GIG REVIEW: THUNDERSTORM, 2014

GIG REVIEW: THUNDERSTORM, 2014

"130 and counting!"

"Sounds good."

"For the first band, bro!"

Those are the words my fellow bassist and event bouncer-cum-stamper Pruthvi Dhamdhere said to me, while we stood at the door, counting entries.

A hundred and thirty names in the cash register, and the bands weren't even in the hall!

And that, is how Thunderstorm kicked in!

Enter Wrath

On a Sabbath Classic NIB! The crowd goes wild while vocalist Anurag Bhatt places his vocals into position. It's a dream start for any band, truly.

Wrath is a five piece band from Navi Mumbai, with Mr. Bhatt on vocals, Avirath Kadam on leads, Sushant Yadav on bass, Aakash Iyer on drums and Pranav Kamath on rhythms. They've been around long enough to be recognized and respected in the scene.

Wrath churned out a whole load of might in their set. From their brand new OC Warzone to Pantera's excellent Walk cover, they were the ritual to awaken that beast of a crowd. A "job well done", especially to Avirath Kadam on the solos.

Narkasur

If you've ever been to any one of their performances this year, you would know the force to be reckoned with. Narkasur doesn't relent, not on their sound, neither their theatrics. Formed only a year back, time and again they have proved the worth and stood up to the name, which in all glory is no bull.

Violence in Silence is their first OC, and the crowd favorite. Shravan's gutsy vocals and Kunal Singh's footwork clearly stream the song to its path, a representation of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre at Amritsar, Punjab, India. Their set consisted of their second OC Destroyed In Fire, along with the unveiling of the brand new Legislative Of Thrash. They ended their set with a demolishing cover of Roots Bloody Roots, with the Mythpsyde vocalist Pankaj Sundhriyal on the front. All in all, a superb performance, and definitely one of the newer metal sounds to watch out for.

Orcus

This heavyweight has been around since mid 2010, delivering us the truest metal always! Undergoing a few lineup changes over the years, Orcus have made it clear, they were here long before the kids joined metal bands, and will be here while a few more kids form new metal bands and try break into the scene.

Adit Khanzode's vocals have been leaving the crowd wanting ever since he joined the band and it was clear when they opened their set with A Terrorists' Utopia. Zunoon delivered their fast paced riffs while Pronit Chatterjee handled the drum section with dexterity.

Pronit also accompanied Trinergic in their tour a few months back while their original drummer was unavailable. Tanay Kasera handled the bass really well, as the band played their other originals, Metamorphosis, Mother F*cker and their newest OC Plumes Of The Phoenix.

Thunderstorm is the brainchild of Sushant Yadav, Avirath Kadam, Shivam Gujrathi and Durva Nandapurkar.

They came up with the event idea while wondering why all metal gigs in Thane were to happen at Hotel United 21 only. Pedal to the metal, the idea transformed and came real, while the lineups were decided by the man trio. Venue chosen was Goa Portuguesa, next to R mall. The instruments were provided by Bajaao, while Pritesh (Orion), Rahul and Aaron handled the sound. Navi Mumbai Youtube sensation GlowJob TV covered the event.

Orion

The Progressive Death Metal band has been around since the Dark Ages. With Vighneshkumar Venkatraman firmly leading this band-chariot, Orion have been known for their catchy riffing and the facemelting solos!

Orion released their EP 'On The Banks Of Rubicon' in 2012, and are currently working on their upcoming album. Orion made it to the Wacken Metal Battle India Finals this year, stating it was a huge experience, playing with the mightiest. Orion setlist consisted of tracks Devoured Existence and Oh Sweet Ebullition as well their previous hit Break In Sanity! All in all, a tight set!

Dionysian and Trinergic!

Dionysian was started in Sept 2010 and have been around for almost 4 years now. With Priyank on vocals, Andy and Pranav (Wrath) on guitars, Sushant (Wrath) on bass and Prince on drums, Dionysian is a metalcore/melodic band with some extremely hardworking members! They've experimented with various styles and have come to now own a sound much suited to their taste. They have also played alongside heavyweights Providence and Zygnema at the Wacken Metal Fest held at B69.

