Artist: Broken Membrane
Album: A New Age
Label: Independent
Mixed and Mastered by: Akash Murthy for T.I.L.T. Studios
Release Date: 3rd March, 2013
It’s not very often that one gets to see a 3-piece Rock band. And it’s even rare to find a 3-piece Rock band who manage to rock hard. Hailing from the Silicon Valley of India, often regarded as Rock Capital of India; Broken Membrane presents to you some quality undiluted 90’s style Rock with lots of soul into it. And one of the striking features of the band – their vocalist also doubles up as their drummer AND he plays the guitar too during acoustic gigs! We may have a Dave Grohl in town ladies and gentlemen. Being around for about a year, the band is out with their debut album titled – “A New Age” and are getting quite famous in the scene.
Broken Membrane are –
Bharath Kashyap – Guitars/Backing Vocals; Adhir Punja – Drums/Acoustic/Vocals; Nakul Dumblekar – Bass
Stating their biggest influences to be Alter Bridge and Metallica, these guys have successfully created their unique sound. Somewhat like taking bits and pieces from these two giants and fusing them with their own ideas. And the formula has worked great so far. The album is a mixed bag of various stages of 90’s Rock sound. Some Grunge, some Punk and a lot of Alternative Rock is what you can expect of it. One thing is for sure, the trio has surely made a statement with the album and they are here to stay. But that being said, there are still a few things which need to be sorted out first. I was a little disappointed with the vocals at times. Songs like By Your Side and A New Age, disappoint in that area. A little work has to be done regarding the vocal range, but taking into consideration that Adhir also plays the drums while singing; you can’t ask for too much. The drumming from his end has been amazing. The rolls, the kicks; totally spot on all throughout the album.
Guitar work in the album is outstanding, which is exactly the thing that struck me when I saw them live earlier this year. Being the only guitarist in your band puts a lot of pressure on you and Bharath handles it with ease. Tracks like Another Day to Live, Sweet Release and the acoustic versions of In Your Eyes and A New Age speak volumes for this talented guitarist. Guitar solos in Into the Dark and the acoustic version of A New Age are marvellous. Truly a great talent he is.
When you have drums and guitars, you need an intermediate instrument to connect the two. The Doors used Ray Manzarek’s bass synth, but most bands prefer a Bass guitar. And so comes in Nakul in the equation. The one thing I liked about all the songs is the fact that the Bass has been given a nice exposure in the final mix, which most bands ignore. The bass lines are complete bliss. Into the Dark, Another Day to Live and Sweet Release are the best examples of his tender bass lines; adding depth to the bands’ sound as well as bridging the gap between the guitars and drums.
I was a little disappointed with the recording quality though, I felt it could have been better. Frankly, they sound better while performing live. But all in all, it is a very good attempt by the band and they deserve all the respect for the album.
My picks from the album –
- In your Eyes Bonus track
- A New Age
- Into the Dark
