Wrath!

The new album by Lamb Of God , "Wrath" is out and is exactly what the title says.The riffs are angry, the drumming is explosive and the vocals sound baneful. Lamb of God have not deviated much from their typical sound, which might not be a good thing, as some songs do tend to get boring after some time. Metalcore influences are more obvious on this album as are the various experimentations with new sounds.


A typical LOG album, in majority with some refreshing new touches. I would give this 7/10.


Track Listing:

The passing 1:58
An acoustic solo passage like never before from LOG.Leads to the main piece which has a bit of "Call of the Ktulu" feel to it.Pleasing to listen to and a good opening track. The warping on the outro gives a taste of things to come.

In your words 5:24
Angry opening riff, heavy double bass drumming typical of CHris Adler. Must say that the vocals definitely sound different.The main parts sung in typical Randy Blythe growls.....but the chorus lines have a feel which seems to put the mail vocals off a bit, egging it on. Sounds pretty good though. 3:50 onwards the instruments in unison produce some kind of a grandiose feel. Something one would attribute to Scandinavian metal, never seen with LOG before. Good riff and solo to end.

Set to fail 3:46
Typical Chris Adler pounding and angry riffs mark this one. Solo at 2:36 tries to get more melodious and coherent than LOG's erstwhile efforts. Guitar layering is well done in this case.

Contractor 3:22
This one starts with a whistle and goes like one. Lurching riffs, fast double bass work and vocal hooks galore. Another happy little evil sing along. you are bound to get adept at using the word "guaran-fucking-teed" after you listen to this one.

Fake Messiah 4:24
Leviathan opening riff leads to another typical LOG part. Plenty of variations in drumming parts make sure Chris Adlers office has a busy day. The Arabic tinged distorted solo from 3:50 onwards does a good job of finishing the track off.

Grace 3:55
A flamenco guitar opening piece. SOmething very new for LOG. Leads to a proper metal assault. something like "as the palaces burn". Vocals here seem stronger than other songs before this. Main riff sounds delicious as does Adler's drumming. Neo-classical metal influences stand completely visible in the solo that begins at 2:40.

Broken Hands 3:53
A great intro on the guitar, leads to the stage being setup for Randy's vocals to take over.The chorus growls stand out prominently here.Solo at 2:29 is a complete misfit.

Dead seeds 3:41
An opening riff that seems like 'Redneck". The opening vocals remind me of "Omerta". Seems like a secondary effort to all the songs featured so far. Nothing wrong with it though. Just nothing new.

Everything to Nothing 3:50
"Master of Puppets"-esque opening riff leads to a proper pacy song. Randy's vocals lead the way all along. Will make for a great live song. Mosh pit ahoy!

Choke Sermon 3:20
The drums on this track are louder than anything else. Again a typical LOG track. Till the break at 1:44. The riff sounds a little Mastodon-esque. The solo at 2:18 is a refreshing change.

Reclamation 7:05
7:05 ....are they crazy! A twin acoustic guitar melody to start things off. Which launches into a huge roar , much like what is seen in "Descending". The vocal, drums and guitar trio locomotive runs smoothly, blending into the acoustic bridge parts. Part at 3:31 is panned very well. Randy's vocals are working overtime here. Definitely the best track on the album, alongside Grace.The outro is again a befitting passage provided by twin acoustic guitars.

My name is...........

Hey, hi there.
Don’t be so surprised now. It is just me, the drum kit. Well I have stayed here long enough to pick some decent words up (and some indecent ones as well). Does not feel like a surprise then, does it? Each one, who has begun this journey, has picked something up, immeasurable. Undeniable.

Might sound like the worst life to you, being bashed all your life? Well count the exception in. The one thing I enjoy the most is getting bashed up! Might sound like a low life to you, but I ain’t!

I have been witness to what you call a learning curve, many times over. Those first shivering, immobile hands, rigid feet and stuttering words. The sounds that I emit then, make people remember other things to do in life. But stay with anything long enough and the dividends are apparent. Apparitions and these walls will agree to solitary practice paying off quite handsomely. Slowly, cautiously at first. Then faster, harder, smoother. It rumbles on. Creating a storm of sound, every time. In the hands of a master, this paraphernalia transforms its surroundings. The heartbeat of any melody. Explosions in every angry riff. The crescendos and diminuendos of every story told in music.

