JOIN USIt’s their love for metal that brought the city-based band ‘Among The Signs’ on the musical map.
The band members Abhishek KV, Glen Mc’enroe, Riza Ficker and Stanley David feel that their songs speaks from their heart.
In a candid chat with Tini Sara Anien, Stanley and Glen share about their journey so far.
How would you define yourself?
Stanley: We are a progressive metal core/death core band. We have evolved over the years. From being a straightforward metal core band to a progressive version, we have come a long way.
Tell us about your new single.
Stanley: Most of the songs by metal bands are of a negative nature and darkness. ‘Days in betrayal’ is one of our darkest songs ever written.The concept of this song is about forgiving and forgetting, and how important it is to move on.
How did the song come about?
Stanley: It’s based on a personal experience where I told myself that I had to let go off grudges. It also intends to encourage others to do so. The song deals with anyone who has to coexist with people who they do not share the same ideologies with.
Some of your other compositions...
Glen: Our most popular numbers are our originals — ‘Reverend skies’, ‘Visions’, ‘Ingenuity is bliss’, ‘Clockworks’, ‘Total damnation’ and ‘The eyes of pariah’. We are looking forward to cutting an album soon.
Does the band work on specific subjects?
Glen: Our band has a lot of cultural influences. We all come from different backgrounds of music. Most of our songs are about how to deal with negativity. Negativity and positivity go hand in hand.
Who are your inspirations?
Stanley: We draw our inspiration from bands like ‘August Burns Red’, ‘Dream Theater’, ‘Between the Buried and Me’, ‘The Contortionist’, ‘Opeth’ and ‘As I Lay Dying’.
How have they influenced your music?
Stanley: Music is a Pandora’s Box. We have learnt about the sense of professionalism from other bands.
How do you see the metal scene now?
Glen: Honestly, 2017 is an amazing year for metal. There are lots of predominant bands coming to India, which is a good sign. Compared to three years back, which saw a surge of EDM music and a slump of metal music, it is a much better scene now. Organisers are slowly understanding that one cannot be biased about a particular style of music.
Things you remember to do at each gig...
Stanley: As a vocalist, I know that we have to grasp the attention of the crowd. We let our music influence the people. Whenever people tell us that we did well, I thank them first because without them we wouldn’t be encouraged enough to do what we do.
An interesting gig that happened to the band.
Stanley: At an event in the city, we introduced a third guitarist for the act. Our music has a lot of components and this is why we tried this — it didn’t go well with our format though. We got feedback that we should stick to our original lineup.