A musical take on reality

Metal magic

From when ‘Neolithic Silence’ formed in 2003 till now, their exploration of beats and notes has transcended boundaries. The metal band, that went through a series of lineup changes, transformed from a melodic metal to a thrash metal musical group in the process.

In a candid chat with Tini Sara Anien, the members of the band, Jayanth Sridhar, Narayan Shrouthy, Yadhunandan Nagaraj, Sandeep Nair and Siddhart Kamath, talk about the band’s journey and their music.

What’s the story behind the quirky name?
Jayanth: The Neolithic era is when a lot of artforms started evolving. A lot of sounds can be credited to this time. ‘Silence’ was added to give the name a mystical touch.

What has kept the band together since 2003?
Jayanth: Most musicians have a drive to keep writing music and achieve something in the scene. I went through a lot of music training during my tenure with the band, which inspired me to keep the band intact. Though people came in and out, the band stayed on because of its passion to the art.

A theme the band is often drawn to...
Siddhart: Our political scenario gives us our material. A common subject is the after-effects of war.

How do you know that this is the right material for a song?
Jayanth: Most of our early songs were written by me. I read a lot and the songs were derived from what I was reading. Since I compose the base structure of all songs, I just sit down, record the riffs and make the band hear it. And then the song happens.

Whose music inspires the band continously?
Yadhunandan: Our all-time inspirations are bands like ‘Exodus’, ‘Kreator’, ‘Testament’ and ‘Death’. Everything about these artistes is inspiring — be it their intensity, the compositions or amazing performances.

One thing that the band doesn’t go to stage without...
Sandeep: Our black shirts. We don’t perform without them. They are worn as a tribute to a member we had called Suraj, who passed away two years back.

Where does the band like to perform?
Narayan: Showcasing one’s music at college festivals has always been exciting. All the clubs in the city are very receptive to any kind of music. Our best experiences have been at blueFrog and Indigo Live Music Bar.

Is the band working on fresh compositions at present?
Jayanth: We are currently working on a full-length album. Though it’s not named yet, the album will have around ten songs. The subjects will include current affairs like water scarcity, tiger population etc.

If not a band member, what would you have been?
Jayanth: If not into music, I would have been at some wildlife sanctuary taking care of animals. I love animals!

Where does the band see itself in five years?
Narayan: We want to continue writing and making music. Generally, cities are not so open to bands coming from outside and performing, especially because of the budget. But we would love to perform in the North-east.