The Score Magazine - Archive February 2009 issue! | Page 49

Just as Blood & Iron are all set to release their second studio album, we found out what keeps the popu- lar metal outfit ticking F or over three decades the city has seen a steep rise in the making of metal dons. From the creators, MOKSHA, through a tremen- dous array of talent that has come and long gone, from what we’ve seen, and what we are ex- posed to now, a lot of things have transcended into more of a culture clash. Few have made a mark, even less ascend into consistency. Without further ado, that is the story of BLOOD and IRON. A band that strived for over three years to make a name for itself and through it all, managed to survive, even with frequent line up changes. The spirit shows in their music. Formed back in 2005, the surviving members Ashish Shetty (Lead Guitar) and Vivin Kuruvilla (Keyboard) conceived the band and were later joined by fellow members Mark (Vocals) and Arun (Bass Guitar). Their main influences en- compassed everything from Queensryche and Iron Maiden to Dream Theater and Hammerfall. Early 2006 saw the release of their maiden self-titled album ‘Blood & Iron’, which was a major boost for their publicity status. Overnight, they were the city’s luminaries! The fan following and increased gigs soared with everyone wanting to catch a glimpse of them, live. Their infamous numbers ‘Blood Oath’ ‘Sin- ners & Saints’ ‘Stalingrad’ ‘POW’ and ‘Blood and Iron’ were inspired from books having the same title. Manu, a much more experienced and highly ac- claimed death metal drummer, used much of his in- fluence from Lamb of God and Chimera to improvise the otherwise melodic metal band into a predomi- nantly power metal outfit. The varied influences of the members form a unique blend that in their opin- ion creates a faster, heavier and distinctively differ- ent tone. Even with just a single guitarist bearing the brunt, the band finds it easier maintaining their sound. The quality of their music, easily outdoes itself over a certain level. Having a very versatile and exception- ally talented keyboardist, who introduces kids to the sounds of the piano, only adds to it. With the line up in order, the band was finally set and over the last music year, the Blood and Iron that the crowd once knew rose to a level so professional that it left many judges awed at recent competitions. IIM Calcutta’s Arma- geddon ’08 for starters and their prized accomplish- ment of clinching Kingfisher’s Kerala Rocks (K-ROX) that made waves within and beyond the realms of the south. Chennai has never really been one for a huge metal following; one can barely find a handful of devoted metal heads doting on their idols or having a go at each other at the mosh pit; if it can be called one! But when you seek to serve an audience that doesn’t necessarily look for stage gimmicks, then, it’s a sight for sore eyes when these guys take the stage. Memo- ries of JRO 2008 come to mind, when they eclipsed every other metal act with ease. Frontman Mark knows how to get his way around the crowd and gives them exactly what they need. His style differs from the conventional (clean vox) and the contempo- rary (growling), in fact it’s just good old heavy metal. Infusing some sort of a ‘heroic tenor’, that adds to the raw base it has, he never fails to impress. Which only leaves the lithe man with a hint of Malayalam in his accent; Manu got started with Blood and Iron earlier in the year and has carved quite a name for himself. He takes pride in playing alongside members who play music from the heart, with lyrics that can both inspire and speak to you. They have stuck to their promise of delivering the tra- ditional metal that has somehow taken a back seat in the city otherwise, for when adding a dose of pro- gressive with an orchestral touch, there is an advan- tage over other metal bands; simple melody. On an unbiased note if not the greatest of their kind, these guys are definitely one of the better acts in the genre. Blood and Iron have accomplished what other bands can but aim at, and is certainly one to look forward to as a representative of the limited underground metal world. The band is focused on their future plans and hope they achieve it all! To summarize, It’s Blood and Iron, Come What May (All the way)!