New Music: From Mumbai Heavy Metal to Pune Ambient-Djent

“Children of the Cloud” by Albatross

Albatross live at BIG69 Festival in Mumbai in January. Photo: Prashin Jagger

Mumbai heavy metal band Albatross tested the waters with the first song off their upcoming album Fear From the Skies, by streaming “Jugglehead the Clown” last week. With pre-orders rolling out on underground metal label Transcending Obscurity India [pre-order the album here], the band just released their second single, “Children of the Cloud.” Compared to their previous material, including the debut EP Dinner Is You and The Kissing Flies, “Children of the Cloud” is more polished than most traditional heavy metal, with vocalist Biprorshee Das upping his range, growling, snarling and mimicking through over six minutes of the new direction Albatross has taken.

 

 “Break Me” by Beyond Manic

Artwork for “Break Me” by Beyond Manic

In late 2013, Prasad Bhat, former frontman of Bengaluru metallers Extinct Reflections, and guitarist Deepankar Bajpeyi got together for an impromptu jam session and formed the industrial band Beyond Manic. While producer-guitarist Madhav Ayachit [from Bengaluru thrash metallers Theorized] was part of the band’s first two singles “Zee Horror Show” and “Sadma” in 2014, Beyond Manic has returned to being a two-member studio-only project with their slow-burn classic industrial rock with their third single “Break Me,”which was produced by Bengaluru’s Faheemul Hasan [from electronic music duo Klypp].

 

 “Realms of Oblivion” by Inner Sanctum

Bengaluru metallers Inner Sanctum. Photo: Abhimanyu Ghoshal

We’ve already told you about the stomp fest that is Bengaluru thrash/death metal band Inner Sanctum’s debut album Legions Awake, and the band is now slowly giving fans a chance to listen to their first new studio material in five years, following their 2009 debut EP Provenance. Check out the heavy and relentless “Realms of Oblivion.”

 

 Prose Edda by A Scarlet Dress

Sushant Vohra aka A Scarlet Dress. Photo: Courtesy of the artist

Pune-based guitarist Sushant Vohra could have just been one of those bedroom producers who are spread across the world, trying to make a mark in the already-saturated modern prog metal scene, but his solo project A Scarlet Dress’s new EP, Prose Edda, is refreshing. It’s got the right mix of short, light tracks like “Dawn” and “Enfold” set right next to heavy hitters such as “Overnight,” featuring American vocalist Michael Rodriguez. The EP also contains female vocals-led tracks that Vohra released in 2014, including the catchy “Pulse” featuring Nitika Kumar and French guitarist-composer Thessa aka Alistair Bgt.

 

 “Taven Tails” by Ragnhild

Ragnhild – Shardul Bapat, Devashish Goel, Rohit Jalgaonkar, Ajinkya Bhingardive, Shardul Kadam and Rahul Dhake (from left). Photo: Jeena Haoladar and Pratik Wadekar

If it’s been a while since you remembered how traditional and folky heavy metal used to be, from the likes of Swiss metallers Eluveitie or the early work of Scottish band Alestorm, then you’ll feel familiarity kicking in when you hear Pune death metallers Ragnhild. Although it’s difficult to wrap your head around why a Pune band would be influenced by pagan and Viking themes, there’s a good amount of guitar work that keeps Ragnhild rooted on their new single “Taven Tales.”