ALBUM REVIEW BLOODYWOOD NU DELHI

REVIEWER – GRAEME WRIGHT

I first fell in love with Bloodywood a couple of years ago when I saw them live at the Manchester Academy. I knew little about them but had spent the pre-gig pint talking to fans of the band in a local hostelry. One guy told me that a friend of his had committed suicide a couple of years prior to this show and he knew for a fact that his fallen comrade would have loved this band and their positive message if he had lived to see them. On that night in Manchester they only performed for just over an hour but my mind was well and truly blown by the intensity of their songs, their amazing visual imagery and most of all the reaction of the crowd who were absolutely manic that night in a sweat box of a venue.

Their first album was fantastic and was full of raging tunes, with the highlight being the amazing ‘Gaddaar’ which is still a regular visitor to my turntable two years on. So, there is a lot riding on the bands new album ‘Nu Delhi’ and the big question is whether this will make as big an impact as their eponymous debut record. To cut a long story short, I love ‘Nu Delhi’. It’s even darker and heavier than their debut, but it still retains all the intensity and immediacy of that album while showing a clear progression in both songwriting and musicianship.

The record opens with ‘Halla Bol’ which begins with some traditional folk chanting before slamming you with a bone crunching riff and bass line that almost pins you to the wall. ‘Hutt’ combines the bands cultural influences with a modern Nu Metal sound and a chorus to die for which will have that mosh pit breaking bones at the bands live shows. The song is all about staying positive at times of adversity and this is one of the reasons why the band have such an avid following. ‘Dhadak’ sees Raoul stepping up to the plate with an awesome rap showcase in the middle of the song while a thunderous back line sees this one flying down the tracks like a runaway freight train.

‘Bekhauf’ sees the band at perhaps their most commercial with a humongous collaboration with BABYMETAL (nope, you won’t hear me criticising these girls because they can rock out with the best of them). ‘Kismat’ is a perfect example of the bands current sound and it reflects their statement that they have changed as people over the last few years with the music reflecting their current state of being. ‘Daggebaaz’ sees the volume switch staying resolutely at eleven and the pace at Usain Bolt levels with an almost overwhelming potpourri of Metal mixed with traditional Indian music.

‘Tadka’ is a song I can relate to lyrically as it is all about the bands love for Indian food, a passion that I share with them to say the least. It’s an absolute banger of a track with an almost fun-loving beat to the proceedings and it’s one highlight amongst the many this album has to share with the listener. The record closes out with title track ‘Nu Delhi’ which is a blistering homage to the bands hometown, and all too soon the album has finished. Don’t worry, you’ll be playing it again straight away and this is surely going to be one of the musical highlights of the entire year. If you not already on the Bloodywood train get on it immediately or you’ll be left behind on one of the most amazing Metal journeys of the last decade.

BAND

Raoul Kerr – Vocals

Jayant Bhadula – Vocals

Karan Katiyar – Guitars

Vishesh Singh – Drums

Roshan Roy – Bass

Sarthak Pahwa – Dhol

ALBUM TRACK LIST

1. Halla Bol

2. Hutt

3. Dhadak

4. Bekhauf (feat BABYMETAL)

5. Kismat

6. Daggebaaz

7. Tadka

8. Nu Delhi