1.Hello Afaque,thanks for taking your precious time for this interview.
Afaque : Hi & thanks for the opportunity. And you are not taking my precious time....I was lukha anyways! (laughs)..................ok ok ok ...........wait........ (laughs again).....sorry sorry.....I'll be try to be more serious from now on.....mmm.......(grim look)..
2.Haha.Alright i am serious now.What are you listening to these days?
Afaque : A lot of varied music. Psy-trance, Ambient/Noise, Hardcore punk, Anarcho-punk, Straight-edge, Riot Grrl. Also revisiting my pre - 70's rock collection. On the other hand, I'm trying to understand Indian & Western Classical music as well as Dixieland/New Orleans, Bebop, Avant-garde and free jazz.
3. Since how long you have been singing?
Afaque: I tried singing once when I was five. It wasn't a pleasant experience for the audience.After that haven't sang a single note till now! All I do is try to have a conversation with the stray dogs in my area!(laughs)...........really I don't remember......I was growling in the mosh-pit back when Bramha covered Sepultura's Dead Embryonic Cell at Independence Rock.With in a band, almost four years. First in Blood Bath Regiment & then Infernal Wrath.
4.I must say that your vocals are brutal as hell and i have not heard many Indian death metal vocalists growling the way you growl.
Afaque : ........mmmmm.......Thank you. (takes a bow)
5.Your vocal speaks for your soul.
Afaque : ......................err...................(looking extremely confused)............. whatever!
6.When did you join/form Infernal Wrath?Would you like to tell a brief history of Infernal Wrath?
Afaque: Well, JP and Pradeep played together in death metal band called Disembodied Corpse. They left that band, and while they were playing in different bands, they spoke to each other about how they wanted to play together again. It got serious enough that they started jamming together and started looking out for other band members. Along side, I was a vocalist in the band 'Blood Bath Regiment'. Irwin Vaz (the famed drum teacher) met me in a rock show and referred me to JP for vocals for their "project". Irony was I had just spoken to Pradeep in that show and told him that I was sad that Deflesh (Pradeep's previous band) split and heard about a rumour that he's forming a death metal band with JP! The next thing I know I was all ready to jam with them! Harshad joined the band before me. Well the rest, as you know is...chemistry! (laughs)
7.And your influences?
Afaque : Musically? Too many to even name them. For Infernal Wrath: Rainbow, Metallica, Slayer, Morbid Angel, Nile, the list is endless.
8.I have noticed that Infernal Wrath's music is extremely brutal as hell but there is no Anti-Christianity or Anti-God influence in the song inspiration like usual death metal bands.After listening to "Funeral Pyre",i felt there is more "holy" and "strength" feel in your music which gives a totally different view.Would you elaborate?
Afaque: Agreed that there is no Anti-God sentiment to it, but its not "holy" at the same time. Its more of a message to humans beings from human beings ( i.e. us). We chose the most epic moment of mankind that all the prophecies talk about, the Apocalypse, or more precisely the chain of events that will occur leading to the Apocalypse.Understanding and narrating the various prophecies from sources like the Bible, the Quran , the Bhagwat Gita, the Torah, mystical cults like the Kabbalah etc as well as the Occultist and Pagan mythologies, that is revelant to our present global geo-political situation. Instead of taking the good side-bad side argument, we chose to write on the events itself and giving a human perspective all that can happen and what should he/she do in that circumstance & what is of most importance; the truth within ourselves ; the Karma.
9.That is really awesome Afaque. Are you guys thinking of releasing any album?
Afaque: Definitely!As of right now we have started the pre-planning for the recording,getting the logistics & the finances worked out.Its just round the corner.
10.Would you guys like to make a Cryptopsy tribute album if you get the chance to do?I know it's a little weird question but you guys are known as the only band covering Cryptopsy.
Afaque : Really no one else covers them? In India, they are a pretty popular band. The crowd simply goes crazy everytime we have performed the song 'Phobophile'. We would be interested to be featured in a Cryptopsy tribute album. You know what would be more great? If we get a chance to tour along side them!
11.Thanks a lot for the great interview Afaque.Lastly,I want to to hear about the following(my favorite Indian bands) from you.Just your personal opinion.
Afaque: My opinion is that it is absolutely great that through out the decade, there has been amazing metal acts that have come out of the country. The levels of all the band you have mentioned & many more band now as well as from the past has over the years forged an imprint in the minds of an average school/college going kid of every generation. Its because of killer bands like these, they are probably more metal fans in the country that say like 15-20 years ago. More that half of the bands on the list are favorites of almost every Indian metalhead. The fact that without the support from the record labels, music channels & other mainstream media, these bands sell their cd's in the thousands is a testimony to their cult following. It is high time that avenues should be created such that musicians can have a livelihood by doing what they like doing, making music.
hahahaha!Cheers!
Afaque
Note to all Non - Hindi readers : 'Lukha' - Being absolutely useless/wasted
