Interviews - 8octaves Music

August 18, 2013

August 18, 2013September 16, 2022 Varun Khatri

Interview With Djinn & Miskatonic

Hailing from Bangalore, Djinn & Miskatonic have been around since 2010. Officially starting to perform from 2011, they have gained a steady fan base and created a reputation for themselves in the music circle. Performing in various underground gigs as well as mainstream competitions, Djinn & Miskatonic are all set to kick off the inaugural edition of Echoes From Beneath. We caught up with bassist Jayaprakash and newly joined guitarist Sriram, for a little chat:

Eight Octaves: Tell us about the band a bit. You were formed as a 3-piece band, later changed to a 4-piece outfit. But what started it all?

JP: The desire to make music.

Sriram: And Nyarlathotep, of course.

Eight Octaves: Any specific reason behind the transition from 3-piece to a 4-piece band?

JP: We finally found the right guitarist for the band.

Sriram: It started off as an idea to have me do guest guitars on Djinn & Miskatonic’s track for the Motörhead tribute. As it turned out, before we even jammed on the Motörhead song, I had already started learning 2 of Djinn’s songs. It was just a good fit. We all enjoyed certain preferences in music, literature and movies so it just seemed like a logical step.

Eight Octaves: Coming to your music, tell us a bit about your composing process. How much of it has changed after the transition from a 3-piece to a 4-piece band?

JP: I still compose all the music. Lyrics are by either me or Gautham, the singer. Having an additional member has meant that the final arrangements benefit from more layers and a new set of ideas.

Sriram: For now, it is primarily the process of getting the guitars to fit into existing Djinn material, and well, there’s quite a bit of it. 2 years’ worth of songs, to be precise. Once I have finished adding guitar parts to the current material, we’ll start jamming on some new songs together.

Eight Octaves: If I’m not wrong, your EP is mastered and ready for production and distribution. What can we expect from the EP? Any surprise songs that haven’t been debuted live as of now?

JP: First of all, it’s now going to be a full-length rather than an EP. You can expect around 43 minutes of crushing doom metal. We hope people will enjoy it – we’ve worked hard on capturing definitive performances and Premik’s mix has exceeded our wildest expectations.

Sriram: Yup! The album is ready for release and we will be making announcements regarding the release over the next month or so. What to expect? 40+ minutes of slow, dark, heavy, riff-driven doom metal. And visions of Innsmouth and Cimmeria. We have played all of the songs from the album live at some point but the album versions have a lot of additional layers to them. We are extremely pleased with the way the album sounds. It was great working with someone like Premik who made the effort to understand what the band wanted to sound like. The songs sound quite massive and it’s going to be fun to see what people think of it.

Eight Octaves: Your views on the current rivalry of old school and new school tribes? You have performed with some of the bands tagged under the new school category, so from a musician’s point of view; how much sense does the rivalry make?

JP: Music’s music. I’ll play alongside a samba band if I think I’ll get a good audience, one that will respond to our music. I have a personal preference for older metal, being an old man, but to each his or her own. Scene wars often seem larger than the actual scene. People seem to have all the time in the world for inconsequential rivalries. I suspect it’s all about insecurity and nagging self-doubt.

Sriram: It’s a band’s job to be play music and be good at it. Whatever their music of choice is. I may not like the kind of music another band plays but I don’t hate them for playing it (unless you play jazz. Then fuck you, you wanker.). And hey, the new school bands are bringing the kiddies with money into shows. Hopefully we can convert a few Djent fans into becoming Djinnt fans along the way, haha!

JP: I like jazz.

Eight Octaves: After Echoes From Beneath, you head off to Mumbai to play in the upcoming edition of Metal At the Tavern on 8^th of September. Preparations are at full swing then?

JP: We’re undergoing rigorous fitness training by a former Mossad operative. I’m filing my teeth into sharp points. Gautham is building cybernetic torture engines. Sriram and Siddharth have been taking lessons in wine tasting. Everyone’s really excited.

Sriram: We still don’t have a skull for our photoshoot. It’s complete pandemonium out here!

Eight Octaves: Since we are talking about your upcoming show in Mumbai, are there any other cities on your radar as of now? Or any city you guys want to perform in specifically?

JP: We’d like to play in any city that will have us.

Sriram: Sid & I are very keen on playing Amsterdam. For the….uhh, “flower gardens”.

Eight Octaves: Lastly, what are you expecting from the Echoes from Beneath gig?

JP: A massive round of applause and a horde of new fans.

Sriram: A few people singing the words to songs we wrote, throwing hands of doom in the air and shouting praises to Dagon. And Sid is bringing fire dancers, I hear. Going to be a ripper of a show!

Motorhead cover video:

Djinn & Miskatonic are all set to perform in the inaugural edition of Echoes From Beneath. The band will be the first act to perform, kicking off the gig with some slow, sludgy doom metal. Here are some fun facts about the band which most of you wouldn’t know about:

1. Their first gig was at a show called Warp Zone, a month before Trend Slaughter Fest II.

2. The band has been around since 2010, but only started gigging in 2011.

3. Bands they would like to cover include Reverend Bizarre, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Joy Division, The Beatles, and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

4. Their drummer has also been a singer and a keyboardist in his previous bands.

5. Jayaprakash also a horror author with short stories published internationally.

6. None of them are psychic 😛

7. Most of them are staunch enemies of stale custard 😀 8. They smile too much.

August 14, 2013

August 14, 2013September 15, 2022 8octaves Music

Interview With Avi & the Uprising

A platform for creativity – Avi & The Uprising, with their infectiously hummable ‘Wahe guru’ tasted international viral success through the platform of balconytv, garnering 75, 000 hits in a matter of weeks and making it to the Top 60 of balconytv along with the likes of Mumford & Sons, Victor Wooten and The Buzzcocks. Amrutha Ananth caught up with them.

You have just released ‘Boom Boom Shiva’. Tell us how it all started?

Vedantic thought fascinates me. ‘Shiva’ was an interpretation of ‘tat twam asi’ and also a contemporary relatable picture of Shiva. In the ‘Kali Yuga’, dissolution generally points downwards, thus the chorus. In terms of the video, Shadipur Depot and all its colours and drama somehow captured the essence of the song.

The debut video has a montage of street performers including fire breathers, magicians, stilt walkers and contortionists featured! Any ‘behind the scenes’ anecdote that you would like to share with us?

While shooting the band scene, hundreds of children from the colony surrounded us and started singing along to the chorus ‘Boom Boom Shiva bring me down’. The energy was phenomenal. The entire colony was like a living performance. There was an act everywhere. The inherent class divide between performers of two very different backgrounds was erased without a thought as we celebrated the unity in art and our performances were mirroring the abandon and joy of theirs.

