Horns Up Podcast – Picks of 2021 so far

We are already 6 months into the year so on the Horns Up podcast, Animesh and I decided to picked our favourite albums of the year so far on Music on our Mind

Tune in to find out picks

Here are our pick (in alphabetic order)

• Ad Nauseam – Imperative Imperceptible Impulse
• BigIBrave – Vital
• Boss Keloid – Family of The Smiling Thrush
• Cannibal Corpse – Violence Unimagined
• Crypta – Echoes of the Soul
• Devin Townsend – Devolution Series 1 Live in Leeds
• Fear Factory – Agression Continuum
• Gojira – Fortitude
• Harakiri for the Sky – Mære

Tune in to Horns Up on your favourite podcast platform for your weekly dose of metal.

Fistful of Metal # 29

As part of the Fête de la Musique last month on Boxtout.fm, I spoke to Auré and Butch from French metal act AkiaveL about their 2nd album “Væ Victis”, French metal and much more.

Track list

Wasted Land – Fade Away

Akiavel – Frozen Beauties

Akiavel – Zombie

Gojira – Born for one thing

Albatross – The Neptune Murders

Fistful of Metal # 28

My guest on this episode is comedian and Banger TV host Blayne Smith and we talk about their new series Heavy Metal Hitchhiker and play some tunes. 

Heavy Metal Hitchhiker is the first comedy series from Banger Films, the creators of Metal: A Headbangers Journey & Metal Evolution

Track list

Primitiv/ For King Primitiv –  Squishy and Spongy

Hellripper – Hells rock and roll

Ripped to Shreds – In Mourning

Heavy Sentence – Age of Fire

Out of Hand – Exhility 

Assault – Oration of Lies

Fear Factory – Disruptor

Fistful of Metal – Boxout.fm India Covid19 fundraiser

This weekend is a special episode of Fistful of Metal. It is a part of the India Covid19 fundraiser stream on Boxout.fm.

My guest is Dan Tompkins from Tesseract/White Moth Black Butterfly

The stream is for 72 hours and features a line-up of over 100 artists & DJs from over 20 countries, all contributing with exclusive sets & performances to help raise funds for the current COVID-19 crisis in India.

To donate visit – https://boxout.fm/fundraiser The page will be live till 19th May.

All proceeds from the audio-only broadcast will be donated to GiveIndia, a not-for-profit organisation actively working across India to help COVID-19 patients, their families and healthcare workers at this time of extreme crisis.

Check out the full line up below

Update: The conversation was part of the latest episode of the Horns Up podcast. Tune in below.

Bandcamp Recommendations – 7th May 2021 #BandcampFriday

Hope everyone is doing safe and healthy. Things are pretty bad here in India. A few Indian bands have stepped out and are contributing to Covid-19 relief efforts. Do pick up their music and merch. This is not to last #BandcampFriday for this year so let’s get straight to it.

My good friend Abhi Meer has his entire discography for sale on Bandcamp. 100% of the proceeds will go to the Hemkunt Foundation and Feeding From Far.

New band from Hong Kong based hardcore lifer Riz Farooqi. Straight up no bull shit hardcore punk. Love the dual vocals.

Bangalore Doom act is back with new music in 5 years and it sounds good. Stay tuned for the album.

Death metal act Godless will contribute 20% of all their merch sales from this month to NGOs fighting the pandemic in India – https://godlessindia.bandcamp.com/

Moar hardcore punk! D beat driven side project of Allfather members made wish live gigs were back. Hey ho!

Shape shifting act Peter Cat Recording Co. have put up their back catalogue on sale for a week with 100% of the proceeds to Hemkunt Foundation – http://www.pcrc.in/donate

Canadian grindcore stalwarts have released a previously unreleased track from Desire will Rot. Get the track or album if you haven’t already.

New dark metal act from members of American death metal act Vex featuring members of Obsequiae, Panopticon, and Horrendous.

Happy shopping everyone!

