Formed in mid 2009 in Kannur Kerala, this Thrash/Groove/Folk metal band has spread its roots deep in the Indian scene, their debut album released on 1st January 2014 was highly anticipated after 2 singles and their latest music video release of single from the album, titled Shiva.
As simple as the name, 'How Are You? We Are Fine Thank You', the album is a beautiful piece of work from the hard-working musicians.
With Munz on vocals, Advaith Mohan and Varun Raj on guitars, Sushin Shyam on keyboards, Neezer Ahemed on bass and Ganesh Radhakrishnan on drums, the record label is stated as DIY, while Keshav Dhar has done the production and mastering for the album.
First song on this 10-tracked album, A.V. is a perfectly composed intro for the beast that follows, melodious and staying close to its south Indian influences. The second track, Hell Within Hell, one of the most powerful tracks on this album, starts off with catchy intro and strong riff structure. Munz's vocals gives a feeling of listening to an 80's thrash band, along with some perfectly executed sampling bits.The third song titled KFC starts of with some irrelevant sampling which throws the listener off track for what follows. Brilliant sampling and interludes, nifty song structure and strong lyrics throughout make this song damn enjoyable. Death Vanity, the fourth track, makes the listener headbang unconsciously as it breaks into catchy intros and lead to classic bass interludes. Use of alliteration and repetition in lyrics for the advantage of the vocalist is executed brilliantly. The fifth track, Nagavalli, shows the epitome of smooth production, especially at the fusion of twin vocal patterns running simultaneously. Strong yet melodious riffing closing off the song with a low mumbling of religious chanting fading out, serves as a cherry on top to this beautifully composed song"
Forgotten Martyrs, the sixth track, is the one that will be a treat for old-school fans, as Baiju Dharmajan is featured on this song. With topics like war, fall of soldiers and martyrs, may be quite cliched themes to bind lyrics to, but TDT does it with a complete different approach.
Next song on the album is cleverly titled 'Muck Fun Mohan', anybody with an IQ over 50 should be able to figure it out. Clearly, the sign is based on the political happenings and surely will tickle your humor bone. Bass interludes along with intricate riffing makes this one crazy as f&%*. 'Ortniavis' is an instrumental track, which contains great sampling work creating a pleasant atmosphere which serves as a silent prelude to 'Shiva'. Shiva breaks into action with a bass intro and three guitar solos follow, which at no point are repetitive or get the listener bored. That brings us to the last track on the CD, 'Chapilla', for which lyrics sheet was provided but I couldn't hear any words. On the second listen I heard the small girl whispers mumbling the lyrics in near-inaudible voice. The lyrics, followed by a great unexpected solo, are thought provoking to the point where your brain goes numb and are left with a strange void."The Down Troddence is a great band, and this album is one of the most entertaining, engaging and enraging piece of music from India. A raw thrashy 80s feel, with south Indian influences, make this album a must buy for old-school thrash fans.
Rating: 4/5 - Review by Kaushik Joshi - Edited by Navjot Kaur Gill- 26 Jan 2014