What is the ‘new/catchy’ element according to you in your upcoming album? How do you thinks its new?Our thinking is new. We are reflecting the global disillusionment with post Industrial economy, polity and commoditization of the self while also capturing contemporary India in all its beauty and chaos. Sonically, While we are sticking to a ‘roots’ approach, our subtle use of instruments like the esraj and pakhawaj in the arrangement is purely contextual and thus fresh. Every new audience that we have ever played to inevitably sings most of our choruses and goes home with multiple ear worms we are told so I must be writing ‘catchy’ songs.

Do you have a record label? Are you a member of any music organizations?

No. I’m chief god of small & all things at a startup called Avi & The Uprising. I’m also the C.E.O., C.F.O., C.O.O. and chief clerk of this esteemed Fotune 500, 000, 000, 000 organization.

How has the reaction to the video been?

Overwhelming. People really took to the video and for a while it was virtually omnipresent. Here’s a You Tube comment I particularly liked -‘Stepping away from the glitz and glamour that people are so bombarded with nowadays, making most song/video experiences jaded and predictable. This video takes a cool departure from that and steps into the heart of the song, the essence of India and portrays real people, their hardships, their talent, the essence of India and portrays real people, their hardships, their talent, in the most artistic and unique manner! Watch the video with your heart, you will be surprised and intellectually stimulated ! Thank you for the music!

What was the overall theme mood that you’re trying to capture in this album? How did you hit upon a certain theme?

The Uprising is as much spiritual and personal as its social and political. The whole question of identity to me is critical. Ramana Maharishi was once asked ‘who am i?’ he answered ‘figure out who’s asking the question and you’ll know’. We are all one consciousness, we must get back to that knowledge that we in this country have had for years. You cant be defined by your name, your race or the shoes that you wear. Pete Townshend of The Who says the same thing in Quadraphenia – ‘I’m one’. So in a way we explore the objective and the subjective and the central human themes of conflict and evolution at macro and micro states.

Which songs do you perform most frequently? Do you ever play any covers? Do you have a set play list?

We had been sticking to a set list of 13 original songs and one cover that no one in India

knows ( Shivers by Boy Next Door), we were hoping to cut an album for the last two years and move on, that didn’t happen so we moved on anyways and now we play 8 old songs that you’ll hear in this album and 8 new songs that are more subtle, gentle and folksy in some ways, I love how these new songs like ‘old Bombay’ and ‘eulogy’ sound with the trio – our new minimalistic avatar in particular. For some special gigs, we love playing music by the folk who influenced us like The Doors, Dylan ,The Beatles, etc. but that’s not the norm, usually I have too much original material to get off my chest.

Has the city you have been living influenced your music in any way? If yes how are we hearing it in your music?

Delhi is schizophrenic and intense, with 10 different empires buried one below the other. Mohammed Bin Tughlak moved the entire city out of Delhi and then back. Delhi was Shahajahanabad, where everyone smoked hashish and knew the rules of Urdu verse. Delhi is Gurgaon. Gurgaon’s the millennium city, where everyone plays golf and drinks wheat beer. Gurgaon is where Dronacharya taught Arjun. Delhi’s al the centre of political corruption where some of the richest thieves in the world dwell in farmhouse palaces and ride serial killer BMW’s. It’s where thousands of landless labour gravitate towards a mirage of the promised land only to shiver to death in the metallic cold. All my themes from the ones of faith & surrender like ‘Wahe Guru’ and ‘Love’ to ones of defunct post industrial values – like ‘Who’ and ‘Tamasic Electric Tools’ are stamped by Delhi.

What are your rehearsals generally like? Do you have a set time each week in which you practice or are rehearsals more spontaneous?

As the name suggests – the band’s an extension of a solo singer songwriter project. I’ve penned most of these songs years ago and have been fortunate to work with some brilliant and experienced sessionists who have become core members over the years. The lineup’s quite flexible though and its fun getting new energies on board. When I toured Australia, I had an Australian backing band, that’s just how it rolls. Since we were born out of the Delhi and Gurgaon School Of Music faculties, skill or professionalism isn’t an issue. As I decide to work on a new set list, I call the guys over and brief them on the structures and then we just meet twice before the show and on the night generally… Boom.

August 12, 2013

August 12, 2013September 16, 2022 Ahana Mustafi

Interview With De’Sat

De’SaT is an Experimental Progressive Metal Band from Bangalore. When asked about the name of the band, they said De’SaT is just the short form of the word De-saturation written in a fancy way!! Haha!! They released their Demo CD’s somewhere in July 2011 which opened up the doors for De’SaT. Read further to celebrate Metal Mayhem and know more about De’SAT!

Eight Octaves: How did you guys come together?
De’SAT : Victor and Srikiran got together and randomly started jamming after Victor’s return from ‘MTV Rock On’ first edition. Later Naveen joined the band that actually got the Metal essence into the band. So De’SaT was officially born during September 2010. And later Avinash (Necro) our growler vocalist joined the band which actually made our sound heavier. Rohan joined the band sometime in 2011. That actually improvised our unique sound. The old bassist Avinash Kaushik had to leave the band since he had to pursue his education. Hence Nithin joined the band that had simple yet matured bass playing skills. And from then on we’ve had this lineup.

Eight Octaves: Where do you draw your influences from? In your opinion which ‘Metal’ Band really started the genre?
De’SAT: Our band has different tastes depending on each Individual musician.

Victor is more into the old school era. Haha !! But he likes new stuff as well. His is inspired by Guitar players like Steve Morse, Steve Vai, John Petrucci, Van Helen, Kirk Hammet, Slash, Alexi Lahio etc. Naveen is inspired by guitar players like James Hetfield, Dave Mustaine, Chuck Schuldiner, Alexi Lahio, Muhammed Suicmez and Pat O’brien and so on. And he is more into the Technical Death Metal side when it comes to musical interest.
Avinash draws his inspiration from Vocalists like Randy Blythe, Corey Taylor, Bruce dickinson, Alexi Lahio, Nergal. He too is more into Technical Death Metal side when it comes to musical interests. And he also listens and trips on some Dubstep and Trance music. Hahaha!!
Nithin is more into the blues/funky types and Old school metal but listens to all kinds of music though. He is inspired by Bassists like Cliff Burton, Steve Harris, Evan Brewer, Jason Newsted, Victor Wooten, Billy Sheehan, Prakash KN (TAAQ).
Rohan is a diehard Children of Bodom fan. Haha!! His musical interests are more into Melodic Death/Power Metal side. He draws his inspirations from keyboard players like Janne Wirman, Tuomas Holopainen, Jordan Rudess, Jens Johansson, Vivaldi etc.
Srikiran listens to a lot Melodic and progressive Metal. His Drumming inspirations are Mike portnoy, Chris Adler, Dave lombardo, Jo Jo mayer, Joey Jordison, George Kollias, Tomas Haake etc.

So as a band of musicians from different musical backgrounds we experiment a lot with our sound with metal as the basic layer, hence the genre Experimental Progressive Metal.
And yeah according to me bands like Black Sabbath, Queen, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest etc started Heavy Metal. If I have to give one name then it is Black Sabbath.

