Metal-heads unite for the Bangalore Open Air.
With bands such as Nile, Coroner, Galaxy Runner and Kryptos part of the same line-up, it isn’t really difficult to convince the average Indian metal head to make their way down to Bangalore Open Air. While Bangalore Open Air may be the annual congregation for Indian metal-heads, the city of Bangalore witnessed one of the most epic evenings of headbanging the night before, at the Bangalore Open Air pre-party.
Tonight: Genocide Shrines, Shepherd, Dying Embrace, Aempyrean, & Trankvillus. Rs. 500 entry. 7 PM.#thehummingtree #bangalore #music pic.twitter.com/Q6uH9ppgVV
— The Humming Tree (@The_HummingTree) June 30, 2017
Now, this is what the metal scene needs more of. Trankvillus, Aempyrean, Shepherd and Dying Embrace were there representing Indian metal scene, while Genocide Shrines came all the way from Sri Lanka. While the Bangalore Open Air does a lot to promote the metal community in India by bringing international metal bands to the country, they are still lacking with their representation of the local metal scene, with only 2 metal bands from India playing, one of them being legendary band, Kryptos who everyone knows about anyway. However, the pre-party for the event over-compensated for this lack of representation.
Trankvillus were the first band to take stage. A band from Bangalore, the group composed music with clear influences from 80’s thrash metal. This was the first time a lot of people were witnessing Trankvillus perform live and the group even seemed a little bit nervous. However, this is what was great about that night, that it provided a platform for lesser-known metal bands to perform. Trankvillus got the crowd warmed up as metal-heads slowly trickled in throughout their set.
TRANKVILLUS live#thehummingtree #bangalore #music #openair #gigalert #concert #rock pic.twitter.com/W33VAfhQhe
— The Humming Tree (@The_HummingTree) June 30, 2017
Next up were Aempyrean, an extreme metal band that brought together thrash, death and black metal into one heavy concoction. As soon as these guys began playing, they really took charge of the stage. The band was really tight and their collective experience as performers was evident, with the band being composed of members from Dhwesha and Witchgoat. With Aempyrean, the metal-heads of Bangalore experienced the first band of the night who were truly mosh-pit worthy.
Sludge band SHEPHERD took the stage next and were perhaps the highlight of the evening. While Shepherd is known for their tendencies to slow down and play some seriously doom-y music, the evening saw the group perform some of their newer material, which doesn’t possess the same characteristics. Shepherd’s older stuff is more jam-based and even psychedelic. However, they’ve taken a sharp turn with their newer songs that resonate heavily with hardcore punk. Their set was a mix of chaotic, 2-minute long, angry rants along with extended riff-based compositions.
Shepherd LIVE.#thehummingtree #bangalore #music #openair #gigalert #concert #rock pic.twitter.com/2h5svedM1k
— The Humming Tree (@The_HummingTree) June 30, 2017
Local metal legends, Dying Embrace were the next band on stage. If you’re a metal-head and haven’t heard of Dying Embrace, then shame on you. The band has been around for more than 25 years and they are one of the first extreme metal bands from India. As the last Indian band took the stage, Dying Embrace asserted why they are true juggernauts of the Indian metal scene. By now, the venue was packed with old and new fans alike as they payed tribute to the metal veterans with their devil-horn gestures.
Genocide Shrines, the headliners were the last to take the stage. The band came all the way from Colombo, Sri Lanka to lay down some seriously heavy songs. Perhaps what was most fascinating about their set was the use of on-stage theatrics. Metal music has a long history with theatrics, whether it is corpse paint, fake blood or costumes. That tradition lived on through the set of Genocide Shrines, who likened themselves to some sort of militants. These theatrics were a perfect accompaniment to the seriously heavy music they played.
BOA pre party ft. Genocide Shrines.#thehummingtree #bangalore #music #openair #gigalert #concert #rock pic.twitter.com/ptDw78nRSQ
— The Humming Tree (@The_HummingTree) June 30, 2017
The Bangalore Open Air pre-party was a night of celebration for the Indian metal community that showcased some of the country’s finest. Fans left that night with their adrenaline still pumping, symptoms of whiplash and a big smile on their faces. India has one of the most rapidly developing metal scenes in the world. Nights like the one of the Bangalore Open Air pre-party ensure are one of the reasons statements like that can be made and will be continued to be made.
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