Kryptos

Photograph by Prasad Bhat

Kryptos are among the vanguard of metal in the country and just the fact they’ve survived this long is testimony to their perseverance. A reason for their longevity is the amount of effort they put into pushing their music – that’s helped them gather a lot of national and international attention. As we all know, recording an album and expecting it to make the rounds among listeners is something that can’t happen without a certain push.

This is a band that really lives their music and it shows in everything, from their all-consuming love for beer to their hell-bent-for-leather costumes and stage act, which have complemented their growth.

Kryptos has also been a great influence on a lot of musicians and non-musicians in the country. They’re pretty much the pioneers of melodic metal in India. And they’ve also been an inspiration to a lot of us because they’ve been through some real bumpy rides – even outside of the difficulties that come with being a metal musician in the country – but they’ve always come out on top. It’s that the need to get somewhere with what they have, good material, professionalism, humility, adjustability and some good old metal that’s driven them from the start.

By Kishan Balaji of the Galeej Gurus