Eight Octaves: What are your favorite heavy metal bands and why? If you were to evolve heavy metal, how would you do so?
De’SAT : Like mentioned earlier each one of us have different tastes when it comes to music. But as a band we like Lamb of God, Opeth, Symhony-X, As I Lay Dying, Nightwish, Firewind, Cynic, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Metallica, Within Temptation, Meshuggah etc and also Indian bands like Demonic Resurrection, Undying Inc, Skyharbor, Bhayanak Maut etc. Sometimes we even do covers from Bodom, as I lay Dying and Lamb of God but of course with our own touch to it. Well Heavy Metal is pretty much evolving day by day with a lot of bands coming up with their own unique sub-genre of Metal. What makes De’SaT different is we experiment and we also have a Hindustani touch to a few of our songs. Mr. Sunil Pariyar who currently resides in Nepal helped us with that Magical touch with his amazing skills on the flute. You will probably get to know about this when our Album is out. And we are pretty much known for our intense head banging and On-stage energy during our live shows. No matter if there is 1 person or 10,000 people in the crowd we still give our best. We are probably the first metal band to come out with a Patriotic song which covers the under-rated beauty of our Nation. Here is the link to the Music Video:
And also a Live gig:

Eight Octaves: can you tell us a little bit about the gear you use. Could you also give us few tips for budding musicians out the trying to get better acoustics?
De’SAT : Victor uses a Cort X-6 Viper Guitar, Boss GT10 digital processor, Ibanez Weeping Demon Wah Pedal, Line 6 Wireless, Fender Cables and Marshall Amplification.
Naveen uses a custom made and a Jackson DT10 Dinky guitars, Floor Pod plus digital processor, Fender Cables, Marshall Amplification.
Nithin uses an Ibanez SR-350 5 string Bass live and a fender 75 Jazz Bass for recording sessions. He also uses a Korg AX-1500 guitar processor as a compressor, Hartke Amplification.
Rohan uses Casio CTK 5000, Yamaha PSR 225 keyboards, Hercules two tier double x stand with a lot of his own customizations, Peavey/Hartke Amplification.
Srikiran uses Pearl Eliminators double bass pedals, Pro mark Sticks, Zildjian and Wuhan Cymbals.
Both Avinash and Victor use standard Shure SM58 microphones.

Be nice to the Sound Engineer and know his name. Haha!! Tune the Guitars before going on stage. If you are using any wireless gadgets make sure you Change the batteries regularly and always have a spare with you. Check if the cables are proper. Check you sound individually and once everything is set check together as a band. Cut down on the sound frequencies if you have feedbacks. Well all the basic stuff.

Eight Octaves: You have won some major competitions across the country including the famous Wildfire at IIT Kharagpur.You have also performed alongside international bands. How different have these performances been?
De’SAT: The win at IIT KGP was a breakthrough for us. I guess it was pretty much the first gig we won with the new line up. And the struggles we faced throughout that journey were miserable right from paying triple the amount to confirm 3 seats for 6 people in train with all our gadgets and luggage to paying all our money to the registration fee at IIT and left with no money for food and we were literally thrown in a small dome as accommodation with other bands. Hahaha!! That pretty much built up a strong bond between all the band members though. Well like they say Hard work always pays off. We also got an Album recording deal at Groove studios Delhi. We also went on to win competitions like Till Deaf do we part – 2012 at BITS Pilani Hyderabad where we got to play alongside Thurisaz from Belgium. The best part was we got a standing appreciation from these dudes who were the judges and amazing compliments back stage. It was also an amazing experience to play alongside some solid Metal/Rock bands from the Country like Sycorax, Turnkey and The Family Cheese. That pretty much opened up our Name outside Bangalore. From then on we’ve won almost all the competitions we have played. And the biggest victory would be Channel [V] Launchpad – 2013. And we’ve got to share stages with some amazing International bands such as Dhishti (Srilanka), Amplifier (Manchester, UK), Xanadoo (Singapore). We were also on the running to open for Slayer in that voting competition. That pretty much gave us good publicity.

Eight Octaves: What does De’saT have in store for this year?
De’SAT: Well we are currently working on our Debut Album ‘WHEN THE WORLD STOPPED TURNING’ which is scheduled to be released somewhere by the end of 2013 hopefully. All the recording parts are done except the vocals which is on hold due to a few technical glitches. We should kick start that very soon. We will also be releasing another Music video for our song ‘NOSTALGIA’ before the album launch. We have a lot of college Headliners and music festivals lined up including THE M.A.D FESTIVAL, OOTY. So yeah we have a busy schedule ahead.

Eight Octaves: If you had to convince somebody to buy your album/music, which would be your main argument?
De’SAT: Well like I said we have a very unique sound. The plan is our album will be divided into two parts with one part consisting of all the Heavy songs and the other which would be a mix of Heavy, soft stuff and a bit of Indian Music. So basically the buyer would get to please his ears with a variety of genres in a single album. Also we have some killer artworks done for us from Mr. Danish R.D from Rockology designs. So why not buy it when you get everything in one Album and support the band and the scene?

Eight Octaves: What according to you is the image ‘metal’ music carries in India at present?
De’SAT: Metal music in India is ‘RISING’. Indian Metal bands are hitting the International shores. Many International bands are touring India. The year 2012 was a Breakthrough for Indian Metal with more than 5 or 6 Big International bands playing at different places in India. So that pretty much says what the scene is. Only thing that we lack is unity among Indian Metal Bands. The irritating part is the old school new school fights. Many big musicians piss on upcoming bands which is a sad part. But apart from that I guess every upcoming band has learnt that “If you have to survive as a band, you need to stick together, tag along with musicians of similar genre, make you own fucking scene”.

Eight Octaves: As a band, where do you see yourself in the next five years?
De’SAT: We would have probably released 2 more studio Albums. See more people buying our merchandises. Hit the International scenes and tour with well know bands. Reach out to people all around the globe with our Experimental Music. Playing more live shows with the same Intensity and power we have right now. And still kick some serious Metal Asses.Members of the Band:
Avinash (Necro) – Vocals
Victor Charles     – Guitars/Vocals
Naveen Prasad    – Guitars
Nithin Iyer            – Bass
Rohan SM            – Keyboard
Srikiran Gosangi – Drums

August 12, 2013

August 12, 2013September 18, 2022 Varun Khatri

Interview With Nervecell

EO: Welcome Back!

Barney: It’s a great feeling man, we’ve been told this is the biggest music festival to happen in India and for us to be a part of this diverse yet impressive line-up is really awesome. It will be our 3^rd coming back to perform in India but our first time in Delhi, so we look forward to putting on a killer show for all the extreme metal fans out there at the festival.

EO: Tell us how it all started. What made you choose to be professional musicians?

Barney: It all started in 2000 when I graduated from high school and wanted to move on from playing cover songs to writing original music. After being in a band in school already I wanted to start something new, so joining a university and meeting new people definitely did help. You gotta bear in mind the fact that metal music was always very underground not just in the UAE but in the Middle East in general. So the point here being, when you came across another fellow metalhead you immediately connect, change contacts and stay in touch.

