Gone two long

(From left) Aditya Gopinath Iyer, Venkatraman Ramalingam, Arman Virdi, Rahul Hariharan and Ishaan Krishna

For a metal band that is so loud and gruesome that even Yama, the god of death, would probably make an about-turn on seeing them, Bhayanak Maut have been awfully quiet in the recent past. The veteran act was gigging regularly across the country till 2017, unleashing their monstrous music on an audience that was only too happy to be devoured by it. But then they fell off the map.

The reason is simple. Vinay Venkatesh and Sunneith Revankar - the outfit's original vocalists - exited for personal reasons. The rest of the four members then decided to take their time in finding the right person to fill their enormous shoes. They eventually found just who they were looking for in Aman Virdi, who's also responsible for vocal duties at Noiseware, a Pune-based hard rock act. So, the good news is that Bhayanak Maut is finally back in action, with a gig scheduled this weekend at a Lower Parel venue, where they will be sharing the stage with Devoid, another big-ticket heavy metal act.

We catch up with drummer Rahul Hariharan ahead of the concert to find out how the line-up change has affected their sound. He tells us, "See, Vinay and Sunny (Sunneith) were both in the band for 10 to 15 years, so it was a big void to fill. Our goal was thus to not only find someone who could take their place, but who could also give the band a new direction. It would be Bhayanak Maut with a twist.

We had two vocalists earlier, which gave our music a certain duality. Aman's style is more direct and punchier, though. The music might not be as technical as before, but it's more in-your-face now. And we started realising that this is a nicer direction."

This new road that they are thus on has resulted in two singles so far, while Hariharan reveals that they will also debut a third one at the upcoming gig. He adds that their set will comprise older material as well, though the songs have been repackaged with Virdi's vocals. Either way, this won't be a concert for the faint-hearted. But get that mosh pit started already if you're made of stern stuff.

ON January 5, 9 pm
At AntiSocial, 242, Mathuradas Mill Compound, Lower Parel.
CALL 75063 94240
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COST Rs 499

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