A Day with Arihant, Technical/Experimental Death Metal from North East India

(Interviwed by Manoj Baishya on behalf of D.Mus. (DigiMusic))

(Photoshoot by Sumit Baruah and Nayan Deka on behalf of D.Mus. (DigiMusic))

Arihant represents -"Destroyer Of Enemies as a sign of Brutality and Unforgiveness". It is a Three piece 

Experimental/Technical Death Metal Band 

rising from North-East India. The band Praise Chuck Schuldiner as their idol.

Notable gigs they performed at: 

*Guest band At "All-Star " Show By Demonic Resurrection 

*Played at Strawberry Fields 2011(Bangalore)  

*Kyra

Check them in reverbNation: http://www.reverbnation.com/arihanttheband 

Here's our interview with Arihant. 

MB: So guys how has it been so far?

Arihant: Well to be honest it was difficult in the beginning. People here were not used to our genre of music. But now the scenario has changed. People started appreciating our music and it feels great J. We must say that the journey so far has been full of hard work and it definitely paid off.

MB: Tell us something about how the band started.

Arihant: We started as a five member outfit in 2010  but there has been a great deal of change in the lineup as well as genre and finally we settled with being a three member band and we are comfortable with Death Metal,  Progressive as well as Grind.

MB: How does it feel to be a part of a scene that is still considered emerging?

Arihant: It feels great you know J. We are proud to be one of the first few bands of this genre. Playing Death Metal was not an easy task for listeners that were not used to our genre. However things are taking a positive leap as new bands are emerging in this genre. To be honest we feel elated and are determined to take it to a whole new dimension.

MB: Tell us about your latest single “Why so serious”

Arihant: [Angshuman: Laughs] Well this song has a very deep meaning that is related to Mother Nature. It basically depicts our view about the destruction of nature by us human without thinking about the consequences. Now when Nature is taking its toll on us…We are worried…!! Are we really..?? Since we didn’t think of the aftermaths in the beginning hence a humble question from us…”WHY SO SERIOUS” now.

MB: So what’s next on the platter, an album or a tour?

Arihant: A tour is not our priority right now. However we are gonna release an EP soon comprising 4 songs and are working on it right now. However we don’t mind a sponsored tour though in near future (Smiles)

MB: How tough is it going on road?

Arihant: It’s getting easy nowadays. The scenario is changing. We are facing a lot of serious competition and we are enjoying it.

MB: Any band interest?

Arihant: [Laughs] We are a mixed lot. While Angshuman our drummer enjoys Football, Volleyball and hitting the Gym occasionally along with Rituraj our Vocalist, Bhaskar on the other hand enjoy watching birds in his free time. Weird though.

MB: Coming back to music, what has influenced you into playing death metal?

Arihant:As kids we used to love whatever few metal tracks we came across. Slowly we were exposed to this genre of metal and basking in new found glory we were at Eden. While experimenting with different genres we finally progressed to Death Metal and we are glad to play the kind of music we enjoy.

MB: Critics have been quite favorable in their reviews of your songs. What do you have to say on this?

Arihant:[Rituraj: Laughs] It always feels great you know. Incurring positive response from critics is always a feel good factor. We are glad that they liked our music and appreciated our effort. The singles that we have released so far has been has been able to grab their attention and we hope so to achieve even better results with our future releases.

MB: Since public response is still low on a scene like India’s, what do you think of band promotions? Is it satisfactory?

Arihant: If we look at the current Indian Death metal scenario, it’s a letdown of the potential and passion that Indian bands have. It’s disheartening to know that people are not very supportive when it comes to heavy metal. If we look at the various events nationwide, they are generally confined to a very small scale and it definitely doesn’t help. Sponsorship can be a deciding factor in improving this scenario. We would love to take this opportunity to welcome any sponsoring institution to kindly consider organizing such events and provide a platform for emerging talents.

MB: What stands out for you of all the advice and appreciation you received?

Arihant: We came across various people who appreciated as well as criticized our music. It has always benefitted us in some way or other. It gives us strength at times of despair and keeps us motivated to work hard. Being specific about any particular one would be an injustice to all the other people who has been constantly supporting us whatsoever.

MB: Some last words for our readers.

Arihant: We are mortified right now [laughs].  What we would like to say is that in the beginning it’s only a dream. A dream that you can choose to turn into reality. In an alternative universe we may be doctors, engineers, politicians, bankers, etc but thank goodness we are musicians.  This is ARIHANT and we live our dream.