However it was more than just socializing with others who preferred the same style of music I liked, that was only the first step. The second step was hoping they had the same passion to play music as well, it didn’t matter if they couldn’t at the time, as long as they had an interest in starting a band that was good enough. So as time went by I ended up meeting a few guys who came together either through friends spreading the word that I was looking for musicians or people I had come across directly. So after a good year of auditions and jams by 2001 the first ever Nervecell line-up formed. The approach in the band was simple back then – play anywhere and everywhere and try to build a fan base.

We had a very different line-up in the band during these first 2 years and it wasn’t too long when members started to walk in and out of the band due to various reasons. I only ended up meeting James and Rami at one of the earlier Nervecell gigs we played at the American University in Dubai during that initial stage. Both James and Rami had moved to Dubai from Doha, Qatar to study. It was after chatting to them at that gig where we instantly become friends, changed numbers and stayed in touch with each other. About a year later they eventually ended up joining the band. It was kind of inevitable as they shared the same interest and passion for music that I had myself, ever since then (2003) onwards here we are 13 years later still putting out albums and touring the world. Of course none of what we’ve been able to achieve happened overnight, its always been a struggle being musicians but we’ve always managed to pull through and are very much still as passionate towards the band as we’ve always been.

Live @ Brutal Assault 2011 Czech Republic

EO: Tell us a little but about your last album Psychogenocide. What are the things that inspire you during song writing?

Barney: As for the things that inspire us its just the basic simple things we go through and see around us take place that tend to inspire us when we write our music. Not all of it has to be personal but just observing the ways in which the world is run and by who is ruling it or ruining it makes us want to have our say on things via our music. We’ve always had songs that cover humanitarian, and social unrest subject matters but on the last album “Psychogenocide” we’ve experiemented on writing more on a more global / social awareness so to speak.

The last 2 years in the band has been a rollercoaster of accomplishments for us with the release of “Psychogenocide” playing a major factor in it. Regionally, in 2012 Virgin Megastores (MENA) awarded us for being the “All Time Best Selling Metal Band” in the Middle East region. We also received the award for “Musicians of the year” at the Esquire Man at his Best Awards too. Internationally we had gone on tours with US Death Metal legends Morbid Angel all through Europe and the UK in 2011 as well as completed an Asian tour supporting Decapitated in support of “Psychogenocide” last year. The album was also sited as one of the “Top 10 Death metal Albums of 2011” by many webzines, magazines and critics around the world. Metal Hammer (UK) had also included Nervecell as one of the “DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH” – listing the band as one of the “50 Heroes Of The New Metal Revolution” in 2011.

Live @ Summer Breeze Open Air 2011 Germany 3

EO: Is there another album under works?

Barney: There most definitely is, we will be spending most of these next few months writing a new album in addition to touring as well. So it’s certainly is a busy year ahead for us.

EO: You have a collaboration with Karl Sanders of Nile for your song Shunq. Tell us how that fell into place.

Barney: The idea to work with Karl actually came about when our singer James decided to write Arabic lyrics for the song “Shunq”. So since the lyrics were written in a story telling form we decided that it would be cool to have someone guest on the track and have him sing in English to compliment the Arabic lyrics on the track. So after a few days of discussing who would be the right person for the job we all agreed that Karl Sanders would be the best match, not only cause we were all fans of Nile but also considering his style and theme’s he uses in Nile’s music too. It just made perfect sense to reach out to him and so we had our management reach out to his management and make it happen. It wasn’t too long after that then when Karl came to Dubai and even ended up recording the video for “Shunq” with us in the U.A.E. It was an amazing experience working with Karl and he has become a good friend to us today.

Live @ the Blue Frog 2010 Mumbai India 1

EO: Have you heard of any Indian Metal bands? Any favorites? Would you consider doing any collaborations?

Barney: I’ve heard of loads of Indian Metal bands and I’m more familiar with bands such as Devoid, Scepter, Zygnema, Demonic Resurrection and Skyharbor today to name a few. I was always aware of the fact that India had a strong metal scene as I remember being younger and visiting relatives back in India who would always take me to the Independence Rock Festival whenever I was down there for a holiday in the late 90’s. So really it doesn’t surprise me that there are some of those older bands like Millennium, Brahma, Agni and Pentagram still kicking around, even though some of those bands may have changed their style slightly. I think it’s really admirable that the scene there is so vibrant and that the bands there old or new are still keeping metal alive all over the country. As for collaborations, its always fun to do – so why not!

EO: What can the fans in India expect from Nervecell at the upcoming Fly Music Festival?

Barney: We’re the only extreme metal band on the bill so the fans will surely know what’s the deal when we hit that stage. India has always been great to us and the crowds have always been intense every time we’ve performed there in the past, so we look forward to tearing it up, getting those pits started and putting on an energetic set for you all.

EO: What message would you like to give to all upcoming bands around the world?

Barney: Follow your dreams no matter what people say, practice relentlessly and have fun playing music. Impossible is Nothing!

NERVECELL 2011 2 — ????????????????????????????????????

August 11, 2013

August 11, 2013September 18, 2022 8octaves Music

PICK OF THE WEEK – 1833 AD

The ultimate ‘black’ metalists from India, 1833 AD haven’t failed to bring new direction approach to metal music scene in India. Giving keen importance to the lyrical themes, the band brings together their individual playing styles to create an atmosphere of ‘sorrow’ and ‘hatred’. Leave aside the negative emotions as the band opens up positively to Amrutha Ananth of Eight Octaves.

Eight Octaves: How are your band warm up sessions usually done? Any tips for all musicians out there?
Nishant: One thing that almost every band faces is the drummer’s constant need to “warm up”. The rest of the band might hate the wait, but we need to understand that it’s very important for the drummer to do that. The way we tackle this is by letting Raghav warm up while the rest of us set up. That time may be too less, so we start off with the slower songs to continue his warm up before we move onto more physically challenging songs. This way we minimize wasting time and maximize productivity.

Eight Octaves: How would you usually arrive at a certain theme for a song?
Nishant: I like continuity in everything. I would like to tell one long story than tell ten small ones. The same reason I would prefer a video game with a storyline over a one on one fighting game. This concept guided me through the writing of ‘My Dark Symphony’ which had an underlying theme of the Indian Trinity of Gods. It made the writing process so much easier because I knew where the dots were, I just had to figure out a way to connect them.

Eight Octaves: How do you handle mistakes during a live performance?
Nishant: By not staring at the other person and screaming “abbey kya kar raha hai!”. Jokes apart, we cannot avoid mistakes and every band makes them. We just continue playing as if nothing happened because more often than not, it goes unnoticed and your fans are there to have a good time. They don’t care if you missed a beat or a note. Just have fun on stage and make sure your fans get their money’s worth.