This present form of mine did not materialize out of thin air. But put together lovingly and with great pains by your own good self and many others like you. Part by part. Skin by skin. So every time i get to be a narcissist, I fantasize of myself as a symbol of your own team work and desire to make music. And somewhere I think the blood, sweat and tears have coalesced to give me my present form. In so much that I hardly remember my first shape. It does not trouble me at all. Anyways I look better than ever before. And the regular tunings and clean ups do help too. Those cymbals are my bling you see. Bronze alloy jewellery like none other. Drum sticks of many a colour and size too, join the party time and again. Pretty much the complete picture , ain’t it?

And just like you, I too miss those who have left. The times bygone. Those who have graced this throne and used this hardware as an extension of their own body, soul and thoughts. The moments of joy and anguish alike are embodied in every stroke that has left a scar on my skin. The reverberations of those cymbals still rage inside my own heart, as if powering it on. Being here gives me a balance of thought. The sonic locomotive when I am being played and then the solid shape to enjoy the sound of silence that follows. A witness to every metamorphosis, of person and personality. And every time that door creaks open, I rub my hands in glee. Like a little kid who gets a new toy on Christmas eve. Time for some action.

With love and respect,
The Chancellor Drum kit……comprising of

The 16” snare with an Evans skin. The 14” 16” and 18” toms. Planet Z 14”high hats and 20”Crash Ride and ZXT 16” Crash cymbal with their respective stands. Mallet beater aluminium pedal. With guest appearances from various sticks and Mapex double pedals. And last but not the least, the 22” kick drum……………Rage On!

Myles of joy................

Finally a review for Myles. That’s the Pulsar 180 DTSI (2008 model) that I own. Naming bikes is an attribute of the gay fraternity, say the wise dickheads. Well, please go and do your “Is-He-Gay-Or-Not” and “How-did-it-Happen?” thesis somewhere else. Am not gay and that shall be the end of it. Now piss off, will ya?

I confess that this comes a tad too late. 7000 kms too late. Any human with a normal brain does not need as many kilometers to ascertain the worth of his mode of transport. Thanks to truck loads of laziness on my part. Still, that gave me space to be a spectator to some amazing adventures and incredible rides. Indelible memories for this lifetime.

Well, statistics first…….well, no. Refer to the Bajaj website for that (which does not open most of the times). It is major boring whaleshit. Straight to the point. What hits the eye first is the form. The color red, as I have always stated, is like a panacea for a cold heart. It sets it on rage. A blood red paint scheme with some pretty decals, the street-mean looking headlight cluster, the LED stop lights and the carbon black exhaust. Matter black finish engine and 6 spoke alloy wheels add the kind of menace that goes on to complete the maxim “beauty and the beast”. The sum of the parts is one brilliant contraption as far as pleasing the visual senses goes. The best view I think (this one is for the lens men and shutter bugs) is the rear three quarters view. Try it once to understand what I am all about. Kudos to the designers. Will massage the owners’ ugly ego very nicely.

This is a touring bike with a spark for some throttle-opened-till-the-stop action. The 16 PS of power comes in handy on the highways. Maxed the bike out at a 116 kmph on NH 4B (Karad – Kolhapur section). In a very smooth manner. This is no pocket rocket. The engine is in no hurry of speeding up and revs up in a very graceful manner. Suits my riding style to the T. My bulk and a heavy back pack which robbed me of, 4 kmph, I think. Well no use crying over stored blubber and clay brick aerodynamics. And it’s no back breaker. The rider seat is very comfortable. A butt pleaser to say the least. But the same cannot be said about the pillion seat. Thin on foam I guess. And the 15.5 Nm of torque do a great job of handling the chores inside the city. The handle bars are a bit uncomfortable, but not exactly wrist breakers. The 2^nd gear is a huge relief in the stop and go and seek and murder and then again go Pune traffic.

Speaking of gears, I don’t think the Bajaj boffins spent a lot of money on the gearbox. The weakest link in the entire package has to be the gears. Clunky and often unpredictable shift. Infrequent but regular false neutrals too. But these gremlins are more restricted to the lower gears. Put it in 3^rd and beyond and all this is long forgotten.

The real eye opener for me was the chassis. Been through many ghats for that bit. And the bike handles it with such aplomb that the apothegm “corner cutter” sounds very appropriate. Brilliant on the twisty sections of tarmac, never letting the 150kg odd kerb weight affect its chassis stability at high speeds. Sublime is the only word that comes to the mind. The suspension is a bit to stiff for normal riders. For me, with the extra pounds, it is perfectly tuned up. The front disc brake is powerful too, lacks a bit of feel though. Not linear enough. Rear drum brakes are more than adequate and the combination has saved this skull from going under a scalpel on many occasions. Full marks on the handling front.

