There's something to be said for a band that stays with what it believes in through the years and through changing music trends. When Threnody started playing as a band in 1996, its three members then aged 17 and 18 were high on thrash metal. "Local bands Vulcan Haze and Crimson Storm were trailblazers in the genre at that time. We were also influenced by the likes of Kreator, Slayer, Sepultura, Metallica... we were taken in by music that was aggressive and fast. Perhaps, it had something to do with being high on testosterone," says Siddharth Naidu, the band's bass guitarist and vocalist.
Those years were heady for Threnody, playing just about wherever it could. Then came their 1999 brush with National Law School of India University's Strawberry Fields. "We came up second that year. The next year, we beat 42 bands from all over India to win Strawberry Fields. It was a great moment because for a heavy metal outfit to go past bands that are more technologically advanced was something difficult to achieve. This is why I believe, and it's something I have learnt through years of playing music, it's not about what you play, it's about how you play. Your music has to entertain," says Siddharth.
As the band grew, so did pressures of gaining an education and a working life. The line-up of the band kept changing, the name was altered to Threinody and for a while the drums fell silent.
But as the note on the band says, 'Dead but dreaming, gone but not forgotten, the beast that was Threinody was merely quiescent, not defunct.' It raged silently, gathering together its thoughts and music. "We have been recording our songs, even the ones we played in 1996," says Siddharth. Favourites like Disembodiment and In extremis will feature in 13-song album the band is recording.
On September 29, Threinody played at their comeback gig at Evilution. Now a four-member set with Premik Jolly, 32, who has been part of the band since 1998 - as guitarist, Shreyas Kamath, 27, on the drums and newest recruit Josh Daniel, 27, also as guitarist, the band sees no reason to slow down its music or turn away from thrash for a city being wowed by EDM.
"Metal bands have to have a multi-dimensional approach and keep an open mind. Music and your relation with it goes through phases. Our songs have diversified to include slower tunes too," says Siddharth who as lyricist writes about isolation, rejection, the human condition, war and even reincarnation in his songs for Threinody.
All members juggle work with their music, jamming and practising on the weekends. Premik runs a recording studio Area 51 Studio in Ulsoor along with handling the family business. Josh is a mechanical engineer who is an automobile airconditioning expert, Shreyas is an event manager, and Siddharth an IT professional.
"Playing music is like an outlet and getting on the stage feels great. We are not a dark, evil band and neither are we anti-religion. Ours has always been a positive outlook to life through our music. During gigs, we do what metal audiences want, play fast, hard and keep it tight. We feed off their energy, and they off ours," says Siddharth.
If all goes well, Threinody could well be part of a thrash metal fest rumoured to take off next year. But if you can't wait that long to tune into the band, catch them on October 6 at Counter Culture's Metal Factory.