INDIAN NIGHTMARE "Taking Back Our Land" Tape

Chaotic’ is a word that would best describe the sound of INDIAN NIGHTMARE’s debut album “Taking Back The Land”. Thunderous soundscapes and aggravating solos are abound in this multi-national production. The Berlin-based band is made up of Indonesian Dodi Nightmare (guitars), Mexican Poison Snake (vocals), Italians Cedro (bass) and Lalo (drums) and Turkish Butch Maniac (guitars). Despite the differences in nationalities and cultures, the band is united by their passion for Metal, which leads to the creation of a sound that is a hybrid of Thrash Metal and Punk.

Ravaging solos and guttural vocals make up most of “Taking Back The Land”. The instrumental “Intro (Battle)” sets the tone of the album with an ethnic-sounding tune, generating a rather exotic atmosphere. However, the aggressive nature of the album does not begin until the second track “Mengapa” (or “Why” in English) which is sung in Indonesian. Vocalist Poison has a distinctive style of singing, interspersing wails in between his guttural vocals. It is not a long track, but it does hold a great deal of force and might. Likewise, Poison’s powerful voice echoes through “Unexpected Decay”, a high-octane song filled with thrashing riffs and thunderous drum beats.

“Circles of Fire” is yet another intense track where the vocalist mixes gutturals with wails amidst a backdrop of unforgiving Thrash Metal riffs and bass lines. The stand-out track “Fire Meets Steel” opens with a memorable quote from the film “Conan The Barbarian”. The catchy riffs that form a part of the track’s intro soon make way for the grittiness of the tune. It is an epic song that will take you back to ancient times filled with war and violence. Although it opens with a melodic riff, “Riders of Doom” is in fact laced with blast beats and ravaging riffs. The vocals are harsh and are occasionally mixed with high-pitched wails; the guitar solo here is particularly noteworthy too.

The track “Warlords” certainly lives up to its name, for it sets the mood with a sinister-sounding quote and soon transitions into a mass of anger-filled compositions that is a perfect fit for a war anthem. The track also features an astounding guitar solo, but unfortunately, the vocals within the chorus can be a bit distorted and hard to decipher. The track slows down halfway before upping its pace again and ending with a blast. The Thrash Metal anthem “War Metal Punks” is a rather catchy composition. Soaring vocals fill the air amidst speedy riffs and pummeling drum beats in this lively tune. The song itself also carries with it a somewhat retro vibe.

Overall, “Taking Back The Land” is an abrasive album in its own right. It is abundant with blast beats, thrashing riffs and harsh vocals. Poison has a very unusual vocal style, and although I cannot say that I fully enjoy his way of presenting the songs, I certainly did enjoy the general sound and aggressive ambience created by INDIAN NIGHTMARE. The guitars, bass and drums complement each other really well, leading to an output that is fierce, tumultuous and above all, unforgettable.