Trinergic it seems have found the Pick Of Destiny, mainly Nikant Sharma. Though it is said less is more, but talking about this 5-piece phenomenon, more is more! Headed by the gruesome frontman Rahul Nair of the Grimmortal fame, the band broke off their previous limitations to form a melodic sound much needed in the scene! With Sharang and Nikant on guitars, Kishan Mulani on bass, and Emmanuel Paul on drums, the energy is transpired to a whole new level to the awe of the crowd. Their new and possibly the brutal-est single, Rise Of Xyrith, has captured the hearts of many a metalheads, with its ground-shaking breakdowns and extreme neoclassical soloing. True to their sound, Trinergic is a band which remains one of the most popular bands in the scene today.

Their go-pro stint was an instant hit, with Rahul Nair all aboard the shoulders of Pankaj Sundriyal, while Kunal M. Singh (Narkasur) along with the rest of the crowd banged their heads to groove-gasms.

Albatross

Headliner. Glam-metal-band-turned-Horror metal with an All-Star cast. Such is barely the description to the sound they represent. With Bipro da on vocals, Nishith Hegde (Demonic Resurrection) and Vighneshkumar Venkatraman (Orion) on guitars, Dr. Hex (Riju) on bass and Jay on drums, Albatross come on strong like an invincible metal wall. They have played shows in Sydney, their last gig in Bombay being the Transcending Obscurity fest, after which Nishith left on the Euro tour with Sahil Makhija and the gang. Albatross have been around long enough for people to know and love the vibe they bring onstage. Releasing their last EP Kissing Flies, the band is now turning wheels to release their new album Fear From The Skies, which might take another year to release.

Albatross had a stunning setlist at Thunderstorm to the likes of everyone in the room! Belting out their latest In The Lair Of, Uncle Sunny, as well as Children Of The Cloud, they played the Iron Maiden mega-hit Dance Of Death, where booming guitarist Varun Singh (ex Blame The Herb) joined them onstage to belt out solos like a veteran. Also delivering a fantastic Dio cover Holy Diver, they ended the set with In The Court Of Kuru.

Resting all the rumours that have been going around the band, Albatross released a status on their Facebook page stating Varun Singh joining the lineup now as a third guitarist! There is no better news than this and we all sincerely welcome him to the band; Can't wait to hear what he brings to the table!

Albatross were a fantastic end to a brilliant initiative by Avirath, Sushant, Durva and Shivam! Thunderstorm being a new born baby this year, might have suffered a few minor setbacks, but the turnout to the debut event being a 200+, and the exceptional handling by the team, made sure the gig was a success! The thoughtful low cost of entry, as well the food and beverage accompaniments, were just right and couldn't have been better. We just can't wait to see how the events unfold next year!

Written by

Shishir Singh

RAWRR

P.S. Some interesting events of the day:

1. The crowd requests Orcus to start their trademark 'MotherF*cker'. They start a different song altogether! Kunal Singh goes, "Y u do dis Khanzodeee!!??"

2. Trinergic's ongoing set and both Nikant and Anshuman were struggling to keep their processors from switching off. The footwork was hilarious!

3. Orcus bassist Tanay breaks his strap right when the song enters a breakdown! He stood there for the rest of the song wondering what to do now..

4. Orion frontman Vighnesh can't get it why his guitar isn't working, until these guys standing right at the edge of the stage point out, "Dude, pedal volume!"

5. Varun Singh breaks a guitar string, and both him and Nishith race to each other in frenzy to exchange guitars! He misses one bar of the harmony but eventually catches up with Vighnesh!

6. Albatross frontman Biprorshee Das' now-famous tagline, "I don't care if you don't get your hands up in the air, this song is called Uncle Sunny At The Lair"!

Photo Courtesy: Amey Rele, Akshay Pagare, Chinmay Tipnis, Chaitali Wasnik