Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Bloodywood - Rakshak (2022)

A simple interesting experiment can sometimes lead to great success. Indian nu/rap metal band Bloodywood started as a cover band performing Bollywood hits. Then when Linkin Park released their first single from their pop-rock final album One More Light, "Heavy", the negativity that single received inspired Bloodywood to make a metal cover of it, considered "what Linkin Park's Heavy should have sounded like". Spawning international popularity as a result, Bloodywood recorded some more covers for their first release Anti-Pop Vol. 1. Fast forward 5 years, the band made their first original album Rakshak, a wild blend of revived nu metal with Indian classical music.

Anyone can appreciate any band by going to their live shows, but I can appreciate them as well at home by experiencing the full beauty of their music from the original studio recording. Rakshak certainly grants me that magic. Their formula of heavy groove-ish nu metal can entertain you when they add in their native influences. So if there's ever a Bollywood movie centered around a metal band, you know what you might expect in its soundtrack!

Feast your ears on the explosive "Gaddaar" (Traitor), a 5-minute metal monster of riffing and percussion worth partying to. The dynamic impact will bring life to the crowd in concerts, especially in breakdowns. "Aaj" (Today) follows with some EDM-gone-metal similar to Korn's The Path of Totality, albeit with mystical Indian flutes and more poppy hooks. There's no doubt at all that you'll enjoy "Zanjeero Se" (These Chains) and its Linkin Park-like emotion to break away from their more hardcore side occurring later on... The ravaging "Machi Bhasad" (Expect a Riot) is my favorite here. A friend of mine showed me that song, which got me into checking this album out. I gotta thank him for that!

"Dana Dan" (Give a Beatdown) takes on rap metal's earlier days with a modern technical spin. The band shall not be responsible for anyone getting injured when playing this song in live shows. Having a more traditional melody, "Jee Veerey" (Live Brave One) knocks off the heaviness a bit. Though they bring it back in the anthemic "Endurant".

"BSDK.exe" has more of a slam-deathcore vibe blended with trap beats that turns this party demonic. "Yaad" (In Memory) bites down with excellent emotion, though they're kind of behind on the punch some of the other songs have. Saving the album's grace is the noisy closing track "Chakh Le" (Rise Up). Once again, the modern metal revolution has allowed those Bollywood elements up in the front.

Although Alien Weaponry is my go-to band for blending modern metal with native influences, Bloodywood has displayed their own Indian nu/rap metal sound that shall make great history in the metal community. So how about that? Add your country's sounds to metal and watch the magic happen....

Favorites: "Gaddaar", "Zanjeero Se", "Machi Bhasad", "Endurant", "Chakh Le"