhattacharyya and vocalist Nitin Rajan. “There’s no guarantee of life right now, especially during Covid. You don’t have time for anything… to plan meticulously for any long-term goals, things can just snap,” he says.
The tour name also reflects the kind of quick-thinking and acting that led to putting this run of shows together. Over the years, the bassist has often been the entrepreneurial brain behind pushing Gutslit on to nationwide and international tours as well. More than anything, Narang seems to be driven by the urge to be on stage and showcase their cut-throat style of metal. “There hasn’t been a single year in the last 15 years in which Gutslit hasn’t played a show. We got to play in early 2020 before the pandemic hit, played just before the second wave last year and this year, we’re back at it.”
That being said, this tour was originally slated for January, until the Omicron wave played havoc. But Narang says that putting the upcoming shows together happened really quickly. “We had losses to cover. One show led to another and we clubbed it all together. After posting a status [update on social media] announcing six cities, we got an offer to play in one more,” he says, referring to their forthcoming visit to Thiruvananthapuram, which will be their first time there.
The shows were all locked in within a week. “The whole excitement to get on stage again is overwhelming; we don’t care about how it comes about. Our merch and practicing and everything is happening. We’ve also been in the jam room all the time during the pandemic. We’re always ready to play a gig, even with a sudden line-up change,” he says.
The band is bringing in Bengaluru-based guitarist Ishwar Hariharan as a session artist for the No Time To Die Tour, following the unavailability of Vigneshkumar Venkatraman, who previously filled in for Gutslit’s original songwriter and guitarist Prateek Rajagopal. As it stands, the trio now has Narang, drummer Aaron Pinto and vocalist Aditya Barve. Hariharan will get on stage following regular jam sessions that Gutslit booked with the aim of getting a session guitarist. Speaking about the guitarist, Narang says, “He is a very hardworking guy. He’s a good guitarist, so I’m looking forward to seeing how it goes. I don’t know exactly how it’s going to be on the road for him, because we have to go over the protocol. We’re all helping him [figure out] how unpredictable it can get on the road.”
Gutslit will perform material from their previously released albums Skewered In The Sewer from 2013 and Amputheatre from 2017. “The setlist is the same, that’s something we have to stick with,” the bassist adds. It’s been about five years since the last record and Narang says they have the new album ready with their engineer. “Due to Covid, he had to push his timeframes,” the bassist adds. The album does feature Rajagopal, who has since moved to Los Angeles and is involved in writing music for the screen. Narang adds, “We want to play this new material only once it’s out. We’re not playing anything until [the album] is released.”
Gutslit No Time To Die Tour 2022
May 14th – Rabindra Bhavan, Kolkata – Moitree Concert III w/Severe Dementia, Chronic Xorn, Lakkhichhara and more (get tickets)
May 15th – Urban Mantra, Zoo Road, Guwahati w/Catatonic, Death on the Horizon
May 26th – antiSOCIAL, Mumbai – New World Order w/Swadesi (get tickets)
May 27th – antiSOCIAL, Pune – New World Order w/Swadesi (get tickets)
June 17th – TBA, Hyderabad – Aggressive Tendencies
June 18th – Fandom at Gilly’s Redefined, Bengaluru – Metal Massacre w/ Inner Sanctum, Amorphia, Mutiny and more (get tickets)
July 30th – TBA, Thiruvananthapuram
