Kolkata Gets A Dose Of Old School Metal With Forged in Fire

Thrash metal band Mortar. Photo: Anirban Mukhopadhyay

Kolkata’s metal scene has been steadily growing over the past three years, thanks to budding gig planners in the city. Forged in Fire, a metal gig, taking place on February 9th in Kolkata, is a result of a tie-up between Metalbase India and Kolkata Old School Metal Association [now you know it exists]. The gig will see four Kolkata bands ”“ thrash metal band Mortar, death metal bands Mortuary and Dead Veneration, thrash metal band Armament, heavy metal supergroup Steelbird ”“ and death metal band Apotheosis from Jalandhar. Kolkata death metal band Purgation Inc was dropped from the lineup last week.

Metalbase India, who brought British metal act Cypher16 to Kolkata in October last year, have been in talks with the Kolkata Old School Metal Association for the past four months. “There was no point in working separately, so once one of the bands had an EP ready, it made sense to organize a gig,” says Metalbase India’s Sandipto Ganguly, who adds that there might be another old school metal gig lined up at the end of the year.

Mortar will launch their debut four-track EP Ground Zero at Forged in Fire. The band, who are yet to recruit a bassist, will get members of fellow thrashers Armament to take turns playing bass at the gig. Guitarist Samrat Das, who also recorded bass on Ground Zero, says “This is just our third gig, and our first gig with our new drummer. We don’t get sponsors for regular gigs around here, forget old school metal gigs.” Mortar will first join members of Armament to perform as classic heavy metallers, Steelbird, and then play their 40-minute set, which will include their EP in its entirety and a cover of “Hellbent For Leather” by Judas Priest.

Mortar, Steelbird, Apotheosis, Dead Veneration and Armament play as part of Forged in Fire at Ar Han Thai Restaurant, Esplanade, Kolkata on February 9th, 2013. Entry Rs 100. Event details here.

 

Listen to the track “Ground Reality” from Mortar’s debut EP Ground Zero here