I arrive at the Aluva district in the city of Kochi with a vague idea of which direction I should be walking to make my way towards the Nosh Haus, the venue for this year's edition of the Indian Infernal Fest.

Just ahead of me I spot a bearded man in his late twenties sporting camo shorts and a Slipknot baseball cap. Bingo. I'm on the right track. I follow this character and within minutes I come to the venue.

The Nosh Haus is a modern and comfortable café situated beside a Royal Enfield motorcycle store. Outside amongst the many parked bikes, I find the familiar tribe - a cluster of black t-shirts and band patches. I've made it.

Upon entry to the Nosh Haus, I'm shocked to find the venue to be a clean and comfortable environment. It is a far cry from the dank and grimey venues that I have grown to love back home. This venue is cosy and relaxing and there's something else amiss! Why isn't the floor sticky?
I walk up to the bar and ask for a beer, only to be told that this is a non-alcoholic venue. No problem, a coffee will do. I sit down on a comfy leather couch and take in the surreal nature of my surroundings. Coming from Ireland, this is the exact opposite of a gig experience thus far! It's almost peaceful. Then things start to happen.

Three metalheads take to the stage with their instruments. Static gushes through the speakers. This is the first spark of the inferno to come.

The first band are NECROPHILIA, a death metal band from Bangalore. From the opening note, the once tranquil venue transforms. Hoards of black-clad attendees pour into the venue and a thrashing pit opens up instantly. The Infernal has begun and Necrophilia have well and truly started the fire. Intense and sometimes tech-laden death metal, falling somewhere between the sounds of Suffocation and Entombed, enraptures the building. The crowd here needs no warm-up, they have seemingly been waiting for this their entire lives. A maelstrom of bodies fly around the room in an ecstasy of mosh and mayhem. Necrophilia have set the bar sky-high. I am already getting the sense that something very important is happening here in the city of Kochi tonight.

Fig. 1 Necrophilia (photo credit - Binoy John)

Next up is the death/grind infused BAD TASTE. Their twisted brand of gore is complemented by unsettling horror movie samples which are peppered throughout their set. Reverb-drenched growls wash around the short bursts of chaotic carnage and the crowd goes berserk. They appear to be gaining a kind of spiritual sustenance from this otherworldly flurry of blastbeats and old school grinding death metal riffs. The frontman holds his ground and delivers a barrage of powerful, guttural tones. The sound punches you in the gut and the intensity is relentless. The frequency is low and the weight is pummelling. At times summoning the sounds of Repulsion and at times hints of MGLA, the band lay waste to everything in their path. Bad Taste maintain that sky high bar set by Necrophilia before them and the inferno rages on.

Fig. 2 Bad Taste (photo credit - Binoy John)

The winds change direction with the arrival of Bangalore heroes THE BLACK REGIMENT who bring their NWOAHM style to the fire. Playing in the same vein as many of the Lamb Of God/Shadows Fall era American bands of the early 00's, yet with a fresh conviction. Their sometimes politically charged songs stoke the flames even higher as the crowd thrashes along with the heavy chugs and groovy breakdowns. Special mention to the singer who is the first performative frontman of the evening and engages with the audience superbly. Two covers, Sepultura's "Roots Bloody Roots" and Pantera's "Fucking Hostile" sets the crowd into a frenzy. The passion here is striking and intoxicating. What the bands deliver in their passion, the audience reflects twice fold. It is truly a sight to behold.

Fig. 3 - The Black Regiment (photo credit - Binoy John)

One band name that has passed the lips of many throughout the night so far is XREPEATX. I had been warned (strongly, I might add) by several attendees that this was a band not to be missed. The three-piece take to the stage, the feedback swells, as does the air of anticipation amongst the crowd. The band kicks in to some slow, stoner-inspired riffing. There is no bass present, just drums and a guitar. The sound so far is groovy and safe! Until the crust mohawk sporting frontman lets out a prolonged and intense shriek, inviting a torrent of machine gun fire. Seething grindcore cuts through and the audience opens up. This is XrepeatX. They take no prisoners. They spew forth frantic, crust-infused grindcore that rips up the venue. The set is a short one, clocking in at little over twenty minutes, which could have been a blessing in disguise! I don't think that the building could have supported any more! XrepeatX leave people gasping for air after a successful assault on Infernal Fest.

