Indie Reviews
The diversely bizarre new albums out this month include samplings from Nu-Metal to Nagamese Folk Music sampled, for your listening pleasure.
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Suraj Mani - The Tattva Trip After a successful run with Motherjane, singer turned songwriter Suraj Mani has focused on his own experiences and motivations to ring forth an intricately wrought rock album. With essences of melancholic folk, his singing style has somewhat diversified, and with the addition of Alwyn Fernandes (guitars/addl percusions/arrangements & music producer), Aman Mahajan (keyboards/piano), Cajetan Dias (strings), Keith Peters (bass), & Suresh Peters (drums), The Tattva Trip packs a solid groove. With a coffee table book complementing the 9-track record, it almost reflects a concept album like Floyd, narrating a story of life.
Top Picks: Your Epitaph, The
Tribes of Babel
Your Epitaph has to be the highlight songs for me. With some folksy drumming and deep seeded lyric, Mahajan’s keyboard and synth rise above the drone and complete the sound very well. Rise Up is also an inspiring track with a prominent slappy bass and rusticated singing style with Suraj does so well. An Ode to Life-Decay is a much more deeper and surreal track that brings about several emotions that remind me of maybe what Suraj Mani had to go through with his back problem and subsequent leaving of Motherjane. The album, in all, is a killer record. Available online, the hard copy with coffee table book might be a tad pricey, but I’m sure it’s worth it!
www.oklisten.com/surajmani
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Heretic - Words to Epiloques Here is one album that seems to have been thought out for a Long time. The album opener, Echoes from a Canvas is one trippy minute that sets you on the beginning of a journey. Reprise has a very nu-metal feel, with distorted guitars synced over some ambient-vibe singing, and occasionally fitting harmonics in here and there. The growls aren’t too bad either. Mixed and mastered by Keshav Dhar of SkyHarbor, the sound quality of the album is impeccable.
Top Picks: Thought Choice, Echoes
from a Canvas
22
The
Score Magazine
www.highonscore.com
What I really liked about this record was their acoustic interludes which were quite rational and straight forward, coming from a metal act. Heretic’s recent gig at IIT Saarang, opening for Liverpool-based Anathema is definitely bound to give them some acclaim and credit for the coming year. The title track is a bit long and monotonous, but I like it as it is reminiscent of a Maiden-style playing that is reflected throughout the album with the two guitars. Overall, a must listen for any metal fan as it shows the diversity and incorporation of Indian sub-consciousness into the genre.
www.oklisten.com/heretic