Emerging out of the ill-equipped and scarcely resourced rock and metal scene of Goa, modern metal band Within Ceres’ recent debut EP release titled ‘Skyless’ is a much-warranted reprise for metal listeners who feed on dynamic homegrown metal acts. The 6 piece ensemble, formed by guitarist Odin De Sa in 2014, delivers a 20 minute voyage into its large, ambient sound which is characterized by punchy riffs, deep resounding growls and hopeful choruses.
The band’s current line up consists of Odin De Sa and Kadesh Dsouza playing the crunchy and compact riffs on guitars, Arnold Carvalho nailing those harsh and clean vocals, Naizian Fernandes providing the symphonies on keys and Nathan Fernandes with Valiston Fernandes acting as the backbone of the act on drums and bass respectively. The EP has been masterfully produced by the guitarist, Odin De Sa.
The record is based on various settings within Ceres, an artificial reality that exists in the future and accessed through a headset. Lyrically, the tracks convey stories of dystopian worlds, augmented realities and, among other things, concrete jungles with neon sign boards everywhere. The well-structured tracks with their jumpy breakdowns are in line with the concept of the record. The experimentation with various sounds in the record does not, at all, take away from its core brutality.
While the EP starts with the open, buoyant track titled ‘Terminal’, it marks its farewell with the last, and perhaps its fiercest, track titled ‘Our Oceans’, leaving the listener yearning for one more swing of the iron fist. The title track ‘Skyless’ is the best illustration of the modern-yet-raw sound that may come to define the band for the foreseeable future. The true potential of this EP will be realized when it immerses a blood thirsty metal crowd in its showcase.