Bandcamp Recommendations – 2nd April 2021 #BandcampFriday

New month, New Bandcamp Friday. Here are my picks from February and March

New singles from post hardcore act Pacifist. Can’t make a choice between the two so get both of them.

Since there is a new White Moth Black Butterfly album out next month. Check out their debut album. Name Your Price.

Primal death metal from a new band featuring members of the /death/doom act Jupiterian. Another awesome death metal release this year from Everlasting Spew

Relentless crossover thrash from UK. These songs would be a treat to hear live. H/t to Allfather for sharing this.

More Death metal. International act features the bassist of Defeated Sanity. 37 minutes of intense riffs and deep growls, released by the ever reliable New Standard Elite.

Canadian label Hypnotic Dirge are donating 20% of all sales today to the Raven Trust

https://hypnoticdirgerecords.bandcamp.com/

https://www.hypnoticdirgerecords.com/news/bandcamp-friday-fundraiser-friday-april-2-2021

One of my favourite acts from the past decade are releasing a concept album next week. Don’t judge it by the single as the album needs to listened as a whole.

Fistful of Metal 25

2nd Anniversary of Fistful of Metal on Boxout.fm Guest on this episode, Satyajit Gargori from Dead Exaltation. We talk about their debut album Despondent, play music from their influences and what’s on his current playlist.

Tracklist

Dead Exaltation – The Psychology

Cryptopsy – Slit Your Guts

Cattle Decapitation – Time’s Cruel Curtain

Dearth – Writhing In Cellophane Cages

Defeated Sanity – Propelled into Sacrilege

SHINDA SAIBO NO KATAMARI – Ostriched Existence 

Cannibal Corpse – Inhumane Harvest

Dead Exaltation – Despondent 

Humanity’s Last Breath – Glutton

Bandcamp Recommendations – 5th March 2021 #BandcampFriday

First Friday of a new month and it’s Bandcamp Fridays. My picks from February are here

23 tracks covered by Australian heavy metal act Lord in their own style. From Iron Maiden, Judas Priest to even Kylie Minogue and Savage Garden.

Discover the doom metal scene in Russia with over 50 tracks. Looking forward to Part 2.

20 tracks of post-rock from Australia and New Zealand put together by a killer Australian label.

American black metal juggernauts are back with a much darker release.

A viscous mix of extreme metal and avantgarde unlike another I have heard before.

A mix of heavy rock tracks with ballads that showcase versatility of vocalist Sherry Khattak.

Fistful of Metal 24

This episode was dedicated to the memory of Alexi Laiho (Bodom after Midnight, Ex-Children of Bodom)

The set features tracks from my best of 2020 list and also albums I am looking forward to in 2021

Tracklist

Children Of Bodom  – Needled 24/7

Elephant Tree – Sails

Chepang – Pahilo Bhet

Andho Manis

The Ocean – Holocene

Defeated Sanity – Conceived Through Savagery

Spirit Adrift – Stronger Than Your Pain

Colosso – Despised

Omination – Last Trisagion

Sea Sleeper – Salt

Hellfrost And Fire – Legion of Hellfrost And Fire

Vahrzaw – Waiting with the Wolves

Bandcamp Recommendations – 5th February 2021 #BandcampFriday

New month and it’s a another #BandcampFriday. Here are some of my recommendations.

Debut release from the Pune death metal act tells the story of a psycopath warden who runs a prison holding innocent people picked up from the streets. BRUTAL stuff!

Another debut album, this time from Finland. No bullshit death metal courtesy the ever reliable Transcending Obscurity.

Potent mix of death and post metal from this American act engulfs the lister with each riff that can leave one claustrophobic.

New death metal act featuring members of Chaos Inception and Malignancy. Sci-fi themed EP Lair Of Xenolich is a short listen and does not disappoint.

New single from the Indian veteran featuring the killer rhythm section of Mohini Dey & Gino Banks

Raw live recording of the seminal grindcore act from 2004. Must have for all Nasum fans.

This is slowly becoming one of my favourite labels. Most of their releases are PWYW today. Not sure what to buy? Check out this sampler they just released today.