JOIN USAs the final curtain-raiser to the ‘Wacken Open Air Metal Battle 2014’
in India, a show called ‘Concert Series: Indian Heavy Metal at Wacken
Open Air Vol IV’, by two bands was held at the Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan recently.
The programmed kicked off with exclusive footage from ‘Wacken 2013’ being showcased to the audience, after which followed the
gigs.
The opening act was by band ‘Orchid’. The headlining band ‘Eccentric Pendulum’ came next.
When ‘Orchid’ stepped on the stage and performed different songs, they got the crowd into the mood.
With a set-list consisting of numbers like ‘Calypso’, ‘Gaian Hypothesis’, ‘The
Observer Part 1’, ‘The Observer Part 2’ and ‘Obsolescence’, the crowd was head-banging and swaying in appreciation.
About the group, Kaushal from ‘Orchid’ said that the band has been influenced by different artistes and that they listen to a variety of
music, including obscure music.
“What we believe is an amalgamation of diverse influences. We don’t like to label ourself under a banner of music,” said Kaushal.
The evening moved onto the main act of the evening, which was by ‘Eccentric
Pendulum’.
This group talked about their trip to the Wacken festival and narrated their
experiences to the crowd. The band then played
several songs that included ‘Sepia Drowns’, ‘My Eucalyptine Depth’, ‘Tellurian Concepts’, ‘Resisting of Another Equation’ and ‘Paragon
Impermanence’.
Vibhas, who plays the drums for ‘Eccentric Pendulum’, said that the group doesn’t like to confine itself to a genre and likes to be referred to as a ‘heavy metal band’.
“We compose for ourselves and not the crowd.
So we don’t adjust our pieces according to what
the audience wants. Of the experience we had at
Wacken, we learnt exactly where we stand in the metal scene,” he said.
Vibhas added that since the metal scene wasn’t
that big here in the country, artistes could get away with what they performed.
Salman, one of the promoters of the concert series, said that the series were held to promote the ‘Wacken Open Air Metal Battle 2014’ scheduled to happen in Bangalore on April 27.
He said, “The response for each of the concerts that was held was great. The hall where the events were held is compact yet met the requirements for any performance. In fact, it was like a pub inside the hall apart from the fact that there was no alcohol served.”
The crowd members were deeply impressed by the performances and appreciated the performers.
Katrin Harm from the Goethe-Institut said that
she liked the concert quite
a lot.
“For me, it was surprising to see how well the two bands fit together, besides
the musical differences that existed. I also liked
how enthusiastic the vocalist of ‘Eccentric Pendulum’ was talking about their experience at Wacken. It was a great concert and it was fun to watch the crowd head-banging,” she said.
Neha Kaushik, an audience member, said that she was new to the City and this
was the first time she has heard ‘Eccentric Pendulum’ play.
“The concert was excellent and my friend who I took along was excited about it too. I just wished that the performance was a bit longer,” she said.