Film by Shrivathsa Srikanth and Devadri Bhattacharya
Bangalore’s tryst with heavy metal goes all the way back to the late ‘80s. The gradual opening up of the Indian market back then brought about increased access to western media. Combined with a conducive environment in the city that supports musical experimentation and expression in forms such as heavy metal, this birthed a new generation of listeners inspired to start their own bands. From the early ’90s onwards, the growing number of artists such as Kryptos, Millennium, and Dying Embrace marked the steady arrival of a metal music scene in the city. Over the next decade the venues got bigger, the audiences larger and the distribution networks stronger, with local bands opening for famed international acts performing in India for the first time. These were moments of celebration for all things heavy music, resulting in the creation of spaces within the city where you could meet like-minded music fans and let loose. In recent times, the pandemic disrupted the live music scene and lives of musicians and fans across the city. As venues begin taking steps towards hosting live music acts again, we ask ourselves if this is a new chapter in the history of Bangalore’s music culture and what it entails. This short film includes interviews with artists and footage from both old and new performances, giving viewers an insight into an indispensable part of our city’s musical history.
