It’s been raining gigs throughout Kolkata in these past few months, with all the local acts coming together to give the metal hub of this city what they have always craved for. The year 2022 has kind of presented itself as some sort of renaissance for indie metal and rock shows for the city of culture. And ‘The Pit v.10’ due to take place on November 5 (Saturday), 2022 certainly takes the cake as one of the most prestigious metal gigs this city has ever offered.
As the 10th anniversary edition of this iconic show, ‘The Pit – Legacy’ this year’s edition features some of the most exciting names in the Indian metal community. Thrash/death metal veterans from Bangalore Inner Sanctum and Kolkata’s very own Armament are going to headline this year, along with death metallers In Human. Add to that, the event will also feature a slew of kickass acts across the region, all of whom are going to make this legendary event brutally versatile.
To mark this occasion, we at Headtilts in collaboration with What’s The Jam, took some time out to have a wonderful conversation with three debuting acts in this year’s ‘The Pit – Legacy’ – Ksetravid, Thirst of Faust, and Broken Barons. Here are excerpts of our interaction with the members of the band:
Ksetravid
Q: Based on our knowledge, your guitarist Pritam Middey had been involved with EVIL CONSCIENCE who have played in The Pit previously. How excited are you to be back with a new set-up and what are you expecting from your debut gig with your new band?
A: To begin with, I’d never forget EVIL CONSCIENCE and PIT together. The purpose and emotion behind EC were rooted in tech-death. Whereas Ksetravid’s sound is more modern metal inclined. For those who know us, Ksetravid formed at a time when everything around us was unpredictable. In the middle of a pandemic when we decided to play the music that goes beyond the boundary of how metal music should be, we knew we were taking on a responsibility to do something unique. Ksetravid is quite promising in terms of sound and elements. People have heard us and reverted on a positive note. To be honest, our audience drives us to do what we do! So, I am also hoping for the same for the years to come.
Q: You just came out with a new single. You have one single that you released previously. Can the audience expect a setlist consisting entirely of fresh originals?
A: Before ‘The Pit’ came along, our plan was to write as many songs and work towards finishing the EP. When we got to know that we were playing at The Pit, we had all OC’s to play but we are definitely not refined enough. So that got the band into working on the stuff inside out to make it sound like what it is now. We hope people like what they hear. But to keep things in a good blend, we have a little surprise for the people out there! Few OC’s needs to be left unheard till the EP is out haha.
Q: Pritam, you have also been a founding member of The Pit back in the day. How do you feel about how far the gig has come since its inception a decade back?
A: In one word, I might say ‘coming back to life’. It’s always great to be back in the place where it all began. I have indeed been there since the inception of the PIT and I can’t deny its evolution. They have always been at the top when it comes to bringing the metal scene together and united. It’s incredible to see so many bands from different cities playing for a single cause: the love for music. Also, the last time I played was with EVIL CONSCIENCE. This time its KSETRAVID. So much has changed since then but I hope the zeal and madness remain the same.
Q: Also, Ksetravid seems to be the only band in the line-up who are not based in Kolkata (based in Bangalore), does that intimidate you? Or are you rather excited to be the odd one out among the rest?
A: We are super excited to play alongside all these talented bands and we have all the reasons to be as this is our debut gig, couldn’t ask for anything more.
Thirst of Faust
Q: You have kind of been one of the most sought-after bands in the scene in your short stint performing live. Do you feel that there is a certain level of pressure that comes along with it?
A: First of all, thank you so much for saying that. Yes, there is certainly some pressure that comes along with it, the pressure of writing more songs to have different kinds of performances and setlists in all the shows we have done so far so that the audience does not get bored of us playing the same songs over and over again. That’s why we had to turn down a few offers in recent times just to have another song in our arsenal, something new to offer before we hit the stage once more. But we tend to take this more as a challenge, something we really love doing, pushing ourselves to organically write more materials. We certainly didn’t expect the such amount of love for us in such a short time, so thanks to everyone.
Q: This performance will denote your first time playing at The Pit. What can the audience expect from your set?
A: The Pit audience, we believe will be a little bit different than what we usually have in the other Kolkata shows we performed in. So, for many of them, we would be something totally new. They can expect a good amount of storytelling and a sound that will itch the old-school bone as well as the newer-school technical audiences. We dont have a huge setlist but we surely hope they would enjoy the journey through German folklore intertwined with human emotions and behaviors.
Q: How does it feel to share the stage with some of the oldest and biggest bands in the scene? What are you hoping to take away from this gig?
A: It feels like a dream come true for all of us, and nerve-wracking at the same time. There’s always a pressure performing with such legendary acts and big names, but this feels great to say the least. We hope to take away an unforgettable experience and friendship with all our fellow performers, and the organizers, some of whom we already had the privilege to know and talk to. The Pit, being the oldest and first metal show in Kolkata, is an emotion, and to be able to play in the 10th edition of it is unbelievable.
Q: You guys already have 3 singles out till now. Is there any album on the horizon, after The Pit gets over?
A: We are working on multiple pieces at the moment, with plans of releasing a new single at the end of this year. But yes, there is an album on the horizon. We can’t tell you the exact date for it, but it is almost complete in the songwriting department. We are going to release the album without delay.
Also read: THE PIT: In conversation with ARMAMENT, CHRONIC XORN and IN HUMAN
Broken Barons
Q: Tell us about your blend of music a bit for our readers, and what to expect at The Pit v.10 this year.
A: We, Broken Barons are a metalcore band with ruminative lyrics and airtight grooves. We will bring the same to The Pit v.10. Inspired by metalcore and hardcore acts all over the world who are upholding artistic pillars of technical proficiency, we create a new style of metalcore sound that people seem to enjoy and that’s what keeps us going.
Q: As debutants of The Pit do you have any messages for your fellow bands who are also debuting for the first time?
A: All we want to say to our fellow debutants is that we are lucky and proud to be sharing the stage with you people. I hope everybody enjoys the show. All the best to them.
Q: Do you feel that performing in The Pit will help with expanding your listenership since this gig has a lot of value in the metal scene of the city?
A: The Pit is the oldest running metal show in our beloved city. We are very lucky to be performing in such an event. Of course, we believe that performing here will be detrimental to our future as a band because this event has a high footfall, and people from all over the city and afar attend this show. We think their support is what we need to make us better.
Q: Could the audience hope to hear new yet-to-be-released tunes from your roster in this gig?
A: We are currently working on our full-length album and we are super stoked as we’ll be performing a few new tracks from there as well.
Q: What is your overall experience performing in Kolkata gigs?
A: Hometown gigs are always special for us as a band as we see our friends and supporters up there and they are everything to us because without them we cannot do what we do.
