Delhi band Bloodywood is putting out their debut album Rakshak. That sentence sounds funny given how long they’ve been trailblazers in India’s metal scene, but long have waited, and it’s finally coming. This release cycle kicks off with their single ‘Gaddaar’, and of course, they’re in great form on it. But their mix of folk, metal and a whole lot of incisive writing that aims to cut through a lot of our country’s cultural red tape is a bit conspicuous by its absence. Sure, every band in the genre has its message, its hate for the system and so on. But here is a band that lets that permeate every bit of their songwriter. And it’s so good to hear that again.

It doesn’t take a scientist to hear one minute of this track and understand it’s a banger, obviously. The riffs are immaculate, the dhol complements that skull-crushing drums like nothing else, and the more folksy Punjabi (stereotyping is bad) elements give it somehow even more energy. The vocals are phenomenal too; RATM-style verse alternate with raspy growls as if the two styles were twins separated at birth. But again, it really isn’t just about the fact that Bloodywood makes great music with an edge to it that screams (pun intended) the strength and honesty of the band’s identity. All this is well known and well documented in the band’s music. What is really important about ‘Gaddaar’ is that it is a mouthpiece for making music that has that identity baked into every little bit of it. And that is where that energy comes from. And that, you can’t possibly ignore. And there’s an album coming. Buckle up.