A Musical Odyssey Bhayanak Maut

Bhayanak Maut is a famous metal band from India. It has Vinay Venkatesh and Sunneith Revankar (vocals), Aditya G Nair and R Venkatraman (guitar), Swapnil Bhumkar (bass), and Rahul Hariharan (drums). The band’s second full-length studio album, which is untitled – and hence, famously known as the ‘untitled album’ – got a 4-star review from Rolling Stone magazine in September 2009. It was the first Indian Metal album to receive the honor. The band also won Album of the Year – Critics’ Choice Award at the Jack Daniels Rock awards in 2010.

Youth Inc interviewed Sunneith Revankar after the band’s iconic performance at Inferno, 2011 the Norwegian metal festival.

How was your experience at Inferno?

It was quite surreal. We did meet a lot of our idols and spoke to them; told them about the Indian metal scene. We met Meshuggah. We’ve opened and toured with them in the past. We also met Today is the Day, Malevolent Creation, Soilent Green, Forbidden, Napalm Death, and others.

Do you think college competitions are good places for new bands?

They are the only avenues for new bands to play. But, that is changing slowly. Lots of gigs are happening, giving stage to the new artists to showcase their skill.

What are the five top skills a fledgling metal band must have?

I feel the band should ( a) be prepared to take criticism, (b) be prepared for bad shows, (c) have a definite sound in mind, (d) realise that very few people get to do this as a profession, and (e) practise at least once a week.

Your list of the best Indian metal bands would include…

Undying Inc., Demonic Resurrection, Scribe, Goddess Gagged, Zygnema, Escher’s knot, Kryptos, Noiseware, and Devoid.

What do you think makes an Indian boy/girl like metal?

The fact that the music is angry; it is nonconformist, emotional, and it has a lot of personal appeal.

What musical direction have you guys taken now? How does the songwriting process work with you and your band?

We bring our parts to the jam room and work out a song mix there. The new Bhayanak Maut album in the coming year will have a more brutal sound.