Bloodywood / O2 Institute / Birmingham
Fresh from the release of their sensational new album “Nu Delhi” (Check out our review HERE) Bloodywood hit the road on their “Return of the Singh” UK / EU tour. And tonight we headed over to the O2 institute in Birmingham to catch the action.
Arriving at the Institute early, the queue for the venue was right up the street (with Bloodywood on one stage and Raging Speedhorn on another).
First up in support are Demonic Resurrection. Formed in 2000 in Munbai, Indian, they play a symphonic death metal led by Sahil Makhija (vocals & guitar). They have released five studio albums.
I’d not heard of Demonic Resurrection before but was so glad I got the venue early. Whereas Bloodywood have a healthy dose of Indian sound and influence in their metal sound, Demonic resurrection are more out and out death metal, with powerful, driving rhythms, raw guitar riffs and brutal growling vocals. growls and impressive rhythm and lead guitar work.
Perhaps the highlight of the set was slap bang in the middle with a stunning performance of Krishna – Cowherd which just oozed raw power, and as Sahil wound up the crowd into a frenzy a mosh pit opened up as the crowd embraced the energy from the stage.
The set finish with The Unrelenting Surge of Vengeance, an intense and powerful track with blistering riffs and rapid fire drum beats. Demonic Resurrection were a revelation, a thoroughly enjoyable set and a reminder that quality metal knows no borders.
Setlist
Matsya - The Fish
Apocalyptic Dawn
Krishna - The Cowherd
Narasimha - The Man-Lion
The Unrelenting Surge of Vengeance
Next up on stage are Calva Louise. Sandwiched between tonights two Indian offerings, musically they sat apart somewhat too. Formed in London in 2016, Calva Louise are Jess Allanic (vocals & guitar), Alizon Taho (bass & vocals) and Ben Parker (drums). The band hail from the four corners of the earth, Venezuela, France and Englandi/New Zealand, and they bring these unique cultural influences to their sound, blending mainstream British and US rock with Latin influences.
Juxtapositioned against the heavy / death metal offerings either side, Calva Louise give us a set of electronic alternative rock, led by Jess who combines her vocal duties with guitar and keyboard, using an ingenious sliding rig that allows her to pull out the keyboards for sections, before sliding back across out of the way to play guitar. The vocals are spot on, mixing clean and screamed lines perfectly. Although it may not be heavy / death metal, that doesn’t mean it lacks intensity as they blaze through a set of arena ready anthems with aplomb. The influences are varied sometimes with a Nu Metal feel whilst at others the electronic elements take centre stage. They mix these styles and influences so so well and the end result is thoroughly engaging.
The crowd are enjoying every second of it, and the energy levels don’t dip one iota throughout the set and Jess, Alizon and Ben leave the stage waving to the crowd with broad grins on their faces.
Setlist
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After a short break to re-set the stage, it’s time for the headliners to appear. We file into the pit in eager anticipation. I really enjoyed reviewing their new album and was excited to see for the first time, how it transferred to the live environment. Formed in 2016 initially as a metal cover band on YouTube blasting out covers of popular hits, they grew and started writing their own material. The bands current line up is Karan Katiyar (Guitar & Flute), Jayant Bhadula (vocals & growls), Raoul Kerr (rap vocals), Vishesh Singh (drums), Roshan Roy (bass) and Sarthak Pahwa (dhol).
The lights dimmed and Bloodywood stepped out into the spotlights to huge cheers from the packed house. Several people tell me they’ve never known the Institute to be this full !
Apart from drummer Vishesh who takes his place at the back of the stage behind the kit, the rest of the band (Karan, Jayant, Raoul, Roshan and Sarthak) all line up on the edge of the stage in front of us. It’s an imposing sight, with half of them dressed in modern clothes, and half in more traditional attire visually Bloodywood are an impressive lot.
And then the mayhem commences as they dive right into the anthemic track Dana-Dan, a song all about sexual harassment calling for action to put an end to it. The intensity of the sound is just incredible ! As the song reaches its powerful end, the fireworks light up cascading the stage in sparks and light. Just wow ! What an introduction…..
Next up is a new track, in the form of the title track from their new album Nu Delhi. An absolute banger of a track, its powerful and intense right from the off, with the traditional dhol (drum) at the centre of the sound. It feels almost chaotic but at the same time intricate and beautiful, a perfect musical description of the chaos and vibrant nature of their home town. The traditional vocals and tonal structure come the fore and the crowd are headbaning along, with horns in the air.
The set is surprisingly short, at only nine tracks and next up is Aaj. A band with a proud tradition of standing up for their values on a wide range of issues, especially on mental health, Aaj is powerful musical ambassador for openness on the subject. It’s a powerful anthem helping to raise awareness and support for sufferers.
Another new track from “Nu Delhi” in the form of Tadka a song about the delights of Indian cuisine ! Its perhaps the most ‘catchy’ song on the new album, and is simply wonderful live – delivering a sense of fun with its catchy riffs and breaks. I think there’s more to this than a light hearted track about food. For me it seems to deliver a message about not standing for the bland around us in life, but to explore the exciting, the exhilarating and new things. Embrace the taste, so to speak. Its not a bad message if you ask me.
With Bekhauf there’s a different feel to the sound. A single featuring Japanese sensation babymetal, Bekhauf has a subtle blend of Indian influence with Japanese Anime. It works surprisingly well and sits nicely as a focal point in the set.
As the set draws to a close, we end with Halla Bol and Gaddaar. Halla Bol (Raise your Voice) is another powerful anthem, this time focusing on the sometimes brutal history and transformation of their home, into modern India. Its fast, powerful and intense and the fans are swirling in the pit. The temperature in the Institute is off the scale.
We end on Gaddaar with its driving riffs and intense drum beats. Bloodywood use dual vocals so effectively, but where most are clean and guttural, Bloodywood mix traditional harmonies and styling with rap and the two work really well alongside each other, swapping form one to the other with ease.
The place is going crazy as the crowd jump and mosh and cheer as the fireworks go off for one last time as they bid farewell to the Birmingham faithful.
It may have been a short set with only nine tracks, but boy…. What a night. Bloodywood are simply one of the bets live experiences around. Not just packed full of energy and visual appeal, they deliver some of the best, most engaging metal around. Ad with Calva Louise and Demonic Resurrection along for the ride, this is a night not to miss !
Setlist
Dana Dan
Nu Delhi
Aaj
Tadka
Jee Veerey
Bekhauf
Machi Bhasad (Expect a Riot)
Halla Bol
Gaddaar
