Nitish Pires- Am I Evil?
Self-Released
Release Date: 18/02/2018
Running Time: 44:22
Review by Dawn “The Metal Priestess” King
9/10
I am always on the lookout for something different when I am reviewing so when Richard suggested I review this album, I jumped straight on it. And boy, was he right? Again!
This couldn’t be more diverse to anything I am used to listening to (and I listen to A LOT of stuff!) as it has been recorded by Nitish Pires, an alternative singer/songwriter from Mumbai, India. Now, don’t get me wrong, I haven’t been avoiding Indian rock/metal, it’s just that this particular genre of metal has never appeared on my radar, until now! And if I knew then what I know now about it, I would have sought it out much sooner.
Because I FRIGGIN’ LOVED IT!
But let me tell you a little bit about Nitish first.
He started on his musical journey in 2009 with the formation of his rock band “Nakshrata” and they released one album ‘Gulfam’, written entirely by Pires himself and released on Universal Music.
In 2007, he went solo, writing two albums ‘Sahedein’ and ‘Chauraha’, while also recording numerous tracks for TV adverts across India for companies such as Vodafone, Nokia and Fila, and has even composed a complete score for feature film “Soch Lo.”
He was proclaimed as the first Indian to tour to promote is music by The Times India when he visited 25 cities in India promoting ‘Chauraha’ and his non-stop work earned him a nomination for Best Indian Rock Album at the prestigious G.I.M.A Awards.
2014 saw him take a well-earned break to travel the world, during which he gained inspiration that would accumulate into his latest work – Am I Evil?
And in case you missed it earlier – I FRIGGIN’ LOVED THIS ALBUM!
Never have I heard an album where each track was totally different to the others, and this was, by no means, a bad thing. The entire album lasts just over 44 minutes, but it has the feel of being much shorter, a characteristic I think that can be put down to the diversity throughout. I am a great fan of uniqueness and this album is certainly that.
Mixing modern day thrash guitar riffs and screaming vocals with traditional instruments and lyrics, this album certainly has a lot more to offer than a lot of the albums released nowadays. The songs are three dimensional, each one standing out in its own right, and the album seems to take you on a journey, making your experience a lot of sounds along the way, almost as if you are experiencing Nitish’s journeys with him.
The album was recorded using his laptop and native instruments and sounds and definitely creates a unique sound. His inspiration from rock legends such as Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath are obvious, but combined with “Pires’ driven and tenacious nature, along with his DIY skills” (he used pillows and duvets to change his bedroom into a suitable recording space!) the album is given a down to earth and honest feel yet keeps that rock atmosphere.
My favourite track on the album is ‘You Fake’, which mixes traditional Indian singing with harsh metal vocals and seems full of rage and hatred, but tracks ‘Big Black Wings’, ‘Need You’ and ‘Not Going Mad’ are also stand out tracks for me. In fact, there is not a bad song on the entire album, and none could be considered as “fillers.”
If you have never listened to Indian fused rock/metal, then I suggest you go out and buy this album. It is one of the best albums I have heard this year, and nigh on two and a half weeks in my car is a great testament to that!!
TRACKLISTING:
01. Fade Away
02. Crazy BC-AD
03. Johny 006
04. You Fake
05. Need You
06. Big Black Wings
07. It’s My Way
08. Happy Nuclear
09. Not Going Mad
10. Hello Good Morning
11. Undoe Se Maara
LINKS:
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