With an uptick in moshpits and blistering solos after a hiatus, Mumbai’s metallers are hitting harder than ever
Sahil Makhija AKA Demonstealer in his studio ahead of his band Demonic Resurrection’s performance at Scarfest Festival in December. Pic/Anurag Ahire
Every year reports about the revival of metal in India surface, citing the dozen or so bands scattered across Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru as evidence.
ADVERTISEMENT
However, 2024 has been an especially remarkable year, particularly for Mumbai-based bands. Zygnema released their EP titled Iconic, with remarkable tracks like Grind and the title-track Iconic, while Bhayanak Maut dropped two singles—Ctrl+All+Del and Revenge of the Roachsmokers.
Performances have also created a buzz, with over a dozen metal gigs hosted at antiSocial, Lower Parel, throughout the year, along with prominent appearances at Mahindra Independence Rock in November, and the highly anticipated Scarfest on December 15, where Providence will play their first gig since 2019.
Zygnema’s Sidharth Kadadi at his institute and studio Guitar Garage Inc, in Kandivli. Pic/Nimesh Dave
For a subculture as niche as metal, these are impressive milestones. This buzz in the city’s metal community is a welcome change after a long hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. And while filmi music may be the over-culture in Mumbai, there’s a burgeoning underground metal scene and the city is home to some of the biggest names in the country.
Demonic Resurrection has been active for a quarter of a century, and continues to thrive despite multiple lineup changes. Veterans such as Bhayanak Maut have been around for over two decades, and Zygnema is on the verge of completing two decades in the scene. These Mumbai-based bands are household names in India’s metal community. Other prominent names responsible for some of the most intense moshpits are Gutslit, Dirge, Pacifist, Oblitera, and Darkrypt, among others.
The scene in Pune, whose players often collaborate with the Mumbai community, also thrives with bands such as Kasck making waves globally. The metallers performed at Wacken Open Air in Germany in August this year, one of the world’s most prestigious heavy metal festivals.
Providence performing at antisocial, Lower Parel
Over the years, the Indian metal scene has undergone a sea change. Demonic Resurrection’s frontman Sahil Makhija says, “Initially, the audience expected covers rather than original compositions. It took time and persistence and eventually, audiences warmed up to this.” Another reason Indian bands used to cover foreign metal music is because the latter rarely tour India. It only makes sense, as metal is not deeply rooted in Indian culture. Even today, to many, it’s just noise.
However, within the country, Mumbai’s metal scene has carved out an identity of its own. The city even influences the genre. Makhija tells how Mumbai’s essence seeps into his music, often unconsciously. “There were a few songs that didn’t make it to the final EPs because the music company was scared that somebody would vandalise their office… The songs carried themes inspired by the city’s changing political landscape, issues such as moving to the northern suburbs due to skyrocketing living costs,” says the frontman who has released five albums since 2000. The city’s influence on Zygnema shows in their latest track, Grind. The video has visuals drawn from across the city and the lyrics are in Marathi, interspersed with English.
While artistes from across the country share a strong camaraderie, Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai fans frequently clash over which city is more metal. Zygnema’s guitarist, Sidharth Kadadi, says, “Look, Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai are different beasts. Mumbai’s metal scene has evolved significantly in the last decade, with the audience showing more support for local bands. Honestly, I feel the scene here is leading the way now.”
Bhayanak Maut at Bandland Rock Festival, Bengaluru. Pic/Abhishek Gupta
The Kandivli resident explains, “Back in the day, it was all about big international acts coming in. That was a huge deal for people. But now, the focus has shifted. People are more invested in supporting local bands—like, bringing together the best bands from across the city and really getting behind them.”
The economics of the genre are worth noting. “It’s a privileged form of music,” Makhija says, “It typically appeals to individuals who have access to resources such as music streaming platforms, international content, and live shows—things that often exclude certain demographics. While metal may draw some middle-class fans, the majority of its audience tends to come from relatively well-off backgrounds.” All the metal musicians Sunday mid-day spoke to have day jobs because there is hardly any revenue in this genre in India. All of them also unanimously agreed—they don’t do it for the money.
While Zygnema’s Kadadi says that a mix of three-four fresh bands in Mumbai can pull in a crowd of at least 150 people for a concert, Schubert Fernandes, a publicist and Indie artist advisor with over a decade in the metal scene, explains, “Even for an established band in a city like Mumbai, the average attendance is around 250-350 people. Besides the niche nature of the genre poses a lack of venues that support it. The only one that consistently promotes metal gigs is antiSocial.” Kadadi, Makhija, and Fernandes all agree that at every gig, they encounter familiar faces—roughly 100-120 regular fans—a proof of just how niche the genre remains in a city of over two crore people.
