The Resuscitation Of Progressive-Dark Metal

Weird Anxiety's music can best be defined as progressive-dark metal, a music genre truly unique in itself. WA's music is so different that no other band on the entire globe fits in this genre. A blitzkrieg on the drums, Neanderthal growls and screams mixed with guttural grunts, pig squeals and howling, mellow and groovy bass-lines, polyrhythmic riffing accompanied with melancholic, ambient melodies and surreal keyboard tones filling the entire spectrum. This is WA's sonic kaleidoscope.

A SOLEMN RETROSPECTION

Weird Anxiety was conceived in the winters of 2003 in St.Edward's, Simla; where it started off as a 3-piece acoustic band with Sahil Dadhwal(Vocals), Anshul Chauhan(Guitars) and Hitesh K Salhuria(Guitars and Bass). The band had a split in 2005 following the different career interests of the band mates. Weird Anxiety re-grouped in the summers of the same year with a new lineup, Anirudh Chauhan(Bass, Vocals), Sahil Dadhwal(Vocals) and Hitesh K Salhuria(Guitars). The band remained as a 3-piece unit till 2007. All this while many drummers were associated with the band, though there was no permanent drummer till 2o07. All this while the serenity of the Himalayas was shaping the sound of the band, which can best be defined as stoner-post rock. In 2006, Hitesh independently recorded the first two demos of the band named Lamp Black- the true colour of god and The Pain and The Possessed- things never change. The demos featured the initial works of the band including the much controversial God Still Hates Me which was later released in the band’s debut E.P. Act I Scene I. The demos respectively, were recorded as A and B-sides of a magnetic tape with no other copy of the demo ever made. The demo tape and the writings of the band were destroyed deliberately (burnt) as Hitesh wanted to work on something different.

This was the defining moment for the band which meanwhile had regrouped with Akshay Mahajan(Vocals, Rhythm-Guitars) , Ajay Pratap Chauhan(Bass), Neiseituo Sharma(Drums) and Hitesh K Salhuria(Lead Guitars) at the National Institute Of Technology, Hamirpur. Their sound had left the stoner ambience of Psychedelia and Post-Rock and had entered the realms of Progressive-Metal marked with clean vocals, long guitar solos and Jazz/Funk drumming. The band released their first single Just When It Started To Darkout In Heaven in late 2007. The song contrary to the version featured in Act I Scene I had clean vocals, long interludes and a 4-minute outro solo. The beginning of 2008 brought with it the entry of Samar Singh Rana(Bass) and Rajat Diwan(Vocals). With high-pitched vocals and groove friendly basslines Weird Anxiety was now a 5-piece progressive band. The band toured and played in the underground scene extensively in 2008. The band also released their second single God Still Hates Me; a Prog-Metal rendition of the same song featured in the demo Lamp Black- the true colour of god. However, there was something lacking in the musical spectrum that the lyrical themes of the band badly desired. And subsequently the most important line-up change happened with the entry of Abhinav Sharma(Rhythm Guitars), Saswata Debnath(Keyboards) and Karan Sharma(Vocals). The resuscitation of Progressive-Dark Metal has started. Marked with guttural growls/grunts and pig squeals mixed with Neanderthal screams and howling the vocals took the band into the dark realms. Ambient keyboard harmonies and the surreal guitar melodies reinforced the sound of the band as Progressive-Dark Metal. All the previous sounds of the band from post rock/ambient to acoustic, had now resolved into this single genre.

The band released their third single Maid Of The Mist in late 2010. The band also toured extensively the same year and decided to enter the studios, for their debut E.P. Act I Scene I. The E.P. was recorded in December 2010 at Grey and Saurian Studios, New Delhi. Act I Scene I was released independently on 1st March 2011 as an online release featuring 3 songs and a playing time of 24 minutes. The release of Act I Scene I was immediately followed by the entry of Nitin Virat(Drums). The band also bid an adieu to Saswata Debnatha(Keyboards) in the autumn of 2011.

Weird Anxiety is currently working on its full-length album The Plot Thickens that will feature 6 songs. The album is scheduled to be recorded in mid 2013.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

E.V. SPEAKS ON "MAMA DON'T LET ME DROWN AWAY"

" I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THOSE SONGS WHICH HAS THE HARMONY AND THAT DARK-MELODY WA IS FAMOUS FOR. THIS SONG HAS GREAT POTENTIAL AND I BELIEVE THAT THIS MAY JUST BE THE NEXT BEST THING FOR US. MUSICALLY WHEN I WROTE THE SONG I KEPT IN MIND WHAT THE SONG MEANT AND I HAD TO BE CAREFUL IN THE PROCESS. LYRICALLY THE SONG IS REALLY SPECIAL TO ME, IT IS ONE OF THOSE WRITINGS WHICH ARE ALWAYS DEAR TO THE HEART........ I SUPPOSE WHEN WE'LL COME UP WITH IT, U'LL REALLY LIKE IT...."

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