The ergonomics are spot on too. Digital display is my favorite bit with the orange glow reflecting the numbers adequately. The data gathering sensors are a little slow, but that should not bother me one bit. The switches are fantastic and operate with absolutely no hassles at all. The headlight and the parking lights, fire up with a good glow and to date I have had no complaints about them at all. Even at a low beam position, the beam spread is pretty good, hardly raising the need for the full beam. The fuel reserve light (on the analogue tachometer) also doubles up as the rev limit indicator. The side stand light is a deft touch too.

The Indian commuter is always obsessed with we know what. How many K’s to the L. And am very happy to share that my bike, with a single person riding all the 7K odd kilometers inclusive of a healthy mix of city and highway riding, throws up the figure 42. DTSI and some good riding habits (hecklers beware) deserve a mention here.

All in all, a package, I would say which is more than the value for the money spent on it (64K Indian rupees in case you start searching). The spares are cheap, should you need them at all. Almost bullet proof. That’s just cause I haven’t put a real bullet through it as yet. Dealers and service centers are stocked with these and should not be any cause for trouble. Reliable and frugal. That’s what Bajaj do stand for. In a very Indian way. Don’t they?

Happy and safe riding. Always use the helmets

Lights..........

Something more that i scribbled.

Lights............

oh!the fireworks
looking upto the sky
in pride
feel equal to the stars


a thousand flashes
closer to the earth
million eyes
desire my place

Oh those lights
those bright lights
shine on me again

faint glow
in arrested pace
burst of joy
galloping away

sing with me
dance with me
dont stop, please
just be

Oh those lights
those bright lights
shine on me again


rise to applause
the silk pours down
leaving the stage
one last glance, they go out

one of the million
i stand here
this for the flashes
glory, ecstasy and highs

walking away
no more pain
my tears now
no longer warrant the rain....

Oh those lights
those bright lights
shine on me again

Hello there...........

Been such a long break, i just lost track of time................however, lets not dwell on what has gone by. Wrote something (!!) in the meanwhile.


Cause I know......

feels restless u know
knowing not
to know what
i am thinking about

but for sure
in the designs of my mind
she dwells, forever
in myself i can surely find

a thousand words
why dont they mean to effuse
and the same in her eyes when i see
i cant refuse

when tears occupy finite space
and the mind knows no peace
it is always in her that i know
where my heart really is

when trust i seek, mortal nirvana
light trapped in opaque glass
solitary her touch liberates from all
thank you, for the sunshine will laugh.


cause i know

Beauty and the Barb-ie.............

This comes courtesy my friend Tanmay and some other office mates. Creativity, as they say, cannot be limited by anything whatsoever.












The world famous Barbie, from the “Best from Waste” 8th runner up entry Snowfall n Barbie, is being put on sale. The doll, considered by some as the most beautiful ever made, has been entirely made by hand with painstaking detail. Designer attire made from custom ordered fabric, expensive diamond jewelry and the latest “in-fashion” hairdo make the Barbie all the more exclusive. This one of a kind prized possession will go under the hammer on New Years eve. Bids start from a Trillion Trillion dollars. Entry for bidding by Invitation only.

Updates on the "Helmets save lives........" thing............:)

Well, no post for a long time. A lot of time for introspection, vocal chord relaxation, adrenaline preservation and lunatic fits. Rather lets have an ordered list.

1. All scratches and bruises have healed already.

2. The wound on my left leg has healed well. Hope that the stitches come off in the New Year.

3. For whatever reasons i thought that my bike was totaled. well those reasons can rest at the bottom of the deepest snake pit in arabia. the gear lever (which penetrated my leg) and the indicators have been set right. The headlight stock and the fairing will have to be replaced.

4. Have started walking around a bit more without any agony and even played couple of games of table tennis..;)

Waiting for the day when the status goes from walking fit to drumming fit!

P.S. : A huge \m/ to my family and friends for obvious reasons. You are the best!

Helmets save lives.............cause i ain't dead!!!!

Met with an accident day before yesterday!
same old stereotype script.