Fig. 4 XrepeatX (Photo credit - Binoy John)

Finally it is time for festival headliners STARK DENIAL to take the stage. The lights are set to a suitable constant glow of red. The smell of sweat and bodies fills the air. Ghoulish, corpsepainted figures loom over the beaten audience. There is a sense of genuine fear amongst the crowd before a single note has even been played. The enigmatic ghouls stare out from the stage and embrace the eerie calm before the storm! Then the fires are unleashed.
Raw, scathing black metal blasts out, accompanied by demonic screams and howls from the imposing frontman. Stark Denial's brand of black metal harks back to the second wave of early 90's Norway. They are letting all manner of gods and demons know that India has officially placed its foot firmly into that second wave and they do so with intense vigour. Calling to mind the tones of Gorgoroth and Carpathian Forest, Stark Denial have now truly brought the inferno to Infernal Fest! And what an inferno it is.

Their ferocity invokes all sorts of horrors from the depths and spits them out in a fiery melee. The fires of hell burn high and Stark Denial stands at the centre, conductors of the inferno. By the end, there is not a single member of the audience left unscathed. Stark Denial close out the night in a suitably hellish fashion.

Fig. 5 Stark Denial (Photo credit - Binoy John)

Above all fires though, what burns strongest here tonight is the passion. The passion delivered by the bands and in turn by the audience. There is something very special happening in India when it comes to metal and the world needs to know. The strong sense of community that is present amongst many metal scenes across the world would all agree on something that makes the Indian scene stand out just that little bit further. That "something" keeps on coming back to the word "passion". With this passion, Indian metal is a force to be reckoned with.
There will surely come a time when the rest of the world will look to India for inspiration when creating metal... And with a twinkle in its eye, India will raise the torch and show the way.

Interview with Charlie Firman Rozario (Bad Taste):

Charlie is widely considered to be a veteran within the Indian metal scene, having played in numerous bands since the 90s. I was happy to catch up with him after Bad Taste's performance at Infernal Fest to get a little inside scoop...

When/Where was the band formed?

The band started in 2008 in Bangalore (India), playing Grind Gore influenced by Black Sabbath, Autopsy, Necrophagia, Napalm Death, Carcass, Terrorizer, Agathocles, Impetigo, Blood, Necrony, Lord Gore, Pungent Stench, Master, Embalmer, Machetazo, Gruesome Stuff Relish, Macabre, Doom (UK), Discharge, D.R.I., Gism, Black Flag, GG Allin and loads of crust/death/grind bands.

What was the mission/goal when you started?

We started playing music as tribute to all the great horror, gore, zombie, giallo, slasher, cannibal and exploitation movies from around the world and the bands I have mentioned in the previous question.

What would be your greatest aspiration today?

Our aspiration is to record and release an album this year. Maybe a tour later.

What are the lyrical themes/concepts behind the music?

Our lyrical themes are about scenes from our favourite horror, gore, zombie, giallo, slasher, cannibal and exploitation movies.

How is your musical style viewed by the general public in India?

It has a very small following but has definitely grown over the years. gore/noise/grind/crust/punk is still considered too extreme for the general metal crowd in India.

How has the Indian scene progressed in recent years?

The Indian scene is something that I haven't stopped following for more than a decade. The gore/noise/grind/crust/punk bands and fans have grown stronger. DIY!!!

What do you see for the future of Indian metal?

No idea.

What other Indian bands should people be aware of?

I would recommend bands like Gorified, Anorectal Ulceration, Perforated Limb, Grossty, xRepeatx, Gruesome Malady, Snuffx, P.I.S.S., Noisemasochist and Festered Wound.

...Any final words?

Keep supporting extreme music and spread your love for horror!!!

Bad Taste is: Charlie - Vox
Tony - Guitar
Adrian - Bass
Dhanush - Drums