NATIONAL 9 (Spotlight Weelky)]

'Our Music Is Definitely Not For The Masses'

By AKSHAY SHARMA

Death and music have been combined for centuries by artists in works like Schubert's famous "Death and The Median". Robert Strauss did a symphonic poem "Death and Transformation" in 1890. SPOTLIGHT recently spoke to Sunil Dev Pant, an engineering graduate from Kathmandu University, who is the front man of Urge Karma, a death metal band. It claims to be the only group performing death metal live in Nepal. Members include Sunil (vocals/guitars), Aayush (lead guitar), Prashant ( drums) and Roshan on bass.

Give us a brief history of Ugra Karma.

Ugra Karma was formed late last year, although the members were previously associated with other bands. I used to play the guitar and growled for a band at Kathmandu University. Aayush was the bass player for Yasht. He quit the band because of differences with the other members. Subash played guitars in many bands in school and college. Prashant also played for a few bands.

Our old bass player Roshan also used to play with Subash in their college band. Our first line-up was supposed to be me on vocals/drums, Aayush on bass and Subash on guitars. But later we decided to switch parts. The new line-up was me on vocals/guitars, Aayush on drums, Subash on lead guitars and we had Roshan on bass. With this set-up, we performed our first concert at Kathmandu Utsav 2000.

We even bagged the award for Best Rhythm Guitarist of the year. There we played a cover version of the band Gates of Ishtar and our own song, Bhandaar khaal Parba. Then we took some time off. We again started practicing for the Shikhar Beat Contest. But this time, we changed our bass player and recruited Prashant who had come all the way from Hong Kong just to play with us in the contest.

We played cover versions of bands like Children Doom, Sepultura and Dark Funeral. We have performed "Impaled Nazarine" and one of our own songs. As we were the first band to play death metal live here, Ugra Karma has started the first chapter in what may be called The Book Of Nepali Death Metal. And we hope our endeavors here shall make some more Nepali death metal bands to add more chapters.

How did you get the name for the band?

Ugra Karma is a Sanskrit term. Since our music/lyrics (our Karma) is Ugra, we thought this would be a perfect name for a Nepali death metal band.

Tell us about your musical influences.

My influences include Slayer, Unleashed, old black/death metal bands like Sepultura, Sodom, Sarcofago old Cannibal Corpse, Rigor Mortis, Dissection, Cranium etc.

Children Of Badoom, Dissection, Pantera have influenced Aayush.

Subash's influences are Children Of Bodom, Dissection, Criminal, Sinister, Sarcofago, Manowar. Prashant's are Sex Pistols, Gorefest, Pantera, Cannibal Corpse, Children Of Bodom

What is your approach to music?

We play death metal, which is definitely not for the masses. And I see no future in terms of popularity for this kind of music. But still there are a few head-bangers and fewer death-bangers, who we hope, will keep the scene going. We don't care too much about what is right or wrong. We are not concerned whether 'normal' people like our 'extremely indigestible' music. We like it, so we play it. We play our music for a very small number of people who are into extreme death or black metal.

What do you go through when you schedule a show in Kathmandu? Well, Ugra Karma has not organized any show by itself. But we are seriously planning to put up a show by the end of February. It's really hard, especially for very non-commercial and underground bands like ours. But we are determined to organize a show soon.

Do you plan to release an album?

Right now we are more focused on the show, but we are thinking about getting a few songs recorded. But album? (Pause) We're not quite sure.

What is death metal music?

Fast and heavy guitars, barking/growling/shrieking/screeching-type vocals, extremely fast double-bass drums, lightning-fast solos and lyrics that deal with death, violence, sadism, Satanism, gore, atheism, nihilism, etc.

Why be influenced by Western music?

It's not about eastern or western music. It's about the type or genre of music. We didn't get into death and black metal because it came from the West. We play death metal because we like it. We listen to a lot of eastern bands. Bands from Japan, Thailand, and Philippines, for instance. We would have loved death metal even if it had emerged from Bhutan or the Maldives or Papua New Guinea. Death metal is universal. There are no geographical, racial, social, religious, or political barriers.

Visit Ugra Karma's website at http://www.ugrakarma.net .