Solar Deity Releases New EP

Aditya Mehta and Animesh Das from Solar Deity. Photo: Sanath Kumar BS

The ideal time to release an album is 6:45 am on a Sunday morning, according to Aditya Mehta, vocalist and guitarist with black metal band Solar Deity, who released their third EP, Devil Worship, on September 1st at the given time. Say Mehta, “Plus, because we’re called Solar Deity, I like doing stuff on Sundays. I just prefer publishing it on the blog and then go chill on the beach or something.” Fittingly, the Mumbai-based three-piece band will also perform tracks from Devil Worship on a Sunday, at the annual metal series Metal At the Tavern on September 8th in Mumbai.

Formed in 2011 by Mehta, who is also part of brutal death metallers Exhumation, Solar Deity largely remained a studio project until their stage debut at Bengaluru’s Trendslaughter Fest III in February this year. Following up their two EPs [The Darkness of Being and In the Name of Satan] from last year, Devil Worship is the band’s third release and the second in the ”˜Satan’ trilogy of albums. Says Mehta, “It’s just about the devil, really.” Recorded last month at Demonic Resurrection bassist Ashwin Shriyan’s Mindmap studio in Mumbai, the three-track Devil has also been mastered by DR guitarist Daniel Rego.

While Solar Deity has been quick to release two EPs in one year, Devil Worship had its obstacles. Last month, the band’s drummer Yash Pathak was asked to leave the band and guitarist Akash Shah left during the recording of Devil Worship. Mehta adds that both Pathak and Shah were “not on the same page” as the band while writing and recording new material.

Mehta, along with bassist Animesh Das, has recruited death metal guitarist Niraj Singh Chauhan to play as a three-piece for their launch gig. Mehta says the band is still on the lookout for a drummer, and will use backing drum tracks for their upcoming set at Metal at the Tavern, for which they start jamming today. “We do have another gig in Pune on the 28th, which we’ll play with a new drummer,” adds Mehta.

Solar Deity plays Devil Worship in its entirety at Metal at the Tavern, following which Mehta says he’ll get down to work on the next EP, which he started writing when he was tracking songs for Devil Worship last month. “I had all the track names and lyrics. It’s just about going into the studio,” says the guitarist. He’s even set a release date. “It’ll be the first Sunday of January.”

Download Devil Worship for free here.

Solar Deity, Albatross, Demonic Resurrection, Hellwind, Atmosfear, Djinn & Miskatonic and Halahkuh perform as part of Metal At The Tavern at United 21, Thane. Entry: Rs 400. Event details here.