Metal On the Horizon: Orphaned Land, Vader, Fountainhead and More Set to Tour India

Plenty of shows and spectacles are in store this month and next for metal fans in India, with the gig calendar looking as promising as ever in May and June. We take a look at the gigs to catch in May and June, featuring Indian and international heavy-hitters alike.

ShiRock 2023

Even as Manipur is in unrest, all signs indicate that the annual ShiRock International Music Festival is still slated to take place between May 17th and 20th. The lineup includes the return of Israeli metal band Orphaned Land, plus U.K.-based Bon Giovi (a tribute act to American rock veterans Bon Jovi), plus Bengaluru metallers Inner Sanctum, fusion-rock veterans Agni, funk-rock band GingerFeet and several more.

Get more details on ShiRock here.

Hexis

Copenhagen, Denmark’s metal act Hexis — who combine everything from black metal to sludge and hardcore — will make their India debut as part of their ongoing world tour. The enterprising band have played New Caledonia, New Zealand and Australia in April and are currently making their way through Asia. While four tentative India shows were announced initially, Hexis have so far been announced to perform at gig series Ouroboros in Guwahati on May 20th. Hexis, promoting their 2022 album Aeternum, are supported by Kolkata bands Good As Gross and Survival Through Sufferings.

Get details here.

Scarfest presents Freshblood

What the heck is a Meghadutt? It’s the Megadeth cover band taking the stage at metal gig promoters Scarfest’s new gig series Freshblood, taking place on June 4th in Mumbai. There’s also a Pune debut for the Scarfest, taking place on June 11th. The headliners at both shows are brutal death metallers Gutslit, but the goal with Freshblood is to highlight emerging metal bands such as Kill The King, Oblitera, Cladinshadows, Bloodkill and Splinter.

Get details here.

The Uprising ft Vader, Hate, Thy Disease

Described as a conglomerate “which aims at bringing and curating global art, events and tours” to India, the Indian Artists Collective start off with metal in Bengaluru (June 17th) and Mumbai (June 18th). The lineup includes the return of death metal stalwarts Vader, blackened death metal veterans Hate and industrial death metal band Thy Disease, all from Poland. They’ll be supported by Bengaluru metallers Inner Sanctum in both cities, making for a packed lineup.

Get details here.

Tom ‘Fountainhead’ Geldschläger

A formidable guitarist and producer who’s performed with the likes of Obscura, Defeated Sanity and even been part of Indian act Amogh Symphony, German artist Tom ‘Fountainhead’ Geldschläger is bringing his band to India from June 15th onwards, slated to perform in six cities, plus workshops. The shows announced so far include Dethfest on June 17th in Kolkata and Spectral Tendencies in Bengaluru on June 25th, where Gutslit are also launching their upcoming album, alongside thrash metallers Chaos and Darjeeling-origin tech-death band Obliterating Vortex. Other cities slated to be included on Fountainhead’s India tour include New Delhi, Shillong, Guwahati and Hyderabad. The artist said on Instagram, “It is with the greatest of pleasures that I’m anouncing my return to India, with the first-ever proper Fountainhead solo tour. I feel like I have been working towards this moment for my entire professional life and I can’t wait to see you on these upcoming shows.”

Get details here.

Find more gigs on our Gig Calendar.