The Down Troddence Perform at Rolling Stone Metal Awards 2014

The Down Troddence.

After three years of playing in and around south India, Bengaluru-based folk metal band The Down Troddence will make their Mumbai debut at the fifth edition of the Rolling Stone Metal Awards on June 22nd at Blue Frog. The band joins Aizawl death metallers Third Sovereign and Mumbai progressive/hardcore band Reverrse Polarity to perform at the awards show.

Formed in 2009 in Kannur, Kerala, the six-member band released their debut full-length album, How Are You? We Are Fine, Thank You in December 2013 in Bengaluru. Says vocalist Mithun Raj aka Munz about producing the album, “We had to get each and every thing from someone else in another city.” While they flew down Delhi producer Keshav Dhar [guitarist from prog metal band Skyharbor] to Bengaluru to record, even the album’s jewel case CD packaging was imported from Mumbai to Chennai. Says Munz, “We had to pay for a lot of it from our pockets, but it was really worth it, people liked it a lot.”

The Down Troddence gained much more attention only after the release of their debut album, which combines brutal groove metal with Kerala folk influences such as pottan theyyam, a traditional folk performance local to Kannur. Says Munz, “The response to the album has been amazing. People who are into different levels of metal have come forward and told us they liked it ”“ from the experienced metal listeners to the new guys as well. It’s an honor.”

Nominated in six categories, Munz jokes that he can “even put this on my résumé.” The vocalist adds, “If not our [music], I love [Mumbai thrash/groove metal band] Zygnema. I still trip on their new song ”˜Shell Broken Hell Loose’ every day.” At their Mumbai debut, Munz says the band will play How Are You? We Are Fine, Thank You in its entirety, except for the song “Forgotten Martyrs,” which features Carnatic rock guitarist Baiju Dharmajan [formerly of prog rock band Motherjane]. Says Munz, “We last played it at the GoMAD festival in Ooty last year. Even though it was not planned, we don’t want to play the song without him. You just don’t want to ruin his guitar parts.”

The Down Troddence perform at the Rolling Stone Metal Awards 2014 on June 22nd, 2014 at Blue Frog, Mumbai.
Entry: TBA.
Event details here.

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