Blood was splattered across the stage as ‘metal takes its price’ at Fandom, somewhere at the heart of Bangalore, inviting headbangers from all over the country to witness the carnage as 8 bands battled it out for a chance to perform at the sacred Wacken Open Air.
Hosted by the biggest metal event in the country, Bangalore Open Air, the Indian Subcontinent Metal Battle is an initiative of Wacken Open Air to give a worldwide platform to emerging bands from the Indian Subcontinent (Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and India.)
Wacken Open Air is a pilgrimage for metalheads, welcoming over 80000 fans from different parts of the world. Since its inception in 1990, WOA has witnessed many rock n’ roll and metal giants perform in the little town of Germany called Wacken. After its successful stint in organizing the events, WOA then started hosting its Wacken Metal Battle in 2004 to give a platform to upcoming bands and preserve the metal culture worldwide.
Coming to our very own Bangalore Open Air, which started in 2012, is the brainchild of Salman Syed. While working at Wacken Open Air, Salman took the opportunity to propagate and boost the metal scene in India by introducing BOA. Metal titans like Kreator, Destruction, Mayhem, Watain, and Behemoth, have also performed on this stage alongside many international and local acts. It is also unfortunate for the metal scene in India that, despite having one of the largest populations in the world, BOA records a meager amount of 3000-4000 attendees every year. The Indian Subcontinent Metal Battle began in 2011, making the region the 27th participant in Wacken’s global contest, the latest winner being Panchbhutta. Kasck, Speedtrip, and Trainwreck have also represented the region on the stage.
The 2025 edition took place on February 6th at BOA’s opening day, with 26 bands selected from 150+ applicants. Regional preliminaries were held in Delhi, Shillong, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad, judged by Salman Syed, Karl Rock, Kaushal LS, and others. Let’s dive into this year’s performers.
1)Panchabhuta (Kolkata)
Winner of this year’s battle, the band’s name literally translates to “the five great elements.” Based in Kolkata, this five-piece fusion band effortlessly blends classical Indian music with metal, creating a seamless transition between the two genres. Identifying their style as ancient Vedic metal, Panchabhuta incorporates traditional instruments like the sarod and ghatam alongside serenading, hypnotic guitar works, technical drumming, and buzzing basslines. With themes delving into the rich Indian mythology, they create innovative and melodic soundscapes, expanding the boundaries of the musical horizon. By fissioning diverse instrumentation throughout their musical exploration, they’ve mastered the art of keeping the two polarizing musical styles separate while seamlessly blending them. We wish them all the luck on their journey to Wacken, where they’ll be showcasing their intricate works and the rich history of Indian culture to the face of the world.
2)Vidyut (Chennai)
Can’t thank Chennai enough for birthing her notorious son, Vidyut. This death/thrash outfit, formed in 2009, plays brutal melodies, drowned in aggressive teeth-grinding drums and gut-wrenching vocals. In a city where there’s no shortage of supply of extreme acts, being successful in the preliminary of Bangalore only solidifies their status as one of the baddest to currently grace the metal scene in India. Their journey through the scene portrays a theme laden with skeptical humor, bringing forth an array of darts soaked in angst, putting the dark philosophies to light.
3)Septic Isle (Hyderabad)
Formed by members from various underground acts, like Lurid, Primal, Raid, and NBS from Hyderabad, Septic Isle plays death metal music. They have a solid grasp of what makes a record “death metal” and execute it smoothly with lyrics revolving around Warhammer 4k(video game).
4)Air Raid Siren (Meghalaya)
Influenced by NWOBHM bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Saxon, and Motorhead, Air Raid Siren plays traditional heavy metal. Coming out of the foothills of Garo Hills in Meghalaya, they dominated the preliminary of Shillong, the rock capital of India.
5)Guns from Countryside (Sikkim)
Supplying a forte of no-remorse heavy music, Guns from Countryside experiments with everything that comes under the aegis of rock/metal. A pariah in the discovery of their own sound, the band has morphed through different genres and released their sludgy debut album, “Cahoot With The Devil,” which even got accoladed as the best album of the year at 2023 at the Rocka Rolla Music Awards in Guwahati, Assam.
6)Tombstone (Nepal)
Winner of the Nepal preliminary is the 4-piece alternative and NU metal outfit, Tombstone. The band has been playing in and around the Nepal underground scene for the last 4 years.
7)Infestation (Nagpur)
Pig squeals, barrages of nasty breakdowns, and slam influences infest this Nagpur-based death metal band. Infestation offers cut-throat vocal deliveries, fast attacking-slamming drums, technical melodies, energetic performances, and a shared love of metal music. Working day jobs, these guys prove metal just needs the burning passion to be one of the tightest performers.
8) Survival through Suffering (Kolkata)
5 Deathcore snobs from Kolkata playing guttering, no-nonsense, brutal core music. Started back in 2016, Survival through Sufferings plays technical brutal or brutal technical deathcore music featuring guttering vocals, chugging breakdowns, and relentless blast beats, taking down a ‘note’ in crafting their work and performance.
Amid speculation that this might have been its final edition, this year’s Bangalore Open Air featured a diverse lineup, including Jinjer, Cynic, Necrophobic, Suicidal Angels, Midnight Danger, Demonic Resurrection, Inner Sanctum, Peekay, and Kasck, attracting a wide range of fans.
Like many metal scenes worldwide, elitism remains prevalent, often making it difficult for newcomers to immerse themselves in the genre. Gatekeeping and labeling others as “posers” are common, further alienating potential fans. In India, metal music already struggles with limited reach, as mainstream audiences tend to follow fleeting trends, rarely delving deeper into the genre. Despite an abundance of talent, the listener base remains relatively small.
However, for the scene to grow, a more open and accepting mindset is essential. With next year’s lineup set to be announced soon, let’s continue supporting the metal culture and strengthening the local scene. Keep on rotting /m\.
