There is hope for Western music

Whoever said rock scene in Hyderabad is just a sham, Primal Abuse explains otherwise. Started in 2012 by a group of music enthusiasts, Primal Abuse now holds an elite position in the metal music scene in India. There will be none to disagree as we call them one of the best thrash metal bands to come out of Hyderabad in years. With a unique blend of music and civic thoughts, their songs touch us deep, they talk about the harsh truth, the truth we will prefer to avoid, the eternal truth we abuse. And that is why they call it the ‘Primal Abuse’.

This is not a sect of oldies who have been there in the circuit for over a decade. The element of surprise comes with the very first detail that they started off in 2012. That’s it! A year! Well, apparently none believe them when they tell that they are this young to the scene. The band has Rahul Shyam on vocals, Sid Holt on guitar, Vivan Bernard on guitar, Sharma Tadepalli on bass, Aaron Wesley on drums.

So what happened a year ago? Sid and Sharma were once in their monotonous conversation about philosophies, society and to establish a mode to retaliate, when Sharma yelled, “Dude! We should start a band.” Well apparently, Sid was not flabbergasted; he had something similar in mind. The next thing they do is get Vivian on board, for they were aware of Vivian’s skills. The trio started jamming, for nearly two months until they figured out they need a frontman. Yes, apparently, it took them two months to figure out they needed a guy on vocals. When asked why, Rahul winked and said, “Initially Sharma was supposed to be the frontman.” Rahul joined nearly two months later and practiced alongside for a few more months, their bid on Aaron paid off and the drummer was ready, also their first song, ‘Voice of Venom’ was stunning and it did not take them much time to establish themselves.

Their first gig paid off well. Ragnarok 2012, had over two dozen participants from across India, and the result was a tie between Primal Abuse and Perpetual Void. For a band which put up their debut, this was all they could ask for. But success did not stop there, they won Hamsa Battle of the bands held at The Park, won CARPEDIUM 2013 which was headlined by Eccentric Pendulum April 2013. The band has now played over a dozen shows and opened the Extreme Carnage Fest at Xtreme Sports Bar on Saturday. The fest had other celebrated bands like Shock Therapy, Cosmic Infusion and GutSlit headlining.

The most redundant statement we have been listening to is that ‘rock scene in Hyderabad is just a façade. There is nothing inside.’ This band believes it is wrong and the city has good number of listeners for Western music. “We do not lack the number of listeners, we lack the publicity required.

Apparently last time when Slayer had come down to Bangalore, from each bus stations and railway stations to the venue there were over a hundred sign boards. Pamphlets were distributed across all parts of Bangalore and also most media hubs promoted the show much before it was supposed to happen,” shares Sharma. Sid confirms, “There is a gig each day in Hyderabad, but hardly anyone comes to know about it. There are listeners but they do not know that there is a gig at the restaurant next door.” “What the city needs is to inform people. Hoardings and banners can be an expensive stuff, but a guy or two can stand in a mall and distribute a pamphlet, it will bring about a lot of difference. Today, the turn-out in gigs completely rely on Facebook and ‘word of mouth.’ We need much more publicity,” Rahul concurs.