Review BLOODYWOOD “Nu Delhi”

Bloodywood is one of the most intriguing bands in contemporary metal. The band has become one of the most important metal acts from India, a career that wasn’t so obvious in the beginning.

Bloodywood started in 2016 as a cover and parody band. It was their YouTube channel that first brought some attention, and slowly things developed. Katiyar and Bhadula used the momentum and it was in 2019 that the duo became a six-piece band that toured Europe and the UK, including a show at the renowned Wacken Open Air.

The band was more and more the talk of the town, which has to do with the musical skills, but also the curiosity about the sound of a metal band from India. The pandemic slowed down the progress of Bloodywood, but it didn’t bring them down. On the contrary. Today, Bloodywood is a strong player in the metal scene and recently played an energetic show in Hamburg’s Docks.

With “Nu Delhi” the new album is ready to hit the shelves and Bloodywood underline their status. “Nu Delhi” is an extremely energetic and groove-oriented metal album that starts with “Halla Bol”. The album kicks off with an unusual folk-driven sound, which is one of the band’s main trademarks. The guys don’t deny their roots and make them a unique signature for their sound. Extremely groove-based, the six-piece blends massive riffs with some Indian folk roots. Flute and Dhol are important instruments that help the band to create their own musical footprint.

“Nu Delhi” is a wild ride. Furious riff power meets melodic moments with even clean female vocals like in “Bekhauf”. It’s the spirit of India that introduces the furious “Kismat” before modern metal meets some hip-hop vocal parts. “Nu Delhi” reflects crossover in a great way. Heritage, metal and hip-hop fuse into an electrifying blend that relies on the grooving heaviness of metal.

A tribal rhythm kicks off the raging “Tadka” before the title track heralds the end of the album. Native sounds and hip-hop vocals provide a unique intro to the song, which later ends in a wild metal outburst.
“Nu Delhi” is a very dynamic and raw piece of metal. The Indian metal powerhouse delivers the next chapter in their already impressive career, and I think there is much more to come in the future.