1. I was doing 60kph on a bad road and down hill.
2. Three dudes, from the other end on one bike with no head light. Wrong fucking side!
3. To avoid them, i dodged them at close range and hit the deck hard.
4. My gear lever tore through my shoe and took a chunk of muscle out of the sole of my left leg.
5. Scratches and bruises all over the body.
6. Myles (thats my Pulsar) was totaled.
7. Dudes on the other bike apologized and took me to the hospital and got me bandaged.
8. Band mates and friends are taking care of me and helping me get back on my feet. \m__m/ to Chirayu, Vinay and Akshay.
9. Special thanks to Dr. Karan of Bharati Hospital for stitching me back without getting guttural screams out of my belly .
10. Told not to move for 3 days. My idea of mother fucking hell!
11. Last word, my head and my specs were intact and unscathed even after going through 4 somersaults over bare rocks. I love my helmet!!!!

What this has done is, put a full stop to all my plans to play with my band on the huge Mantra stage at IIT Powai........bollocks!!!!..............while i am stuck at my flat here in Pune, MotherJane, Ensiferum and Indian Ocean will rock the Mood Indigo crowd, not knowing that Pune's biggest head banger (literally and figuratively) is compelled to stay docked at home!

Still, lets say "Best of Luck, Skepsis! Tear the stage apart!".............We will Rise........

Death whispered a lullaby!

Of late, metal lyrics that i listen to have become a bit monotonous. I was losing faith in the song writing abilities of bands , when this little known band from Sweden (ahem!) Opeth splattered all over my hard drive and monitor, and tore my illusion to pieces.

The following song, from their Damnation record from 2003, is as beautiful a piece of poetry as a song. enjoy!....\m__m/

Death whispered a lullaby....................

Out on the road there are fireflies circling
Deep in the woods, where the lost souls hide
Over the hill there are men returning
Trying to find some peace of mind
Sleep my child

Under the fog there are shadows moving
Don't be afraid, hold my hand
Into the dark there are eyelids closing
Buried alive in the shifting sands
Sleep my child

Speak to me now and the world will crumble
Open a door and the moon will fall
All of your life all your memories
Go to your dreams, forget it all
Sleep my child

Another one of my favourites, is "Benighted" from their 1999 record "Still Life".

Benighted.........

Come into this night
Here we'll be gone
So far away
From our weak and crumbling lives
Come into this night
When days are done
Lost and astray
In what's vanished from your eyes

What came and distorted your sight
Saw you benighted by your fright

Come into this night
Your plight alone
Carry your weight
You are flawed as all of us
Come into this night
Your only home
It's never too late
To repent, suffer the loss

What came and distorted your sight
Saw you benighted by your fright

What came and distorted your sight
Saw you benighted by your fright

Come into this night
When you're able
To undo your deeds
And atone with your lonely soul
Once you're into this night
All minds are stable
Forget all your needs
Lose the grip of all control


I could only wish, that in all of my remaining life, i could write a lyric, which would be as simple and touching, at the same time being as dark and reaching as this one. For now, i am working on it.

Our Jimmy rocks..............hard!!!!!!!!

sunday is the day to crank it all up, right to 11. Thats what the three of us did. Ameya, Chirayu and me were down to our stupidest and came up with this. dedicated to our own Mithun-da and his offspring , Mimoh "Jimmy" Chakraborty. Enjoy!

Our Jimmy rocks...............:D



he is got the moves
hes got the talks
oh my, here he comes
Our Jimmy rocks

[chorus]
so tell me
Jimmy
why not jimmy
why jimmy
why not jimmy

his hair's a mess
voice gives you shocks
oh my dear, here he comes
(and) our jimmy rocks

[chorus]
so tell me
Jimmy
why not jimmy
why jimmy
why not jimmy

(silence with no instruments, just chords on the acoustic guitar.)

just like his dad
he'll make it to the top
mithun's faded out
but our jimmy rocks

(garba rhythm)
Jimmy, ekla chalo re
Mithun bole, Jimmy ko bole,
Ekla chalo re!

he's dashin
he's fast
he fights to the end
he stand to the last

[chorus]
so tell me
Jimmy
why not jimmy
why jimmy
why not jimmy

(preferably in a south Indian accent)

ladies are made for him
jeans,skirts,bikinis frocks
he's done them all
oh yeah he rocks

yenna rasacala
mind it!

[chorus]
so tell me
Jimmy
why not jimmy
why jimmy
why not jimmy

P.S.: This is a real tribute from long standing members of The Chakraborty Clan Fan Club!!!