Hailing from the city of dreams – Mumbai, Sceptre are considered as one of the giants in the Thrash Metal scene of the country. After 5 years of dormancy, they are back with their new album – Age of Calamity (Review). We caught up with drummer Aniket Waghmode for a little interview before their album launch:
Eight Octaves: Take us through the formative years of the band.
Aniket: Sceptre was formed in 1998. I was in college, so was Janus. I met Timir Chimulkar through a mutual friend and got to know he was looking for a drummer for his band. I jammed couple of times with Tim. Soon Janus Sayal joined our jamming sessions. We all clicked instantly musically as well as personally. We had a friend called Ajay who used to play lead guitars and wasn’t really keen on playing for a metal band! We got him on board somehow and we played our first gig on 1st December at Mood Indigo, Powai. It was magical!
Eight Octaves: You are known as a Thrash Metal band predominantly, but while performing live you have a very versatile set list. You have covered Metallica, Ozzy and even Joe Satriani. How would you describe your sound or your music?
Aniket: We have always been a Thrash Metal band, though our new album treads a bit into the Deathcore territory. We started covering bands out of sheer love and respect for them. Metallica has always been our biggest inspirations. We even did a ‘Metallica Night’ way back when we started. After Ajay quit, we had a bad-ass lead guitarist called Amar Negi. His musical interests were really varied. That’s why we also started covering bands like Ozzy, Joe Satriani etc which showcased his lead-guitar skills. But that was then.
Eight Octaves: You were active during the revolutionary era of Metal music in India. After 15 years, how does the scene look currently, compared to the time when you started?
Aniket: It sure looks promising than ever! It’s a humbling feeling to see guys who used to help us on stage, playing for such talented bands and now share the stage with us. I don’t want to sound like a ‘been-there-done-that’ kinda guy…hahaha!! But we are really happy to see the different avenues that have opened up for Indian metal.
Eight Octaves: Your first album – Now or Never, which was released in 2008, got a pretty decent response from the crowd. But to all of our surprise, you guys went totally underground and then resurfaced around the end of 2012 announcing your second album. What was the reason behind you hibernating and not riding the momentum created after the first album was released?
Aniket: It was simple. Timir Chimulkar who formed the band with me and fronted the band for 11 years had decided to quit. We weren’t ready for that. It was something we weren’t expecting but deep down we knew it was coming. Apart from that, I became a father in 2009 and anyone who has a kid knows how life changes after the birth of a baby. We were jamming even around this time but didn’t have a direction as such. Then we started auditioning for vocalists and slowly and steadily started getting back into the scene. People had completely written us off, but that just fuelled our ambitions.
Eight Octaves: 5 years on, you are back with a new line up and an impressive comeback gig with Zygnema, Devoid and Demonic Resurrection. A new album coming our way, what else is in store for the Sceptre fans for the year?
Aniket: Hell yeah! The new album is our way of making up to our fans for keeping them waiting for so long. Believe me, we never ever thought of calling it quits. That said, we are planning to launch a video this year and if all goes as per the plan, an international gig too! *fingers crossed*
Eight Octaves: Now let’s talk about the new album – Age of Calamity. What can we expect from the album? More brutal angry music like before? Or are we in for a surprise?
Aniket: ‘Age of Calamity’ is as brutal as it can get. The album is homage to women all over the world especially this country; who have been victims of rapes, murders, female foeticides, acid attacks etc. If you listen to our intro song called ‘Solitude’ you’ll know what I’m talking about. It just sickens me to the core to see the condition of women in our country and what makes it more worse is how weak our judicial system is to tackle this issue. We as band firmly believe in death penalty for rapists. The music is fast and in-your-face. The surprise element would be the fact that we’ve ditched solos in this album.
Eight Octaves: Any music videos in store for us after the album release? Maybe a multi-city tour to support the album?
Aniket: Yep…we are working on a music video. Multi-city tour?…..not yet!
Eight Octaves: What are your views on the current trend of genre bashing and discrimination in the country?
Aniket: I really couldn’t care less!
Eight Octaves: With so many international acts coming to India in recent times, who would you like to see perform or maybe open for, this year?
Aniket: We sure as hell would’ve loved to open for Metallica. But i guess it’s too late for that. I would’ve personally loved to see Sylosis, Decapitated, Gojira. I know they played some years back in India but I would love to see ‘em live again.
Eight Octaves: We have a lot of new bands coming up these days in India, who according to you guys, among this young brigade, can carry forward the legacy of Metal in the country?
Aniket: I haven’t been able to listen to many Indian bands lately, but from what I’ve seen, the first that come to my mind are Zygnema from Mumbai. They are so freakin’ tight and it’s always a pleasure to share stage with them. They deserve every bit of adulation they are receiving. One talented lot!Eight Octaves: Lastly, some advices for upcoming bands. As we know these days most people are interested in the genre rather than the music.
Aniket: Be true to your music. It’s the band that makes you what you are; it’s never the other way round.