Eight Octaves: What according to you would a ‘professional practice session setup’ approach look like in the band rehearsal setting?
Nishant: Unless you are paying for a high end jam pad, it is quite possible that you would be practicing in a small hole of a room with sounds ricocheting from each corner of the room. It is absolutely ok and we all started off that way. If you can afford a big place, good for you, if you can’t, don’t fret it. Few things you may consider is providing the drummer with whatever he needs most, guitars, bass or vocals. It is also important that the drums are audible, else it will be chaos. Most importantly, you MUST invest in good ear plugs or you will go deaf.

Eight Octaves: How much has ‘Black Metal’ diverged as a genre in India in the last 2 yrs? How much scope do you see in India?
Nishant: A lot more bands have started playing Black Metal now. It is unfortunate that they haven’t played a lot of shows yet, but I’m sure their time will come. There is definitely scope because a lot of Indians love metal. They just need to broaden their interests to include Black Metal. Once they realize how beautiful this genre is, Black Metal bands will start getting better platforms to play on. I can’t say how soon this will happen, but I’m certain that it will one day.

Eight Octaves: What inspires and influences you the most while making music? Tell us about your favourite artists? Can we see a stark influence of any one of the artists in your tracks? (at least one)?
Nishant: My favorite source of inspiration is darkness. I have written most of my songs in absolute darkness. Darkness feels like a huge canvas I can paint on. It sounds cheesy, but try it. Maybe it’ll work for you too. There is so much space to let your mind wander. Times that you have been happy, sad, angry, whatever else you’ve been, can all come together to become the blueprint of a great song. My favorite bands are not Black Metal bands, but I did listen to all of the Norwegian greats and a lot of Cradle of Filth when I was growing up. If their influences have crept into our songs, it wasn’t intentional. If I had to name one, it would be one of the shrieks that I do that is signature Dani Filth.

Eight Octaves: Religion vs. Music. What’s your take on it?
Nishant: Unless you are doing devotional music, the two don’t need to be related. Black Metal has been misrepresented enough over the years. Fans don’t even know if they are atheists or antitheists or Satanists. I have talked this topic to death and don’t want to get into it again.

Eight Octaves: Tell us something about the gear you use. Any specific ‘tuning’ techniques?
Nishant: Rahul and I are supported by Gibson Guitars and play on two amazing guitars. He has the Gibson SG and I have the Flying V. Sushmit is endorsing Rockbass by Warwick thanks to Furtados and has the amazing Corvette $$ 5. I would highly recommend bands to invest in a clip on tuner that they can use off stage before getting on. One per band would do just fine. On stage, guitarists are usually fine as they have their processors. But in case they are going in direct or if the bassist is not using any unit, they can use this to stay in tune between songs.

Eight Octaves: “My Dark Symphony” was released in June 2012 and did really well. What does 1833 AD have for 2013?
Nishant: We are planning to get something out in 2013 as well, if time permits. It won’t be a full length album for sure. It will be an EP or something experimental. Only time will tell.

Eight Octaves: What do you think is your strength/weakness as a band?
Nishant: One strength, which I have to call out, is the ability to function as a band even after I moved to Bangalore for work. The guys back in Delhi practice regularly and I do my bit here in Bangalore. Whenever we are scheduled to play, we meet up a day before or sometimes even that very day for a quick run through of our songs and we’re good to go. One time, the sound check on stage was the only practice we had, and we played a great show. If everyone is good at what they do, the band will sound great together. Jobs, having to pay bills and not getting paid enough for shows are the biggest weaknesses of most Indian bands. I would like to stay positive. Maybe it’s painfully slow, but there will come a day when Indian bands, including metal bands can survive just by playing music, or at least by being involved in the music industry.

August 5, 2013

August 5, 2013September 17, 2022 Varun Khatri

Interview With Killer Breed (Metal Mayhem)

Killers’ Breed, comprising of Arvind Achappa (Guitars), Dharni Chengi (Guitars), Anthony Hoover (Drums), Adarsh (Bass) and Sriram (Vocals) isan amalgamation of a bunch of Iron Maiden fanatics. The metal heads make music as they come together to pay tribute to their favorite and most influential band. Read further to know more about them.

Your band comprises of musicians from various backgrounds. How did you all come together to make some metal music?

Adarsh: Well, it was Arvind and I who had this idea about 2 years or so back, but things never really materialized until late last year, when we started to take it a lot more seriously and I talked it out with Sriram and he brought Anthony on board. And kudos to Sriram for steering the band forward and making us take ourselves more seriously. After our first show at Evilution we felt the need for another guitarist so Sriram could switch to just vocals. And we could not think of anyone better than our longtime friend Dharni, guitarist of the mighty Dark Desolation. We are set as a 5 piece band now.

Sriram: Hey there! That’s an easy one! Killers’ Breed is a unit formed for the sole purpose of paying homage to one of the true titans of heavy metal – Iron Maiden. And yes, like you mentioned, there are musicians with fairly diverse leanings in the band. Arvind (guitars) is part of a neo-thrash outfit called Ontologus. Dharni (guitars) is an axeman with raw black metallers Dark Desolation and Anthony (drums) also plays for melo-thrashers Neolithic Silence and black/thrash perverts Witchgoat. Theone thing that united all of us was that we loved listening to and playing Iron Maiden songs and we decided to form a band to do just that. Well, that and cracking poor jokes, I guess, haha!

Dharni: I would just like to add that for me Maiden has been huge influence and all three guitarists Adrian, Dave and Janick have inspired me in various ways. It was a real treat when I watched Iron Maiden live all three times in India. When Killers’ Breed approached me to play guitar for them I was more than happy as would get to play all my favorite songs and I thought it would be great fun!

All of you are proud Iron Maiden fanatics! How does it feel when you perform their songs on stage?

Sriram: It’s an unbelievable rush! Maiden was and continues to be one of the biggest reasons I am a metalhead and playing their songs on stage is my way of reaffirming my allegiance to the altar of Eddie!

Adarsh: It feels insanely fulfilling. I personally picked up bass after being a Maiden fan for years, inspired by the legendary Steve Harris of course. It’s a tremendous feeling when you perform on stage and the crowd sings all along and you know that we all worship the phenomenon called Iron Maiden.

What is your comment on seeing “Music as a language”? What do you think is the “communicative factor” in your music?

Sriram: Music is a language and Iron Maiden is one of its most powerful and ubiquitous dialects. As for the “communicative factor” in our music, I reckon it’s that feeling of solidarity you get when you see every person in a venue raise their fists and hear them join in on a chorus.to an Iron Maiden song, regardless of where you are and where you’re from. Iron Maiden is one of the few bands capable of evoking that sort of reaction.

Adarsh: The only thing I can think of is the language of Iron Maiden. I think that’s how we communicate with our audience. We don’t expect a non -Maiden fan to like us.

Which emotion according to your band is the best way to be brought out by music?

Sriram: If we’re doing it right, our shows will have you pumping your fist, banging your heads, singing along to every song and reminding you of why Maiden are one of the best things to have happened to heavy music.

