Favourite albums of 2022 – Part 1

This year I thought I’d do something different, before releasing my list of favourite albums of the year, I asked my friends what their favourite albums of the year were. 

Here are the albums (in order of appearance on the episode)

Anurag Tagat + Seth Werkheiser – Ithaca – They Fear Us

Adnan M – Machine Head  Of Kingdom and Crown

Andy Dowling – Idle Ruin – Valley Inferno.

Gautam K – Sigh – Shiki

Deepak aka Chuck – Playgrounded – The Death of Death

Joel – Kardashev – Liminal Rite

Alex from Undeath – Sedimentum – Suppuration Morphogénésiaque 

Abbas Rizvi – Psycroptic – Divine Council 

Aditya Rao – Gaerea – Mirage

Peter K – Wormrot – Hiss

Part 2 coming up soon!

Spill Your Guts interview

This episode is long overdue. 

Blackened Hardcore act Spill Your Guts formed in Shanghai, China and comprised of expatriates. Earlier this year they released their 2nd album, The Wrath It Takes via PermCityPunk Records (Russia), Trepanation Recordings (UK), and Graboid Of The Ground Records (China).

I spoke to vocalist Dima and drummer Tyler before the album was released about The Wrath It Takes, recording with Scott Middleton (Cancer Bats), the music scene in China, and more. 

Tracks played on the episode

Spill Your Guts – Wrath it Take

Spill Your Guts – Prey on Death

Loudspeaker –  无脸人

Check out The Wrath It Takes

https://www.facebook.com/spillyourgutsband

https://www.instagram.com/spillyourgutsband/

Bandcamp Recommendations – 1st October 2021 #BandcampFriday

It’s #BandcampFriday again! Here are my picks for this month

6th album from one of India’s oldest metal acts. Put on that denim and leather, pour a drink and hit play!

https://kryptosindia.bandcamp.com/album/force-of-danger

Stoner rock from Norway with the right amount of fuzz.

New music from the Scottish maniacs that seamlessly blends hardcore and electronica.

2 tracks of drone performed by Mel and Topon from Fuck the facts. Trippy stuff!

Reissue of 2008 release from India technical death metal act. Sounds massive thanks to the remix and remaster.

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!

Gatecreeper

This past year has been a great year for metal especially death metal. A quick glance at the reviews on The Metal Wanderlust in recent months will demonstrate it. At the start of this month, one more release got added to the list, Deserted by American death metal act Gatecreeper. The band play a potent blend of 80’s Florida and 90’s Swedish death metal.

I spoke to frontman Chase Manson about their sound, Deserted and more while he was touring Europe with Spirit Adrift.

Read the interview on The Metal Wanderlust

Horns Up Podcast: Episode 27

Grey Britain the second album by English hardcore punk band Gallows is not an album I was familiar with earlier. For a new edition of the All A’s album on the Horn Up Podcast we decided to discuss it with music journalist and friend Anurag Tagat .

How relevant is the Grey Britain ten years later, and does it still hold the listener? Is it an All A’s Album? Hit Play below to find out the answers to it and more.

Fistful of Metal # 6

One hour of metal/punk from India. All recent releases.

Track list

Primitiv – Taurus
Escher’s Knot – Covolution
Hostilian – Regressive Instincts
Heathen Beast – Bloody Sabrimala
Kapala – Moral Attrition
Plague Throat – The Epoch Of Catastrophe II
Haiku-Like Imagination – Ozzifer
SkyPunch – From Above
Bhayanak Maut – Pinkadass
Pacifist – Pedigreed
FALSE FLAG – Counterfeit
SHEPHERD – Weed Dealer
Rainburn – Merchant of Dreams

High Cost

This is the time of the year that most websites/blogs are sharing their Best of the year lists, I on the other hand am catching up on the music that I have missed out so far. One such release is the self titled one from Brooklyn hardcore/grindcore act High Cost. The 7 track EP is one of the most ferocious releases I have heard this year.  

I spoke to the band about the EP, the revival of cassettes and vinyl and more.

Read the interview on The Metal Wanderlust

Dagger

One of the best things about the internet for me is the ability to discover bands from around the world. The Asian music scene is a trove of metal and hardcore bands. I was recently listening to a split between Hong Kong hardcore act Dagger and Singapore sludge act HRVST. Dagger is a relatively new band, members have previously been a part of bands like King Ly Chee, Yau Dong and FightxClub. I spoke to the band about the split, the music scene in Hong Kong and Asia and also their upcoming shows.

Read the interview on The Metal Wanderlust

False Flag/Neck Deep in Filth

False Flag and Neck Deep in Filth are two of the most politically outspoken acts from the Indian subcontinent, hence it would make sense for them to team up and put out a split. I was quite excited when the split was announced and the singles released from it so far sound great.
Find out more about the split, the inspiration behind their tracks in the interview with Shaunak Phadnis (False Flag) and Vishal Rai (Neck Deep in Filth)

Read the interview on Unite Asia