Indian folk metal band Bloodywood have released the track “Aaj” from their forthcoming debut record Rakshak, due to be released February 18. Bloodywood’s sound is best described as a fusion of traditional Indian folk instruments and Hindi/Punjabi choruses with the bombast of good old heavy metal.
Bloodywood state:
“The decision to be bilingual, vocally speaking, was a natural one that we didn’t really think about. “It just felt like the way to go, and it definitely adds a different dimension to our sound. We’re happy to share that people feel the emotion and understand the sentiment even if they don’t speak the language (though we did get requests for translations and subtitles, which you’ll find in all our songs now). The moment we knew that beyond a doubt was when we played a sold out show in Paris and had an amazing audience of French people sing the chorus back at us in perfect Hindi. They were so loud and clear that we couldn’t hear Jayant!”
“Rakshak means ‘protector’ or ‘guardian’ in Hindi. We’ve always been as passionate about the message of our music as much as the music itself, and our goal has and always will be to make a positive impact in people’s lives and on the planet.
“You’ll hear songs that talk about combating mental illness, overcoming divisive politics, battling the poverty crisis, crushing corruption, eliminating sexual assault, hope, belief, and undying determination. Musically we’ve taken more than a few risks and pushed the limits of our sound both vocally and instrumentally. Besides having a few songs with our signature sound, we have also experimented heavily by writing our fastest, heaviest and angriest music yet while also incorporating elements and instruments from genres that lie on the other end of the musical spectrum.
“We were lucky enough to be in a position to do something positive with our time at home during the pandemic; now we’re ready to explode outwards. ‘Rakshak’ being our debut album, we’ve strived to deliver one with no fillers.”
Rakshak can be preordred in the U.S. here and EU/International here.
Follow Bloodywood on YouTube here.
