'Metal music is here to stay'

Music with a message is what city-based thrash band 'The Black Regiment' strongly believes in. Despite it's lineup changes, the band, which now comprises Akshun Kumar, Gopal Krishna, Abhishek Jain, Sharath U Holla and Darshan Hegde,  has gone  through a maturing of music.

With the release of their latest EP 'Righteous Mutiny', the band has reached greater heights  and gained more popularity among metal fans.

In an interview with Tini Sara Anien, the members talk about their new EP.    

What is the music the band believes in?

Darshan:  Just like the band's name represents, black is a symbol of revolt and the regiment is a force which stands against what's wrong. We are a group which aims to bring out messages through our music. We also include interesting Indian elements like Sankrit 'shlokas'.

Describe your music...

Sharath: We are a new wave of Indian thrash metal music. Other thrash metal bands have a certain style and musicality, which we are different  from. We use elements like new riffs and add a modern touch to our music. We try to experiment more  and the arrangement of our songs is not like others.  

Tell us about the latest EP.

Abhishek: Our latest EP is called 'Righteous Mutiny' and has four tracks in it which are 'The Upheaval', 'Black Flag', 'We're One' and 'The Ultimate Soldier'. The EP is based on the concept of what is going on around us. Some of the songs are a tribute to the Indian Army and 'The Ultimate Soldier' is based on true events.

Does the band have other  compositions?

Abhishek: There are four more songs in the pipeline. We received a phenomenal response once our EP was out on iTunes and Google Play Store. We just want to keep making music as it will help us keep our sound alive.    

What do you think about the metal scene now?

Darshan: In Bengaluru, there is a lot of groupism right now. But having said that, there is also a strong sense of unity in the metal brotherhood. The genre has survived for so many years. Metal music is here to stay.  

What is more exciting - live acts or recording?

Akshun: Live acts mean a lot more to us than studio recordings. Our energy  is our biggest plus point.  

Is innovation in music important now?

Darshan: I strongly believe the music has to be experimented with frequently. Unless there is a change, the music won't go anywhere. Music has to go through continuous evolution, which is the natural law. Though there are bands which have survived by sticking to their style, we feel that innovation is required for taking music ahead.    

Who are your biggest inspirations?

Gopal: We are deeply inspired by the revolutionary Bhagat Singh.  Musically, we are deeply inspired by 'Slayer', 'Megadeth', 'Pantera' and 'Iron Maiden' to name a few.

Your definition of music.

Gopal: Music is an inspiration or motivation to send out our messages and what we are trying to say. Our songs have a concept behind them. We do not create music just for the sake of it.