Local legend goes that if one strays too close to the dense forests that surround the town of Sukna late at night then they might get bewitched by the vicious metal that keeps pouring out from the woods. Well, fret not weary traveler, it’s probably IF HOPE DIES working through their evening routine. Risk of addiction is often high in such encounters, you’ve been warned.
The ragtag Modern-Prog metal company drew its first breath around mid-2010 in accordance with the vision of its founding fathers – Aakash Sherpa and Abinash Moktan. They soon roped in Pratik and Rupsang who shared in their mutual love for the genre. The band’s initial baby steps, which involved laying siege to local band competitions (both big & small), quickly turned to quick strides and now they are part of the local scene’s vanguard. Their army is gaining more foot soldiers with each passing day. While they don’t necessarily sport the same flair as some of the bigger names out there but they definitely make up for it with their hard work, talent, and perseverance. And now they have returned, (as heralded by our trusted seers!) to ravage the drought-stricken fields once more with their newest EP Secrecy.
Pop in your headphones and crank the volume all the way up, as it’s the only acceptable way to listen to ‘Secrecy’. The skeptics may soon find their premonitions quickly dissolving into thin air as soon as the diaphragms of their headpiece start vibrating. The song takes off from a lovely pre-planned trajectory of intense & funky beats coupled with volatile mercurial riffs, which adorn the skilfully interwoven sections. Although it will definitely seem a bit mellow to devotees of heavier poisons out there. The song does sport a bit too many theatrical pauses for my taste, which gives it a unique fluctuating tempo. Talking about the vocals, they definitely aren’t something to scoff at either and fit so well thematically with the rest of the song. Although, I personally am of the opinion that the lyrical depth is one aspect the band could’ve spent a bit more time on. The instrumental interludes sprinkled all over the track’s length do steal quite a bit of the limelight and offer an immersive experience. I did like how the mesmerizing outro grounds the pacing to a softer note, bringing a hauntingly pleasant conclusion to the bumpy ride barely shy of the 4 minutes mark.
An impressive glow of finesse can be seen in the music video’s cinematography as well, especially when we take into consideration the fairly evident low budget factor. It thankfully doesn’t try to drown you in excessive flamboyancy, which does bring in a breath of fresh air as most bands seem to lean towards an in-your-face approach these days. Although I did find the poker-face close-ups and semi fade-out effects (cancerous seizures is what I like to call them!) slightly off-putting.
The band undeniably exhibits a superb methodological execution. The best songs out there play on emotions to weave a sort of connection between the artist and his audience. The aforementioned bond is equally important when it comes to crafting fine music, and it is one aspect that IHD takes full advantage of. The song isn’t overburdened with add-on layers of synthetic tracks. Rather, it tries to leverage the traditional charm of metal which we all grew up with. On a closing note, I will simply say that it is a pretty neat song with a good overall composition. Wouldn’t recommend missing out on it.
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ifhopediesindia
Official YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCICFVnLyhBPrDqb5uYccKeA
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