Grungy Morphins heavy metal band to perform in Darjeeling Tea and Tourism Festival 2012

Darjeeling, Dec. 15: Darjeeling-based heavy metal band Grungy Morphins is making waves in the international circuit with one of its songs featuring in an online compilation released world wide from Spain.

The band’s song I.T.N.O.T.G, the abbreviation for In the Name of the God, has been included in a compilation titled Wolfhound Compilation Radio — Rock and Metal.

The band has won international recognition when it is preparing to perform in the hometown after six years.

“The administrators of Wolfhound Metal Radio informed us a few days ago that the compilation had been released and that it could be downloaded from www.wolfhoundmetalradio.org. The songs were selected on the basis of a voting by the public on the website from April,” said Hozo Rai.

While 27-year-old-Hozo is the vocalist of the band, Kushang Tamang is the lead guitarist. Gaurav Roka is on the bass with Ashes Roka on the keys and Triratna Moktan handling the percussion.

“The Wolfhound has come up with four volumes and each has 20 songs. We feature in the second volume and Dark Desolation is the only other Indian band whose song finds a place in the series,” said Hozo.

I.T.N.O.T.G was chosen along with songs cut by bands from the US, Latin America and Europe.

The cover of the compilation of songs brought out by Wolfhound Metal Radio. Picture by Suman Tamang

This is the second time that the Darjeeling band has featured in an international compilation. In 2009, its album Darkness Without Pain had been picked up by the Canadian-based TUG Records for a compilation titled Shrouded in Silent Omens III.

“That was a turning point for us and we did get a lot of airspace in various radios in the US and the UK. We also had a few invitations to perform in those countries but we could not make it there,” said Hozo.

The hill band has performed here last in 2005. “We have not been able to stage a show in Darjeeling because of various reasons. Whenever shows were scheduled here, we had invitations from other places which we could not decline,” said Hozo.

However, the band is slated to perform at the Darjeeling Tea and Tourism Festival on January 1, 2012.

The band plays “heavy metal”, a genre that is still to catch up in India. “But slowly, many people are accepting and enjoying our music these days,” said Hozo.

The music group, which has not yet come up with its own album, is looking at working with a Malaysian company, TSHM Records, to cut a record in collaboration with two other bands, Sangre from California and Necrocest from Wales, UK.

“The album is titled Three Way Cross Country Split and all the three bands are being asked to record five songs each. We are hopeful that this, too, will work out,” said Hozo. 

-VIVEK CHHETRI

The Telegraph