Hear Kochi Metallers Prophets of Yahweh’s Crushing Debut ‘Oronodromozro’

Even by his own admission, vocalist-guitarist Jithin Peter says his band Prophets of Yahweh started in 2012 as “an ambitious project.” He’s not just talking about dealing with a revolving door of members joining and leaving the metallers in the last seven years (they’re currently on the lookout for a second guitarist), but also about the spiritual lyrics and aesthetic.

Peter says, “We saw metal bands come up with evil stuff but I went into theology and philosophy to come up with lyrics. We faced a lot of negative reviews from fans, but we did it for our own reasons – to be unique and stand out.” Their debut album, titled Oronodromozro (a word that the vocalist has coined), released in February and has expectedly earned a bit of following among Christian and spiritual metalheads alike. But Peter says they’re not a Christian metal band in any sense. “The word ‘Yahweh’ means ‘everything.’ People think we’re Jehovah’s Witnesses,” the frontman says with a laugh.

Oronodromozro refers to a holy spell, one that Peter says is cast to “trade bad for good” in the world. The songs on the eight-track album run from terrifying death metal cuts like “The Mighty March” to the visceral “WW3” and the chaotic “No More,” which was their first song written in 2012. “I was isolated in a room because I had chicken pox, that’s when I wrote this song,” Peter says. It’s undergone a bunch of changes since then, but Prophets of Yahweh are clear about not being defined by genres but “more about feeling,” according to Peter.

The metal band – which also comprises bassist Chris Martin and drummer Gokul V.G. and outgoing guitarist Robin Xavier – have understandably faced obstacles in getting booked for shows. “People don’t look beyond the band name. Once people hear the music, we don’t need anything else to convince them about,” says Peter. On the other hand, the band’s name has also drawn international buyers and listeners on Bandcamp. Peter adds, “Maybe they’re not so judgmental about music.” The interest is all organic, which has also led to show offers waiting for them in Russia, Ukraine and Israel. “I’m looking forward to pull that off,” says Peter.

Stream the album below. Buy the CD here.