Pakistani black metal
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The Pakistani metal music industry has had a lot of revolutionary changes in the past couple of years - four to five to be precise. The most significant and appreciated change has been the construction of a community of unsigned bands and musicians creating music in their own ways, the "Pakistani Underground". Metal music was a genre that had never been experimented or worked with before. For the first time, a real change is visible and now the music genre is now referred to "Pakistani black metal".
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[edit] History
The Pakistani music industry has not given the metal scene much of a platform. Such music is only appreciated and heard among a few individuals all around the country. The internet is the biggest platform for all such metal heads because the average listener does not appreciate or accept the message brought forth through the language of noise and violence, let alone pain, torture and suffering. Music is a form of expression that varies from one person to the other. Metal bands such as these should be given a chance.
Taking a look at all these bands, one has to think that music is from the heart. It is the expression and the coherence that brings forth its true essence. The Pakistani metal underground is a place where music is made for people who believe in non-commercialism and the perfect picture. From death black, viking black, gothic hardcore and grindcore to doom, nu-metal and pure old school death/black metal, bare and brutal, the Pakistani underground metal scene has evolved credibly in the past couple of years. Recently, it has filled with people who dare to aspire and then who make those aspirations visible, rather, perceptible. But the fact remains, that in a country where most people are still struggling for basic necessities, a massive metal scene is still a dream.
[edit] Popular metal bands
[edit] Kainath / Kosmos
The real originators of all things extreme in Pakistan, this band was formed in the early 90's in the thriving metropolis of Karachi by two brothers, Fawad Baluch and Adil. A lot of gigs and 2 demos followed by Fawwad's venture into commercial hard rock (Dhun) saw the end of the band. At their peak they were an unmatchable force, taking cues from early morbid angel and infusing it with their own restless Pakistani spirit. Fawwad's playing was phenomenal , turning shred on its head by marrying technicality to feel and brutality.
[edit] Autopsy Gothic
Started as a mix of basic black metal and hardcore in Karachi (early 90's) the band has evolved into a more mature and textured outfit. The first demo (Coward) is a short and simple but rocking trio of songs. Latter gigs, found them covering Cradle of Filth etc with a keyboardist. They have since provided the soundtrack to many worthwhile underground gigs.
[edit] Dusk
One of the originators of the metal movement around Pakistan was Dusk. The band consisted of two members, Faraz Anwar on the guitars & Babar Shaikh. Dusk initiated in 1995 and mastered in death black metal. "South Asia's heaviest export" by Greek Zine (M.Invader '96), was one of the titles given to these 2 individuals who together made plodding doom/ death music marrying Babr's basic metal sensibilities to Faraz's fretboard wizardry for some mixed results.. Casketize, Dusk's first demo tape, released in June 1995, had serious production issues but showed the direction for the future.. With time Dusk started experimenting, which lead to their transition from death black metal to gothic/doom metal. This cleared the way for the release of their first debut full-length album My Infinite Nature Alone, which was released by Hibercia Records (Portugal). Side projects of Dusk: Mizraab, Aufgang, Northern Alliance, Razam and Miasma are all the side projects of Duskhordes. The latest pronouncement has been titled Jahilia in the year 2002.
[edit] Burzukh
One of the earliest exponents of Pakistan to break away from the monotonic death/black sound and embrace wider influences, Burzukh (founded by Syed Suleiman, Islamabad )started as a industrial Black Metal Band, but the Madien and Classic Rock influences eventually shone true. Suleiman has also collaborated with Corpsepyre members (Funeral Junkie) and was a fonding member of the The Banned (now known as Saturn). Now it stands as an amalgamation of metal genres and rock with 2 aggressive and ambitious demos (Dominion, Industrial City) and an album (Lost Souls)on the way.Burzukh Website
[edit] Corpsepyre
Starting off in Lahore, Corpsepyre comprises of Saquib Malik on guitars, Hammad Khan on vocals, Talal Ahmed on drums and Hassan Mir on bass. The band’s first demo was produced by Malik in 2003 at Grindwork Studios. After the demo dispersion, the band acclaimed creditable recognition all around, thus landing them a spot on Pakistan's first extreme metal compilation, Rise of the Eastern Blood, by Duskhorde Productions, alongside the best Pakistani extreme metal bands around.
[edit] Kain
Kain is another Lahore-based metal band. The follow up consisted of Waqas Ahmed, widely known as one of the best guitarists in the Lahore underground metal scene, on lead and rhythm guitars, Atif Hameed on vocals, Ian Eldred on bass and finally Kenny on the drums during their brief affair with death metal. Kain then switched tracks to become a commercial metal band with Khizar Tahseen replacing Atif Hameed on vocals. This line up disintegrated when Khizer left for Canada to pursue his degree, leaving a void in the vocals area, soon to be filled by Waqas' long-time friend Nauman. The performances and subsequently their progress was hindered by Ian Eldred's continuous flings in and out of the band but he finally established himself as Kain's bass player in the start of 2005. Omer Imran appeared on the scene to relieve Waqas of Rhythm Guitar duties, and this manifested itself in better solos, consistently improving coordination of the guitars and a profound clearness in the sound in. Kain have played a prominent role in the development of the metal underground scene in Pakistan.
[edit] Sifr
Sifr (an Arabic word that means "hollow" or "void") was a solo project. Its concept was laid out in the year 2000 by Saquib Malik (after his retirement from Sickore). The platform was Lahore and the idea was purified metal purified. Sifr portrays doom/black metal music. Saquib started off with 4 tracks, Hell of One, Insanity Eternal, Unbeing and Inferno. The latest tracks include Heresy, the Days Grow Darker, Solitudes Embrace and Your Silence. He has worked with the likes of Sickore and Corpsepyre; a very promising individual.
[edit] Miasma
Miasma, a band of five individuals, features Ajlal on the vocals and the brain behind the lyrics, Aman on bass, Ali Raza on keyboards and sequencing, Adnan on the drums and finally Faraz Siddiqi on Guitars. Maisma are the first Pakistani Urdu death black metal band. Maisma was initiated in the year 2002, thus joining the spreading metal underground community.
[edit] Northern Alliance
Northern Alliance is a band from Karachi. Apart from being one of the projects of Dusk, it specializes in making pure old school death/black metal (bare & brutal). Ibadullah, Babar, Faraz and Zeeshan are the members that make Northern Alliance a statement in itself. Their fan site is MusikGround.com
[edit] Void
Void is a coterie of Aamir Haroon as the lead vocalist, Rehan Hussain as the lead guitarist, Umair Dar on the rhythm and lead guitars, Mahir Basheer on bass, Ali Hamza Janjua on the drums and Mustafa Fareed also on lead guitars. Void has a number of original tracks to their credit, including Prelude to Reality, Tentative Destruction (demo with no vocals), Ghum Nahi and Salvation to name a few. Lyrics and downloads are all available at their website, www.voidx.tk. The band members are currently all studying in Universities around the world and play gigs in Karachi in the summers.
