Providence Resume Work on ‘Embodiment’

Providence guitarist Shezan Shaikh in Mumbai in May. Photo: Bobin James/Khachaak.com

A band that stays together, slays together. And although Mumbai metallers Providence have spent a lot of time deliberating, writing and scrapping material for their full-length album Embodiment for two years, guitarist (and regular hothead) Shezan Shaikh, co-guitarist Charan Singh Pathania and drummer Aaron Pinto are planning to move in together and begin pre-production in earnest on Embodiment.

Shaikh, who runs his own studio in Khar, Mumbai, says they’re taking up space in “one big massive room” above the studio with all their gear. With vocalist Karan Pote based in Pune and bassist Shrikanth Rao jokingly called a nomad, the guitarist lays out the plan saying, “We used to book out jam rooms four times a week and practice for hours on end, But now we have jobs. The plan is to write 10 hardcore heavy metal songs and ambient interludes, work on it for 15 to 20 days and finish it off.”

While the band had nearly finished writing video game/anime-influenced Embodiment and were even working on a song with American metallers Chimaira’s vocalist Mark Hunter, Shaikh says they realized “the songs were not working for us. They don’t belong on the album.” Compared to their debut Vanguard [2011], Shaikh says there are fewer breakdowns and longer solos and instrumental guitar sections. He adds, “We took the pacier side of Vanguard and built on that.”

They’ve been changing up essentials such as “Watch Them Fall,” infused with a trippy instrumental section at gigs, but Providence are finally roadtesting new material from Embodiment this week. Shaikh adds here that their 2014 single “Dante” doesn’t count. “We didn’t like that song, really. It’s undergoing reconstruction now,” the guitarist says.

The band will perform in Mumbai tomorrow as part of the fourth edition of Tribute to the Beast, held in memory of Mumbai bassist Vince Pereira (from metallers Prakalp and Atmosfear), who passed away in 2007. The lineup also includes brutal death metallers Gutslit (performing their first show with new vocalist Kaushal L.S.), Atmosfear, groove/thrash metallers Zygnema and alt rock/metal act Blakc.

Shaikh, who knew Pereira from the time spent together when they were both part of Atmosfear between 2006 and 2007, says, “I have a lot of stories with Vince to talk about and I’m glad this is finally happening.”

In addition to performing material from Vanguard, Providence will bring out two new songs, including “No Fucking Wei,” named after the protagonist of 2012 action game Sleeping Dogs. Plus, there’ll be a few covers. Shaikh says, “We thought ”˜Should we play a jump-the-fuck-up song?’ No, we’re playing a ”˜headbang-motherfuckers song’. At the end of the day, it’s about fun.”

Providence, Gutslit, Zygnema, Atmosfear and Blakc perform at Tribute to the Beast IV at Antisocial, Mumbai on October 16th, 2016. Entry: Rs 300. Event details here.