This Sunday, Metal heads can head to Thane where Domination -- The Deathfest, a high-octane Metal festival will feature seven acts, including an 18-member band
After a successful edition in 2013, Metal music festival, Domination — The Deathfest has returned with more gigs spread over Mumbai and Hyderabad. The festival, currently on its sixth year, will open here this Sunday, and will travel to Hyderabad later this month.
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A band performing at Domination — The Deathfest 2013
“Overall, there are 14 performances, seven in Mumbai and Hyderabad respectively,” says Nitin Raj, festival organiser. The line-up in Mumbai includes Shillong’s Death Metal powerhouse, Plague Throat; Shepherd from Bangalore; Guwahati-based three-member Death Metal act, Insane Prophecy; and three local Metal favourites — Wired Anxiety, Primitiv and Killchain. Also performing, and perhaps the biggest attraction will be the Bombay Death Metal Legion, a collective of 18 new and experienced musicians from the Mumbai circuit who will pay tribute to the legends of Death Metal.
How it began?
Back in 2000, when extreme Metal festivals were non-existent in India, Rajan and the members of the now defunct band, Morticide (India), launched what he claims was the first Death Metal Festival in India, Domination — The Deathfest. The festival continued for four years, until the members of Morticide decided to call it off.
Aaron Pinto from Gutslit
In 2013, the festival was organised again after ten years, when Rajan joined hands with Riju Dasgupta (bass guitarist with Albatross) and Yash Gill to give the Death Metal festival a second life. “When we started (in 2000), there was no such festival for extreme Metal fans. The festival went well for four editions; in fact, we took The Deathfest to Bengaluru and Pune too. But then the core members of the organising team, went abroad. So, we had to discontinue it. I had been trying to bring it back since 2009, but I couldn’t find like-minded people to work with. Riju (Dasgupta) shares a similar kind of vision. So, we started it again in 2013.”
The last edition featured six acts from across India including Exhumation (India), Gutslit, Witchgoat, Atmosfear, Orion and Insane Prophecy, the only band making a return this year as well.
Why a Metal fest?
The Metal scene in India is independent, maintains Rajan adding that here, artistes produce most of the music, market it and also act as its promoters. Even music shows and performances are organised by bands themselves.
A member of Insane Prophecy performing at the festival
He adds that the Death Metal scene has survived in India largely because of college fests, which have provided this genre an ecosystem to grow, but there is not much happening beyond that. “Not only are shows fewer, there are even lesser venues. There’s no support from record labels. We believe that an increase in number of shows will inspire more youngsters to take up Metal . Hence, we always hope to feature young and upcoming bands, local as well as outstation, to give them a chance to perform, and interact with fans and with each other. This is how we started, by seeing others perform on the stage, and this is how the scene will improve and increase,” Rajan signs off.
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