Raunak Singh, a metalhead since 2009 who has seen both Indian and international acts, says that in hyper-masculine spaces such as moshpits, 99.99 per cent of the attendees are men. “Though it’s a rare sight, moshing with women metalheads is always a treat. In my 15 years of attending concerts, I have seen less than five.”
In a conversation with Sunday mid-day tech columnist Jaison Lewis, former bassist and founding member of Bhayanak Maut, we learned that even in the early 2000s, the crowd at their gigs was made up of familiar faces. Lewis recalls, “Whether it was college fests or major events such as Independence Rock Festival, it was always the same people in the audience.”
Today, Lewis, based in Germany, says, “One aspect I deeply miss is Gigpad, an online forum where metal and rock enthusiasts could connect, exchange ideas, and share their passion. Alongside Rock Street Journal forums, it served as a hub for like-minded individuals. Interestingly, Bhayanak Maut was born on that very forum—a year or two before we ever played a gig. Many of the band’s founding members, including Venky [Vinay Venkatesh, vocalist], were active on Gigpad, which fostered the initial connections.”
It’s perhaps this community of musicians that has since evolved into the Bombay Metal Project, a collective that brings together vocalists, drummers, bassists, guitarists, and even a keyboardist from Mumbai and Pune bands such as Bhayanak Maut, Zygnema, Devoid, Pangea, Cosmic Infusion, Gutslit, and Goddess Gagged, to name a few.
However, despite the uptick in shows and releases this year, Bhayanak Maut’s bassist (guitarist) R Venkatraman believes that the scene always seems to be in a constant cycle of comeback, but never fully taking off. “Mumbai’s metal scene has always been active on a small scale. And despite the genre’s evolution,” he says, “The regular opportunities for bands to perform have unfortunately diminished. Earlier, many college gigs and college festivals played a key role in promoting metal. Today there are fewer such events, and most venues are no longer as welcoming of metal music. Many promoters have shifted their focus towards electronic music events because they draw in larger crowds, leaving metal bands with fewer places to perform.” He feels Bengaluru is better, in that sense, because there are more metal festivals and venues that welcome metal. Makhija echoes this sentiment, saying, “While platforms like Mahindra Independence Rock do support metal bands, there are very few specialised platforms for the genre. Scarfest is one of the exceptions.”
Kadadi finds the scene’s self-sustenance the most important thing. Today, it is also more tech-enabled. “When we started out in 2005-06,” he says, “recording music was a challenge. You had to find the right people, pool resources, and put in significant effort just to produce a demo, which would cost around R20,000 to R30,000. Today, with modern software and easier access to the Internet and high-performance PCs, you can record an entire album for the same amount.”
Metalheads are a breed apart. For creatures that only wear black, spend a significant number of hours annually perfecting their hair to look like Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine, or headbanging so intensely they can’t move their necks, veterans believe it’s no longer just about the “coolness” factor—their taste and sense has evolved. Demonic Resurrection, for example, which is categorised as a symphonic death metal band, has a layered sound, and its own dedicated followers who truly understand and appreciate these subtleties. “Within metal,” Makhija explains, “some sounds are more popular than others. Our sound, more than being layered or complex, is simply less mainstream—it’s a niche within the already niche genre of metal.”
However, it’s worth noting that symphonic death metal, like many other subgenres, doesn’t enjoy the same mainstream appeal as more common or straightforward metal variants such as thrash and groove. In a previous conversation, Makhija had mentioned, “[Indian] Metal seen quick evolution [in the last decade], but the audience hasn’t grown at the same rate.”
Globally, the scene has gained a sure footing. In a research conducted by Spotify, heavy metal fans were named the “most loyal”, and British music magazine Kerrang! published statistics that heavy metal was the fastest-growing genre globally, with a 154 per cent rise in streaming and download numbers across iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, Deezer and Google Play.
Nevertheless, Makhija offers a harsh reality for aspiring metal musicians in India. “If you want to pursue music as a career, especially metal, be prepared to take on everything—from Bollywood gigs and ad jingles to wedding covers and corporate shows. Metal is driven by passion and culture, but it’s not something that will sustain you financially. There are two paths in front of you. It’s time to choose the red pill or the blue pill,” he says.
While the scene in Mumbai may not be as robust as in western countries, the horns will always be raised in the moshpit, as they always have, through band breakups, a global pandemic, and an overwhelming mainstream crowd.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