Adarsh: I guess that varies from person to person. We all come from various backgrounds and it’s not just one emotion we’re going to express.

On an average, how many hours of practice do you think is needed for the budding artists to thrive in the current scenario of music? More advices?

Sriram: You need every bit of the time you can spare, really. You practise till your fingers blister, and then you start REALLY practising.

Adarsh: A good 2 hours a day is a lot of practice, for anyone who plays in a band and on stage. Not that everyone follows this, haha. We definitely put in a lot of hours as we have to replicate stuff written by the Gods. No advice as such, we’re not here to advice people, just a suggestion would be come to our shows, and listen to Iron Maiden – on your CDs, tapes or any other format.

Arvind: An hour of really good practice is better than 6 hours of mindless fooling around. Having said that, doing just about anything on the guitar helps. And of course 8 hours of really systematic practice is better than just that one hour, haha! Basically, the more you play/practise, the better.

Where do you see yourself as a band in the next three years?

Sriram: Still playing Iron Maiden songs, of course! The Maiden catalog is a vast treasure trove of essential heavy music listening and our aim is to keep that legacy going strong. In plain terms, we want to hoist the banner of the Eddie Empire at as many stages our schedules would permit!

Adarsh: We hope to do a lot of shows, as many as possible. Cover at least one song from every album, and we certainly have a good platform, so we obviously can play in pubs and stuff, where other bands with a niche audience cannot. And we obviously hope to build a firm fan base and be a well-known tribute band, the only one from the country.

As a band which Iron Maiden song is your personal favourite?

Sriram: So far, my picks among our set list would be “The Evil That Men Do” and “From Here to Eternity”. I would love it if we played “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” in its entirety someday!

Adarsh: Cannot pick a song, but an album would be Powerslave. Also note that our band name comes from the pre-chorus of 2 Minutes to Midnight

Arvind: I love the whole “Number of the Beast” album!

What is your understanding of the metal scenario in India? How do you think the scene of ‘metal music’ has changed over the years?

Sriram: The scene is a lie. The scene is you! Scene after scene! Scene of the Southern Cross! This scene. That scene. Obscene. Seriously, though, there are a bunch of terrific bands across various sub-genres of metal spread over the length and breadth of this country and that’s it. There is no scene. In that sense, it hasn’t changed much.

That being said, what HAS changed is that metal audiences today are much more receptive towards bands’ original material. Bands are more confident of performing their own music and that is a fantastic trend. It’s great that we’ve gotten to stage where a tribute/cover band like Killers’ Breed is a novelty and not the norm as it was 15 years back, when a band like Parikrama would play an all-cover set or play one insipid “original composition” in a 90 minute show and shamelessly charge a lakh to do so.

Adarsh: It has changed a lot over the years, with a lot of ups and downs. Most of us play for other bands and we all share the same sentiments. What we’d like to see is more venues and better sound. I think the number of fans and bands keep increasing steadily anyway, it’s the venues and the sound and the gigs that matter.

If you had to ever rework one track of Iron Maiden’s, which one would be it?

Sriram: Haha,Adarshis going to go all Eddie Nazi on your asses for this one. He hates changing/reworking Iron Maiden songs and to a large extent, I think the band reflects this view. We generally try to keep it as close to the original as possible because honestly, you can’t rework perfection! I’d love to do a slowed down, doomed up version of “Remember Tomorrow” sometime, though.

Adarsh: I personally would never want to do that, Iron Maiden is Iron Maiden, what they write and have written is not to be messed with. We’ll cover them because we love them, nothing more.

Band contact

Videos

Killers’ Breed – The Trooper (Iron Maiden cover)

Killers’ Breed – Wrathchild (Iron Maiden cover)

August 5, 2013

August 5, 2013September 18, 2022 Amrutha Ananth

Pick of the Week – Tails on Fire

‘Tails On Fire’, a high energy alternative rock band from Chennai was formed in early 2011. Being ‘more than musicians’, their music is a blend of styles ranging from Rock, Grunge, Funk, Alternative and Blues. Keen on experimenting with new technologies and techniques, the band’s visibility is seen even with melodies and smooth vocals. Read further to know more about Eight Octaves’ ‘Pick of the Week’.

Eight Octaves: How would you warm up a band? Give us tips.
Sriram: Imagine the calm before the storm, everything is ready, your heart races and your brain is going haywire to keep up. Your palms sweat and this is where you tell yourself, take a deep breath, keep calm and destroy that stage!!!! We all group together, band huddle, all of us so excited cuz this is what we were born to do!. This is what we earn to do. This is what we LOVE!. For a 3^rd person’s point of view you would see us jumping around, randomly screaming, stretching , speaking in alien language and then, 3 2 1… KABOOOOOM!

Eight Octaves: How would you usually choose repertoire for your ensemble?
Sriram: Originals take the primary spotlight!…. We look at covers we love to do and also represent the direction that we hold in our originals. The covers ideally give us that boundary within which you would find our artistic direction of our sound!.

Eight Octaves: Tell us about a favourite composition project you guys have done.
Sriram: I think the most fun song to play live is “Happiness is a headshot” it’s simple and pure Mentalness in a bottle of coke. And you drop a nitroglycerine mentos into it.
Another track called “No! with some sugar” puts a smile on my face when we play it!

Eight Octaves: What would a student-centered approach look like in the band rehearsal setting?
Sriram: Jam room will be the place that one would get away from the harsh realities of life be it a student or a carrier man. When we walk into that jam room, the heat, your boss, your professors, your assignments, the traffic, your recent ex girlfriend, your miserable self confidence (otherwise) etc all go out the window!

Eight Octaves: What rhythm and/or tonal syllable systems do you use in your compositions?
Sriram: Bounce!. , Djent, Crazy maniacal awesomeness in musical form!.

Eight Octaves: What do you practice – exercises, new tunes, hard tunes, etc.?
Sriram: When we get together for practice, we spend a lot of time just going for it ex tempo(If you will) and see what happens, this really helps us form some sort of a single consciousness which helps us to even change and morph live on stage. And we also find it helps us come up with music that we could never come up with alone!. So then, new tunes emerge, or it might lead into a cover which is particularly fun to play…. Hard tunes are usually left for alone time for self practice!.

Eight Octaves: How do you handle mistakes during a performance?
Sriram: Mistake happens…. We look and laugh and somehow keep the music rolling and make it up. Since we practice so much together (not just for gigs) that single consciousness thing really keeps us in sync. Any mistake, usually we look to one person who would take the reins and lead us out of the mess. Sometimes its me on guitar, or the drums itself!. Most of the time it’s the guy who made the mistake, leads us out of it! The trick is to not make it LOOK like we made the mistake!.

Eight Octaves: Were you influenced by old records & tapes? Which ones?
Sriram: 3 of us in the band are country music fans. Strange that it’s a world away from what we play but yes we love a story telling approach to writing. I’ve grown up listening to various kinds of music putting me in various moods, if I want that mood in my song, ill know where to go I guess!. But for Tails on fire, I guess my influences are 90’s jump rock specialists, Rage against the machine, POD, Sugar ray, Hot action cop…..

