TAKE FIVE

(From top) Members of Chronic Xorn, Underground Authority, Lucid Dreams, Cynical Recess and Chronic Phobia, who will perform at the Unseen Underground Pub Fest 2010 tonight

After rocking Chennai and Bangalore for the past two years, the Unseen Underground Pub Fest, which unearths rock and metal bands across the country, starts its first foray into the eastern zone from Calcutta this Saturday at Virgose, HHI. The line-up this year includes 100 English bands from around India that have each bagged a show among 40 gigs in Calcutta, Guwahati, Shillong, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi and Chennai. t2 takes a quick look at the five bands set to get you head-banging tonight…

LUCID DREAMS

From: Guwahati.

Genre: Alternative hard rock.

Formed in: 2004.

Members: Amitabh Barooa (vocals/bass), Siddharth Barooa (guitar/backing vocals) and Partha Boro (drums/backing vocals).

Influences: Guns N’ Roses, Megadeth and Dream Theater.

Top moments: In 2005, their original The Samurai Crab was selected for the compilation album We Are the Scene Vol. 2, released by Mumbai-based Ennui Bomb. They were among the 15 bands selected for Great Indian Rock XII in 2008, also headliners for Picks N Sticks 2008 in Guwahati and Rock Chapel Vol II 2009 in Diphu, Assam. Released their first full-length album titled Engraved Invitation this April.

Up next: A winter tour to promote their new release.

Memberspeak: “We switch from heavy metal to slow songs and that’s why we call ourselves an alternative band. Earlier our songs would dwell on social issues and now we focus on life in general,” says Amitabh who sings and plays the bass.

CHRONIC PHOBIA

From: Mumbai.

Genre: Experimental metal.

Formed in: 2007.

Members: Jugal Jagwani (vocals), Pratika Prabhune (bass/backing vocals), Pritesh Prabhune (drums), Charan Singh Pathania (guitars) and Nikhil Iyer (guitar).

Influences: Porcupine Tree, Veil of Maya, Job for a Cowboy and Scribe.

Top moments: The band was selected for the Furtados Music 2009 compilation album Because You Love Music featuring 10 new Indian bands out of around 80 entries.

Up next: An EP by the end of this year and entry into the Independence Rock Festival.

Memberspeak: “We use different influences and shape it into our own kind of sound that you can’t really classify. It’s experimental,” says drummer Pritesh.

CYNICAL RECESS

From: Calcutta.

Genre: Progressive hard rock.

Formed in: 2008.

Members: Abhishek Gurung (vocals), Abhishek Chatterjee (guitar/vocals), Abhinandan Mukherjee (drums/lyrics), Gaurav Dasgupta (guitar), Suraj Sinha (keyboards) and Rahul Maity (drums).

Influences: Mr Big, Whitesnake and Dream Theater.

Top moments: Finalists at the Hornbill National Rock Festival and featured among the top 12 bands that played at Great Indian Rock festival last year.

Up next: Playing at June Rock Out in Chennai at the end of this month and headlining Concord, the Calcutta Boys’ School fest.

Memberspeak: “Our sound is different from the cacophony in the scenario right now. Rock Out Loud is our motto but there’s a lot of melody and lyrically we stress on issues such as global warming, HIV Aids and war,” says Abhinandan.

UNDERGROUND AUTHORITY

From:Calcutta.

Genre: Hip hop, reggae and electronica.

Formed in: May 2010.

Members: Santhanam Srinivasan Iyer or EPR (emcee/poet/rapper), Adil (guitar/vocals), Bhaveen Jothani (guitar), Bubla (bass/vocals) and Sourish Kumar (drums/vocals).

Influences: Rage Against The Machine, Story of the Year and Metallica.

Top moments: Being selected for the Mumbai round of the new season of India’s Got Talent.

Up next: An entry into Independence Rock Festival.

Memberspeak: “We don’t have a lead vocalist. Everyone sings in the band and we have one rapper, which is the main feature. In that we infuse reggae, jazz, blues and techno,” says Abhishek Bihari, the band’s manager.

CHRONIC XORN

From: Calcutta.

Genre: Metal.

Formed in: 2007.

Members: Sunny (vocals), Suvam (guitar/vocals), Anindya (guitar), Angshuman (bass) and Tamaghna (drums).

Influences: All That Remains, Heaven Shall Burn, The Black Dahlia Murder, As I Lay Dying and Lamb of God.

Top moments: Bagged a spot among the 15 bands at Hornbill National Rock Festival last year. The band also played at the pre-party gig for this year’s Summer Storm Festival in Bangalore that was headlined by American metal band Lamb of God. In May they released their debut album Death. Destruction. Sermon. on Six Inch Nails Records.

Up next: A multi-city tour and a headlining act at a pub fest in Guwahati in August. The boys, founder members of an underground metal festival called the PIT, are planning a fourth edition.

Memberspeak: “We believe in redefining the concept of metalcore with a touch of melodic death metal while the lyrics harp on negative human emotions,” says Angshuman, the bassist.