New Music: Mumbai Thrash Metal to Bengaluru Synthwave and More

“The Ancient In Me” by Homebrewed Universe

Off Hyderabad-based instrumental rock artist’s new album Anima Stigmata, composer and guitarist Arka Sengupta aka Homebrewed Universe turns to orchestral arrangements layered over lightheaded synth. Sengupta also throws in cascading guitar leads to create a sort of interstellar rollercoaster ride. While Sengupta also crafts post-rock under the moniker Mixtaped Monk, this project is clearly all about taking listeners on a trip, psychedelic visuals included.

The Order of Genocide EP by Sabotage

Mumbai-based thrash metallers Sabotage bring their unsparing, pissed off best to the table on their debut EP The Order of Genocide. It’s thrash metal that’s polished up (by Moin Farooqui at Soundspace Studios and Keshav Dhar at Illusion Audio Productions) to sound fairly cut-throat. The guitar riffs on songs like the title track and “Failed Is The Law” bear the grittiness of a rusty chainsaw, while “Bloodthirst” is about as old-school as it gets. The Order of Genocide concerns itself with familiar themes of war, death and injustice, but the rattling “Public Enemy,” however takes aim square and straight at India’s violent past (and present) over religion and caste.

“Aaina” by Catastrophic Disintegration

Formed in 2012 in Ambernath, alternative rock band Catastrophic Disintegration call on producer-vocalist Kaushik Ramachandran (from fusion/prog band Paradigm Shift) to lend his distinct emotive vocals to their new song “Aaina.” Supported by prog rock riffs and seemingly Indian classical-informed guitar leads, the video – directed by filmmaker Tushar Gaware – narrates a poignant story about how a family is torn apart by the loss of a young man in the armed forces.

“Comatose” by Infestation

After about a year of supporting metal frontrunners such as Gutslit, Godless and Plague Throat at gigs in Mumbai and Kochi, Nagpur metallers Infestation have released their second single “Comatose.” They bring together slugging riffs heavy on the grooves, death metal and thrash metal influences and a reliable amount of intensity.

Inception by Popcorn Kid

Bengaluru-based drummer and producer Nikhil Narayan made his synthwave debut as Popcorn Kid in December last year, when he released his first album Newness. Now, he turns up the rock and metal influences with the nostalgic electronic sound on his second full-length Inception. There’s blazing solos and riffs set alongside bumping beats and shimmering, hypnotic synth work on songs like “Afterhours” and “Battle 8055,” while “Absynth Minded” and “Inertia” evoke a cinematic sound.