Eight Octaves: How would you incorporate ‘world music’ into the band curriculum?
Sriram: We don’t have conventional songwriting and song structure. We ourselves using western instruments create something totally new. Since it’s not a trivial matter where you take a carnatic/Celtic riff and put it along with a ragger beat and put a Spanish rap to it!. That’s just biryani!. We like to make our own dish, so we aren’t really a party of a single genre (hate that word) of music. Makes us world-ish!???

Eight Octaves: According to you, what amounts to a great ‘gig’ session?
Sriram: When we get off stage with a smile on our faces and we are deaf with the screams of the crowd that partied with us and had a great time!.

July 30, 2013

July 30, 2013September 18, 2022 Varun Khatri

Interview With Xanadoo

Eight Octaves: Tell us about your early days a bit. How was Xanadoo formed?
Zak: We started out when we were in secondary school and in 2006 it was just me and the drummer started a band just playing cover songs and it took about a year or two played our first show and then also it was small shows and things like that.

Eight Octaves: Your songs have a distinctive sound, something like Metallica’s sound in Kill ‘em All. Take us through your song writing and composing process a bit.
Zak: Nowadays I’m in Canada. The other two are in Singapore. So most of the time, I record a riff and email it to one of them or Shiva would write something and send and we end up jamming and then structure it down. We get to jam once a year!

Eight Octaves: When composing a new track, do you prefer to stick to a theme and write something on it? Or is it a random thought that hits you and then the lyrics come out along with the music?
Shiva: We get stoned a lot.
Zak: the only theme we write about is fast and we try to not be totally serious with the lyrics. Nothing like fuck the police or any kind of message.

Eight Octaves: How is the music scene in Singapore? How easy or hard is it for new bands to get noticed?
Zak: The music scene in general is good. There are a lot of famous and popular rock bands like observatory. In terms of the metal scene, it has its highs and its lows. A few really big bands like Rudra have an entire sub genre in India. Back in the 90s, if a band released a cassette, they could easily sell 10000 of them. The internet came and changed a lot and now it’s a lot more organic. Few organizers would come and a few bands would release an album. Also because of the national service in Singapore, people lose out on the most creative parts of their life. It gets in the way of the bands.

Asia still has to come together to have a really good market for this type of music. So you see one or two bands from Singapore signed to overseas records and It’s still really difficult for them to get shows. So you basically have to see where it goes. Even bands like Rudra are doing self released albums. I Don’t know what the future holds but I think if you persevere, something can happen.

Eight Octaves: Coming back to the band, what would be the most memorable or weird gig/moment for you as a band?
Zak: The most memorable performance would have to be the Philippines. When we just started off with the first chord, people started stage diving. But the weirdest concert would have to be in Spain, where a guy came up to me and said, “just let it be man” and I was like WTF! We are going to release a live album of that show and you would probably hear that guy.

Mahesha: there is a place in the south of France, where we played our first show and there about 150 people who went crazy and they didn’t let us get off stage. We ended up bringing up songs that we never thought we would play and half an hour later they made us go back on stage.

Eight Octaves: If given a chance to open for an international band, for which band would you like to open for? (Answers from all band members would be appreciated)
Mahesha: Metallica! Because that’s what we started out with. But I listen to anything from classic rock to contemporary.
Zak: I would love to open for Whiplash and Zeke.

Eight Octaves: How has been your experience in India so far? Had any chance to go sight-seeing?
Mahesha: We didn’t do much of sight-seeing, we just went to the Iskcon Temple. The main thing for us is the food. It’s absolutely brilliant. You get Indian food in Singapore, but here it’s another level. And the prices! We get to feed our fat asses and not pay too much.

Eight Octaves: When not touring or jamming with the band, how do you spend your free time?
Zak: Basically just listening to music and wasting time on Facebook and YouTube. Maybe read a book now and then and play some soccer.
Mahesha: Pretty much the same thing and sitting and talking to friends for hours about absolutely nothing and wasting our lives away.
Shiva: The other day I saw a guy twirling his moustache, so I think I’m gonna spend time twirling my own and try and get it pointy.

Eight Octaves: What are your future plans? A new album in the making or maybe an international tour in the bag?
Zak: The live album from the show in Vigo, Spain. Hopefully we will release it within a month. We are planning to do a few splits with a couple of local bands from Singapore. We will be doing one with the oldest band in Singapore – Global Chaos.

Eight Octaves: Is there a message you would like to share with the up and coming metal bands in India?
Shiva: Stay out of my way! 😛
Zak: Just have fun, That’s the basic thing for a band. If you don’t enjoy what you do, it’s just pointless.
Mahesha: Don’t think about the pay offs. Having fun comes first.

https://xanadoo.bandcamp.com/album/thrashing-in-the-east-split-w-fastkill-jpn

July 26, 2013

July 26, 2013September 18, 2022 8octaves Music

PICK OF THE WEEK – THE BUDDHA THERAPY

1. How would you warm up a band? Give us tips.

Warming up is very important. The best way for the whole band to do so is to jam freely without any preconceived structure. Its great fun and helps everyone blow off some steam!

2. How would you usually choose repertoire for your ensemble?

For our setlist , we draw heavily from our influences. With six members in the band, you can imagine the huge spectrum of artistes and genres that comes into consideration. The other aspects include the instrumentation and arrangement which suit our personnel and style the best, and the crowd that we’ll be performing for.

3. Tell us about a favourite composition project you guys have done.

We have a soft spot for our original ’27’ We obviously LOVE all our songs, but the thing is Brandon Boyd( INCUBUS) shared 27 on his Facebook profile! He also mentioned that the song reminds him of the early incubus sound !Now this is HUGE news and coming from the man himself, we are just blessed!

4. What would a student-centered approach look like in the band rehearsal setting?

Actually, everyone in the band is a student at present. Being a student allows you to devote more time for rehearsals and more flexibility in doing so. With the right amount of dedication however, factors like these hardly matter in the larger scheme of things.

5. What rhythm and/or tonal syllable systems do you use in your compositions?

There is no such fixed system. We prefer to compose by jamming and things somehow fall into place. Working with a rigid structure in mind diminishes the musicality of a composition. When a certain part like say a structure for the verse, or chorus is done, we like to explore the different possibilities around it and experiment. Basically anything that sounds good is good!

6. What do you practice – exercises, new tunes, hard tunes, etc.?

Band practice usually consists of a couple of rounds of our originals and favorite covers and lots of free jamming. Individual practice routine is different for everyone obviously.

7. How do you handle mistakes during a performance?

Performing live does make one adept in handling mistakes! You just ignore the mistake and just carry on playing like it never happened. This is where experience counts! Minor mistakes are part of playing live and make the performance more memorable! Sometimes you play something by mistake and it sounds awesome, and then you make it a part of the song!

