A LOOK BACK AT INDUS CREED ’ S ‘ ROCK MACHINE ’ DAYS WITH THEIR DEBUT ALBUM : SCORE INDIE CLASSICS
Today , even though Indian rock might not enjoy its yesteryear cult status , a few bands continue being relevant such as the Uday Benegal-fronted outfit Indus Creed . The last we heard from the band was their 2012 album Evolve that consisted of singles like Fireflies and The Money .
But the rock band has been in the game for quite a long time having debuted in 1988 with the path-breaking album , Rock ’ n ’ Roll Renegade . This was the same time when they were recording and releasing music under the name Rock Machine . The 10-track debut is a time capsule on its own , boasting a quintessential sound of the era and some catchy yet thoughtful songwriting .
For instance , the second track from the album Top of the Rock sounded like an upbeat power ballad but also offered an introspective insight from what seemed like a perspective of a successful rockstar who has it all . Just take the following lines as a case in point , ‘ Like any other revolution . When rock ' n ' roll won , it turned out that the guys on top had all the fun .’ Now , lyrics like these have definitely aged well and Rock ’ n ’ Roll Renegade has a plethora of them .
The titular single was another love letter to the then-young group ’ s absolute love for music . The accompanying music video resembles a classic 80s MTV-broadcasted performance of Western rock groups like Bon Jovi , Europe , and Aerosmith . Long , flowy hair . Flashing stage lights .
A keyboardist handling two sets of keys on both sides . The lead singer holding the mic between fingers poking out of holed biking gloves . Such elements make the song and its video all the more nostalgic , especially for the ones who grew up in the decade .
Another standout track was the penultimate chapter Rockin ' In The USSR . Even though the title might remind one of the Beatles hit Back In The USSR , this track hardly bears any resemblance . Rather , it ' s a descriptive song documenting the band ' s journey on the erstwhile USSR . As The New York Times put it , ' Rock Machine was sent by the Indian Government to the Soviet Union as part of a large celebration of Indian crafts , arts , and culture .'. As mentioned before , the album truly is a remnant of rock history and pop culture in terms of both its sound and songwriting . This is then succeeded by the finale , an instrumental number interestingly titled Ode To Scooby Doo .
SHAURYA SINGH THAPA
Contrary to popular opinion , iconic Indus Creed alumni like Uday Benegal , drummer Mark Menezes , and guitarist Jayesh Gandhi weren ’ t even the first members of Rock Machine . Back when the group was birthed in 1984 , the line-up looked pretty different until the aforementioned three members joined along with keyboardist Zubin Balaporia . Benegal and co . started out as a cover band from Mumbai , performing hits by Rush , Van Halen , The Who , and the like . But as the 80s came to a close , Indus Creed was arguably one of the first Englishlanguage bands to have found marketability in performing originals and Rock ' n ' Roll Renegade only bears testimony to this fact .
Since its release , it has been a monumental work in the nascent stage of independent rock . To quote New York Times yet again , sold more than 10,000 copies in six months .' This was also the age when streaming was an unknown phenomenon and indie music was rare , especially in non-metropolitan settlements . So , fans desperate enough to listen and share Rock Machine ' s discography turned into ' renegades ' themselves as many resorted to piracy . This was particularly true in North-eastern states like Nagaland and Meghalaya where music distribution was scarcer .
Hence , through Rock ' n ' Roll Renegade , it can be said that Rock Machine did bring about a revolution in their genre . The 1990s were a major change in their style and of course , their name . 1997 saw Indus Creed parting ways only to be reunited in the late 2000s . When it comes to the ensemble , Benegal and Balaporia are the only original ' renegades ' left from the debut album along with newer recruits . The long hair , the flashy colours have made way for a more grounded , monochrome look ( as can be seen from the video of 2012 ' s Fireflies ). With nearly eight years since they dropped their last record , one can only wonder what Indus Creed ' s next step would be ...
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