Threinody, a thrash metal band from Bangalore, is working on its debut album after a five-year break. The band talks about its music which is ‘heavier than metal’ and how real-life incidents inspire them to write songs
At first, it reads like the script of the Hindi movie Rock On!! The four-member Bangalore-based thrash metal band Threinody was formed in 1996 by a group of three college students in Bangalore. And today, after a five-year hiatus, Threinody is all set to roar on September 13 at the Bangalore Open Air music festival and later, release their unnamed debut album. In 2000, the band bagged the first prize at the National Law School’s music festival Strawberry Fields and had gigs all over the country, including at NH7 Weekender in 2012.
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From left: Siddhart Kamath, Premik Jolly, Shreyas Kamath and Siddharth Naidu
Threinody comprises bass guitarist and vocalist Siddharth Naidu, who also works as a network specialist technical writer, drummer Shreyas Kamath, who works for an event management company, guitarist, full-time musician and Shreyas’s brother Siddhart Kamath and sound engineer Premik Jolly, who plays the guitar for the band and also runs a construction firm. Excerpts from an interview.
Q. What does ‘Threinody’ mean?
A. Siddharth Naidu: An ex-member came across the word in the dictionary. It is a Greek word meaning song of grief — songs that people sing while mourning the death of someone in the battlefield and bringing their bodies back.
Q. What forced the band to take a five-year break?
A. Premik Jolly: Our old drummer shifted to Goa to settle down. Even though we were not active during the break, all of us would meet and play our instruments. We were busy with our jobs and personal lives. But we regrouped nearly one-and-a-half years ago and this year, we got a new guitarist as well.
Q. Can you talk a bit about the band’s music and lyrics? How have they changed over the years?
A. SN: When we first started out, we were interested in playing music that was heavier than what the college bands were playing. We were inspired by bands such as Metallica, Slayer and Black Sabbath. We wanted to compose fast and heavier music — music that was a heavier form of metal. Our lyrics are inspired by anything that we find thought provoking — anything that is real. We have songs about war, reincarnation and human isolation.
PJ: You won’t find songs about science fiction or anything fictional. Our songs talk about real issues, such as social stigmas, for example.
Q. Premik, you own a studio and are also a sound engineer. You are also the producer of the band’s debut album. What can you tell us about the unnamed album?
A. Six or seven years ago, we released an EP (Extended Play) which is still available to download. This is our first full-length album and we already have 15 to 16 songs ready to be put on paper, so we will shortlist anywhere between 10 to 13 songs for the album.
Q. Can we expect a release by the end of the year?
A. SN: That is what we are aiming for, but it is difficult (laughs). Releasing an album is a time intensive thing and not easy. However, we are setting time aside to record the album now.