8. Were you influenced by old records & tapes? Which ones?

Oh yes! What we play is the amalgamation of all the music that we have heard and absorbed till now. The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, King Crimson, The Grateful Dead, Parliament Funkadelic, Frank Zappa, Cream, Peter Green, The Yardbirds, and Nick Drake are the few that come to mind at the moment.

10. According to you, what amounts to a great ‘gig’ session?

For a gig to be labeled as ‘great’ , the sound onstage should be great so that we can properly hear ourselves, the payment should be fat an handsome( :p) and most importantly the crowd should be kickass. Really it all depends on the crowd, they make it all worth it.

July 16, 2013

July 16, 2013September 24, 2022 Varun Khatri

Interview With at Iced Earth

Iced Earth, the heavy metal legends from America, were in India to headline Bangalore Open Air, held on July 6, 2013. As a part of the promotion of event, a pre-gig press conference was held on the eve of the event. Here are some excerpts from the press meet.

Note: This interview has been transcribed taking in everyone’s inputs and questions into consideration.

Q) Could you tell us about your new album ‘Plagues Of Babylon’? Is it a step in the new direction or Iced Earth are gonna do what they do best?

Jon Schaffer: We gotta do what we do best, of course and there’re definitely some new elements on there but I don’t really want to get into specifics like the theme and everything because we’re gonna do one press release worldwide. When that time comes, the album cover and all will be released. But yeah, the album’s heavy, it’s dark, it’s very melodic and there’re definitely some new tones we’re gonna be using.

Q) How difficult has it been in composing and writing music with changing vocalists?

John: Actually it depends on the ability of the singer to handle what the song requires. So, you gotta make decisions when you hire somebody into the band that you know they’re gonna be versatile enough to handle what the songwriting requires. But I must say, all the vocalists, Stu, Tim and Matt are all capable at very wide ranges and they’re also very different. That’s a judgement you have to make while auditioning for the band.

Q) It’s not just the vocalist, but there have been a lot of line-changes in the band in all these years. Does it help in some way or does it leave you with a lot of problems?

John: I think it’s necessary. You know, surviving in the middle of a heavy metal band is a little difficult. There are a lot of challenges that go on. For me it’s the whole spectrum of life and existence. So it does make it challenging. Everybody that has come into the band, has put their unique personality to their parts and also to the execution of their parts and that’s really great, if you ask me.

Q) The specific subgenre of music that Iced Earth plays has always been a subject of debate. How do you guys personally classify yourself?

John: We’re Heavy Metal! That’s it! There’s nothing else to it! It’s just balls to the wall heavy metal and I think that’s what we play! I mean there’re always people who discuss a lot over genres of metal but you know it’s kinda lame because you know some people categorize us as Power Metal but it’s not fair because there’re a lot more elements in Iced Earth than just that. I just told the guy in Rolling Stone India the other day; we have emotions and dynamics that can go from a spectrum of Pink Floyd to Slayer and everything in between. So, it’s always been about creating a musical journey for the listener and giving him an emotional roller coaster ride, when we’re on the stage. It’s all about dynamics. So we’re a metal band, I guess that’s it.

Q) When it comes to the artwork, can you tell me how much does the band actually have part in it or is it just that you make the music and give it to the person who handles it?

John: No, I’m involved in every step. It’s actually a time consuming process.

Q) Is it as important as the music itself?

John: Yeah, because it’s actually all connected. It is very important. There’s always a theme connected to an Iced Earth record ninety percent of the time. I like to have the whole package, you know, from the kind of tones you choose for the instruments to the tones of the artwork.

Stu: Yeah it all kinda fits!

Q) So Iced Earth has two relatively new members, Luke on the bass and Raphael on the drums. How involved have they been in the creative input of their new album, ‘Plagues Of Babylon’?

John: Well, Luke contributed a couple of cool riffs on the record. But, you know the point of us getting together and rehearsing is getting the correct execution of everyone’s part. It’s not necessary that everyone just comes up with their part but it’s also the execution part that matters because everyone has his own touch in whatever he does, you know the singer, the drummer, the guitar player. Ralph’s really bringing some cool fills and groove to the sound and I think we’re really happy with what he’s doing.

Q) What are your thoughts on how metal has evolved through the ages and do you have any specific thoughts on this old school and new school divide, a discussion that plagues the metal world perpetually?

John: Not really, you know (Laughs). Are you asking me? Because somebody else can answer that as well! I don’t really worry myself with that kinda stuff. I’m worried just about Iced Earth!

Stu: For me, ever since I’ve got into heavy metal, of course it has changed, the bands have changed, and the sound has changed. There’s always that “flavour” of the month, you know what I mean. But I’ve always connected to bands like Iced Earth, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and all these other bands that I have connected to have longevity. I know that I’m involved in creating music and I just focus at the project in hand. So, you know there’s always gonna be different styles, but I just connect to “heavy metal”.

John: One thing is cool though. Once in a while you get a breath of fresh air, something that’s new and for me Volbeat is one of those bands, and also Ghost. I mean Michael (Poulsen) brought these elements of all these artists he grew up listening to like Iced Earth, Metallica, Mercyful Fate, Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley and you know, Social Distortion. He has put all these things together to make a very unique sounding band and I believe they are going to be the leader of the new genre. You know that’s really cool and a breath of fresh air for me. And also, Ghost! I hear a blend of a lot of sounds. So you know, it’s always refreshing!

Q) How much has the American Heavy Metal industry changed since the mid-80s and do you have anything to say about the local Florida scene?

John: I haven’t lived in Florida since 1997. So, I have no idea what’s going on there. But I mean I have seen a lot of changes come and go in the music industry in the States. The mid-80s was the zenith for heavy metal. Bands like Maiden and Priest were selling out every arena in America and there were a lot of metal bands. But then we stepped into the grunge era, which is where metal really kinda stepped in the background, but it always had a fan base. If you look at the success that Metallica had and still has today, there is an audience there. But the problem with America is that so many people are just like mindless sheep. They just swallow what the corporate America shoves down their throats. And the same goes with the music industry, I mean, here MTV’s pushing it and that’s what the flavour of the month is and that is what people go for. So we’ve seen this thing time to time and metal kinda went into the underground. It was always there and you can see the proof in Metallica’s ticket sale, in the 90’s.

The independent metal scene that I saw start with the Death Metal bands that came up in the late 80s and early 90s was a very small scene when compared to what the big guys like Maiden and Priest and all those big guys did back in the 80s. So, yes we’ve seen a lot of changes.

Q) About the show tomorrow (Bangalore Open Air, July 6, 2013), what can crowd expect from Iced Earth? How’s your setlist going to be like?

John: We just have an hour and we are working on our eleventh studio albums (chuckles) and you know that Iced Earth songs are kinda long. So, it’s a challenge but we’re touching on a lot of cool areas but we cannot hit them all; that’s impossible.

Journalist: Mostly new songs or old?

John: It’ll be a mixture.

Stu: Expect a lot of energy. Expect us to kick some ass.

John: We expect from you too.

Stu: Yeah, they will (laughs)