At a point where a lot of venues don’t put on bands that play heavier genres of music, musicians and organisers in Bangalore do an amazing job of putting together a great number of shows with a variety of different styles.

One of the first names that comes to mind is “Bonded By Blood”. The monthly-held metal gig series saw its 12th edition being graced by the massive, Inner Sanctum, supported by Trankvillus and Verses, at Indigo XP. Witnessing them tear the place apart with music from their albums, “Legions Awake” and “Provenance” was a testament of how much gravity these shows hold for the musicians as well as the audience. The series has featured bands like Kryptos, Eccentric Pendulum, Neolithic Silence, Rainburn and Chaos. “Bonded by Blood” is the combined effort of Narayan Shrouthy, Jayanth Sridhar and Siddharth Naidu.

While talking about gig series, you can’t go long without the mention of the “Unscene” concert tour. This show not only staged metal heavyweights such as Undying Inc, Godless, Shepherd, Voice of Ruin and Escher’s Knot but also hosts bands from other genres such as Blushing Satellite, D’s Kitchen, Diarchy and more. Having conducted monthly shows throughout 2017, Unscene is now back with Belgian metallers, BEAR’s debut India tour. The tour hits Bangalore on the 8th of April, being supported by Escher’s Knot and Tangents.

The Decimation Tour organized by Sound Awake and Proximity Productions had Shillong death metal band, Plague Throat playing five different cities all over the country. The Bangalore leg of the tour that featured Kaihon and Orchid, saw people turn in large numbers to witness the brutality.

While such shows give established bands a platform to consolidate their fan base, it also allows up-and-coming bands to showcase their skills and realize their potential. Even though the audience for metal shows may not be very large in terms of number, there is a very loyal and active community that keeps bands doing what they do best.