For the uninitiated, Dreadhammer (Facebook page) is a Kolkata-based Thrash metal band, that draws inspiration from the likes of Megadeth, Kreator and Metallica Recently. This 4-man act formed by Rishav in 2016 is known for its frantic, energizing and brutal songs that deliver a headbanging euphoria to the masses. Their releases ‘Might of Chaos’ and ‘Violence is the Cure’ garnered immense support from fans all over India. Their synergy and chaotic playstyle is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Recently we got a golden opportunity to interview Rishav Bhattacharya, the lead vocalist as well as guitarist for Dreadhammer. A fun, inspiring and memorable conversation followed.
Q: What is Dreadhammer? Tell us about your journey.
A: Dreadhammer is merely an honest escape from the shit we have to go through every day. We believe in making music that’s honest, straight forward and ‘in your face’. Fast and Furious Thrash Metal served on a plate for you to devour. That’s what we promise and that’s what we deliver. We are not the type of guys who beat around the bush.
Coming to our journey; It’s been a hell of a ride! For me as well as my band. We’ve managed to make a subtle impact on the scene in only a year… Which was hard for me to believe because I’ve never felt people would actually like the music I make or just take some time to hear me out. This acceptance in the old-school scene made us feel like we were at home. Since our debut at “Rise Above” by Calcutta Punk Society, we’ve been on a great roll releasing two singles which were hugely appreciated by our listeners. It’s too soon to say anything but thus far it’s been pretty amazing.
Q: Why the name Dreadhammer?
A: The name was actually suggested by our bassist Suprovo and everybody thought it had a nice ring to it so we decided to settle on that.
Q: Who are the band members? How did you form the band?
A: I have always been an angry kid as far as I can remember. After finishing school, I found myself in a bad phase. But I had one goal in mind which was to get back at the world. The world where I don’t fit in. I knew I had to do something so I decided to form a band with a couple of friends who knew how to play the guitar. So that’s how it started. Me on vocals and guitars… Arjo Datta on lead guitars… Suprovo Chowdhury on bass…and soon recruited the ‘wonder kid’ Rohan Baksh on drums and just started jamming some tracks. And that’s how it began.
Q: Tell us about your first release.
A: ‘Might Of Chaos’ was huge for us. That’s how we introduced our sound to the people out there. Believe it or not, it was actually written as a song about a gruesome zombie apocalypse where the undead take over and slaughter the human race. Then came ‘Violence is the Cure’ which really took us to the next level and it has since become a fan favourite. You could sense that everything you see us play it live. The energy is something else.
Q: What are your influences and inspirations?
A: As I do most of the writing, most of my influences are pretty evident in our tracks. To name some major influences and inspirations that would have to be bands from the NWOBHM era. Well, most of them; And Thrash acts like Overkill, Kreator, Megadeth, Warbringer & Havok.
Q: What’s in the pipeline for you all?
A: As we said, we’re not really great thinkers. We do what we do. We don’t put much thought into it. But we have a new single coming out this month called ‘Destroyer’. And our debut EP might be coming soon too if all goes well.
Q: What are the challenges in taking music professionally?
A: The struggle is surely real. But at the end of the day, it all comes to down monetary challenges. Good types of equipment don’t come cheap. And you invest so much in your music and if it doesn’t lead you anywhere then you are bound to feel disheartened. Nobody wants to pay metal bands around here for their music in Kolkata. It’s really tough if you want to take this up as your career professionally as there’s no assurance of a stable income. All you can really do is hope and keep playing.
Q: What genre of music do you play?
A: We play Thrash Metal with a hint of Traditional Heavy metal inspired by bands like Judas Priest, Motörhead & Saxon.
Q: Which artists do you look up to?
A: Already told you about our influences.
Q: Do you feel there is enough support for people who want to take up music as a profession?
A: Absolutely not. And why would anyone support you in something where there’s no future? As a musician, it’s very important to stay positive but it gets tough if people don’t support you. Parents above all should support their children to do something out of the box. But everybody is fairly satisfied with their mediocre lifestyle. And want their children to grow up to be them. I’d say it’s like an ‘all or nothing’ situation. If you want to do this professionally. You need to give it your all. It doesn’t matter who supports you and who doesn’t. You’ve got to make things happen for yourself.
Q: Anything else you want to share about yourself?
A: It was great talking about this with you guys. Hopefully, we’ll do this sometime soon again!
