Absence of Light is an extreme metal band from Kenya. With all the members of Indian origin, we were intrigued to learn more about this band and talk about their debut release ‘Vyom Chakra‘

Greetings from Metal India Magazine. How are you guys doing?
Jay – Hey man!!
Angad – Infernal Hails, Doing well!!
Shiv – Keeping busy with work but awesome otherwise.

Please tell us more about the band and its origins. How did you guys meet? And what is the significance of the name “Absence of Light”?
The metal society being really small here we meet during the local Battle of the Band events. We started the band as sheer love for the genre and to spread a message to the audience and inspire future musicians.The name “Absence Of light” was picked by our front man Shiv and it simply means a state within a time frame where darkness overpowers, much like a solar eclipse for example, light, darkness then light again. Every human being goes through a dark patch of life. The music represents all aspects of life we see around us.

You released an EP ‘Vyom Chakra’ on 11.11.11. Please tell us more about it.
The EP was recorded on a tight schedule during August until October, with all the recording, mixing and mastering done in-house by our Lead Guitarist Angad at Symbolic Studios it was an experience we all had to learn. Moreover we were looking for a date to release the EP before the year ended. “Vyom Chakra” was also the first ever extreme metal release in Kenya so we wanted to do something special and thus chose 11.11.11.

‘Vyom Chakra’ is probably one of the first extreme metal release by any Kenyan band. What response did you get from the local metalheads, and the other bands from the country?
Not to blow our own horn but “Vyom Chakra” is actually the first extreme metal record which was released in Kenya. The reviews so far have all mostly been positive with some critics comparing us to extreme metal giants like Nile & Behemoth we are honored to be in mentioned in the same paragraph as them. The support from all over the world has motivated us to work harder on the forthcoming full length album. However a few fans were also surprised by the crisp and clean production of the EP and blamed us of using various gear(s) or effect(s) we ourselves have never heard about (some claimed that we programmed our vocals) If only we could program music, our lives would be much easier now.

‘Vyom Chakra’ was your debut EP which clocks in at less than 16 minutes. Which other songs do you play/cover while performing on stage?
The free version of the EP which is available on our Reverbnation Page only includes 5 songs; however the CD version of “Vyom Chakra” takes the intensity forward to the next level with 4 more bonus tracks and a cover song. We Play most of all our original songs live and try not to cover songs as we want originality to be the main part of our band, however we love covering songs and will also be releasing a few this following week.

Could you quickly run through each track from the EP and explain what it means?
All the track were written by our guitarist Angad Gupta, Basically It all revolves around a few mythological Sanskrit words and can be interpreted by the listener depending on his/her mood or state of mind.

Track #1 Narakas – Different levels of Hell.
Track #2 Daksha – Refers to the Left Hand Path Motion.
Track #3 Arkasodara – Is Brahma’s white Elephant / Brother to the Sun. A vehicle of destruction.
Track #4 Kalasamhara, I – Where one overcomes Death.
Track #5 Samadhi – Refers to a state of Enlightenment.
Track #6 Brahmastra – A Weapon of Mass Destruction.
Track #7 Skanda, I – God of War, A person fighting his/her inner battles.
Track #8 Vyom Chakra – The vicious cycle of Life.
Track #9 Angada – An Indestructible (human) force, Song about hope and freedom.

We read you are working on a full length release. When is that going to be out? What can we expect from it?
The forthcoming untilled album will take what we did on “Vyom Chakra” further, currently it is in the writing the process, Recording should begin mid this year. You should expect more haunting atmospheres this time around and not to forget our usual doze of dark, fast and extreme metal.

What does “death metal” mean to you? What bands influence your music?
Jay – In my free time I listen to my genre counterparts, Technical and Jazz Fusion bands have really progressed over the years, this should open the doors to new metal genres.
Angad – More of a black metal fan 😉 …..jokes apart. My recent favorite death metal band is Fallujah from States. Their latest record “The Harvest Wombs” is phenomenal.
Shiv – Death metal!! The music of the Gods! I have a long list of bands but Mastodon, Opeth to name a few… Progressive is the way forward.

You guys also run a metal record label called ‘Extreme Metal Africa’. How did you start that? What bands are signed up on your label?
Angad – Extreme Metal Africa is an independent record label dedicated to supporting underground bands and the genres of extreme metal. We signed a South African band last year, looking to sign more bands this year that fall under the “extreme metal genre” As the label is dedicated to supporting bands that are pushing the genre.  If any bands are interested. Please send us your Demos and Press Kits to extrememetalafrica@gmail.com

What do you guys do when not playing music? Any day jobs?
Jay – I’m a part time 3D artist, I do lots of modeling work with local firms as a freelancer.
Angad – Owner/Producer at Symbolic Studios (where Vyom Chakra was also recorded), Guitarist at Absence Of Light.
Shiv – Film & Photography, I work with a local firm and have collaborated on various international projects so far. Check out www.shivmandavia.com for more information.

The scene in Africa is relatively unknown. Please tell us how the metal scene there is and suggest some bands for us. Any international bands performed there?
Angad – A few years ago the only metal event we had was the monthly Battle of the Bands hosted by a local rock band called M20, Bands of different rock/metal backgrounds would come and compete there for prize money, Since then a wave of rock/metal bands have come up and this trend will probably continue in the future, Although we need more shows and supporters buying Albums/EPs/Merchandise the band produce’s so we can respectively Pay our Bills and continue doing what we do. So far no international bands have played here yet, Hope this will change soon. With the South African scene on a Boom we as a country should learn from them. Our local bands include quiet a variety from Metalcore giants Last Year’s Tragedy to Rockers like Murphy’s Flaw other hard hitting bands include Lust of a Dying Breed & InOath who are producing some electrifying Deathcore/Hardcore influenced modern metal music for the local fans. Do check them out!

Any plans to perform in India?
If only the money could allow us. Touring is our primary passion and objective right now, hopefully this year we should play a set of very visually empowering live shows in Kenya.

It was nice talking with you guys. All the best for future. Any last words for our readers?
Angad – Please go download our EP “Vyom Chakra” & tell your friends about it. Keep supporting underground bands, stay heavy!
Shiv – Order the CD if you still haven’t. Mail us at absenceoflight@live.com .
Jay – Check back for our new album and keep in touch with our local bands too.

Interview by Dinesh Verma & Hetal Bhagat