If you’re acquainted with the heavy metal scene of India, it’s highly unlikely that you’ve never heard of the band Zygnema. Based in Mumbai, this four-piece groove metal outfit has been around for almost two decades now, releasing banging records and performing innumerable shows, both in and outside of India.
Zygnema was formed back in 2006, after which they quickly made the name as one of the premier metal bands hailing from India. Since their inception, they have released three solid albums to date (two full-length albums and one EP), and a few singles as well. Their concerts, which are marked by highly energetic performances, gradually made them one of the most sought-after metal bands from the Indian subcontinent.
The quartet has also represented India in renowned international music festivals such as Wacken Open Air (2012) and Inferno Metal Festival (2013). At the Rolling Stone Metal Awards 2011, Zygnema won the ‘Best Metal Band’ and the ‘Best Metal Song’ award in the popular choice category, thereby also cementing their place as a critically acclaimed band.
A few days back, we at Headtilts, had the privilege to indulge in a conversation with the Mumbai metallers about their experience as a band, recording music and touring, their latest record ‘Iconic’, and what it means to play metal music in a diverse country like India. Here are excerpts of the conversation with the members of Zygnema:
Q: First of all, congratulations to all of you for the release of your latest EP ‘Iconic’. Tell us about your overall experience of putting out the album.
A: Thank you, guys. It was a learning experience for all of us. As a band collectively and as individuals, we pushed each other to try things that were not a part of our musical vocabulary & we had to learn new things to be able to express our musical ideas properly. So yes, recording and releasing music is always an upgrade in our lives.
Q: This EP marks the return of Zygnema releasing an album after 9 years. What are your feelings about this long gap of absence from releasing an album, be it a full-length or an EP?
A: Yes. We last released a single ‘I am Nothing’ which was an important bridge that helped us realize that change is necessary. Evolving and growing is important and trying new things is now mandatory. It’s not easy to be random and too experimental about ideas. So, we had to go through the process of understanding what we want collectively and individually while we are a part of this band. The gap was mainly because we got comfortable playing shows after shows and mid 30s hits you with personal and professional responsibilities. To evolve and fight through that fire was a long process. Better late than never, right?
Q: What was the lyrical motivation behind the record ‘Iconic’? Who came up with the idea?
A: Jimmy is our man when it comes to writing lyrics. The rest of us stick to making music. There is honestly no specific motivation behind any song. Every song has a story of its own. It’s mainly focusing on individual human issues and how we deal with it and react to it.
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Q: Starting with your debut full-length album ‘Born of Unity’ (2010) which was quite thrashy, to the sophomore record ‘What Makes Us Human Is Obsolete’ (2015), to the recently-released EP ‘Iconic’, there’s a noticeable transition in your sound genre-wise. Was that shift deliberate? Or there’s more to that?
A: We wanted to evolve and be able to express our music with the right musical elements. Have we moved genre-wise? Hell No. We are still grooving hard and are riffs are heavier than before. Is there a change or a transition in our musical approach? YES!! It was intentional and it took a while to accept that and then be content with what was being put together and polish it even further.
Q: Zygnema has completed almost 18 years of existence as a metal band. During this period, you guys have witnessed the heydays of the Indian metal scene, as well as the barren ones where several bands have either gone into hiatus or broken up. Where do you think the current condition of the Indian metal scene compared to the time of your inception?
A: The Indian metal scene has changed for the best and now bands are getting global recognition. Bloodywood is a major reason which gave India a sudden boost of listeners internationally. But we have bands like Kryptos, Gutslit, Godless, Girish & the Chronicles who now are constantly touring and playing shows abroad. We got to do the same and have seen some big stages as well as clubs in Europe. Also, a lot of international bands like to come and play in India mainly because there is a decent market. It’s not mainstream, but it’s definitely gotten more exciting than what it was before.
Q: You guys have also been fortunate enough to perform in venues abroad, with global festivals like Wacken Open Air (Germany) and Inferno Metal Festival (Norway), and also the REFORMREBIRTH European tour back in 2019. What was the experience performing in those shows, and how do they fare compared to the shows in India?
A: Playing your music to a new set of audience is always exciting and extremely satisfying. Music listeners from the West are always surprised to see us Indians play their music so well. We remember we had an opening band from France named ‘Lies Matters’ Our show was scheduled in a club somewhere in Lille. The guitar players during sound check were playing our song ‘Shell Broken Hell Loose’ and man it was so weird and exciting at the same time to see this happen. One guy in Poland (forgot the name of the city) had custom printed our t-shirts, and he and two of his friends were wearing it. Who would have thought that people go out of their way to show their love and respect towards our music.
Q: After the Covid pandemic, there’s a significant rise of new releases coming out of the independent metal community in India. Do you think this rise is sustainable in the long run? Or do you think it’s just a temporary phase?
A: We think metal musicians in India make metal music purely out of passion. It is nobody’s primary source of income. It is fantastic to see so many releases. But sustaining and staying relevant is purely a mindset of the individual or the band. Their drive and constant perseverance will probably answer this question in the near future.
Q: As we’ve talked about how the Indian metal scene is buzzing with new acts coming from different parts of the country. Is there any such band(s) from India with whom you’d like to share the stage or go on a tour in the near future?
A: Ufff! There are plenty of bands that we admire and would like to go on tour with. Unfortunately, Scribe is not around. That would be our first pick. Inner Sanctum, Bhayanak Maut, Kryptos, etc. The list is huge. We remember touring the Northeast India with Chronic Xorn in 2019. It was so much fun. Would love to do something like that again. Kill the King is a promising act and we would love to play with them someday. We did share the stage with Godless and Gutslit on many occasions. A tour with these boys will be quite interesting.
Q: With a career spanning almost two decades, you guys had the privilege of sharing the stage with some stellar international acts on several occasions. Any such memorable moment which you still hold close to your heart after all these years?
A: Yes, we have shared the stage with acts like Kreator, Tesseract, Megadeth, Fear Factory, Textures, The Dillinger Escape Plan, etc. The most memorable moment for us would be our time at the Wacken Open Air where we got to spend a couple of hours with Opeth. We had a lot to drink with them and both the bands got equally wasted. They spoke to us and hung out with us as if they are a local band and have known us for years.
Q: After ‘The Iconic Experience’ album launch tour concludes, what’s on the horizon for Zygnema? Can your fans expect more live shows for the remainder of 2024?
A: We wouldn’t call this a tour 😊 We wanted to make a small comeback from our hibernation with a new record and we did. We definitely are going to sit and plan a proper multicity tour with some popular bands if possible. Like cover the Northeast India, Kolkata and probably also look at cities like Kochi and Hyderabad and look to visiting Delhi and Bangalore again. We want to make some more music videos and start making new music to release for next year as well. So, we are not going to waste any time.
Q: Last but not least, anything the four of you want to say to your fans, both from India and abroad?
A: Thank you for your patience and faith in us. We kept receiving messages in the past asking about our future plans and the moment we delivered, our inbox was flooded with tons of messages which was quite heart-warming and supportive. We love you all and we will be back on stage soon.
Listen to the track ‘Iconic’ by Zygnema here:
