There is a way to all of the insanity about metal music, and folk-metal band Bloodywood has cracked it.
With two albums underneath its belt, the current one being Nu Delhi, this is the first Indian band to have collaborated with Japanese kawaii metal band Babymetal. Comprising Suzuka Nakamoto, Moa Kikuchi and Momoko Okazaki, Babymetal is credited for creating the kawaii metal, which blends components of heavy metal and J-pop, a musical style that was pioneered in Japan within the early 2010s. In 2016 Babymetal grew to become the highest-charting Japanese band ever within the UK’s Official Charts historical past with the discharge of its album Metal Resistance.
“The song that we worked on with Babymetal features on our new album. Babymetal’s producer attended our concert in Tokyo in 2023 and gave us the brand’s merchandise, but we got talking to them while writing ‘Bekhauf’ in 2024. I think, we manifested it,” says Jayant Bhadula, who is assigned to vocals and growls of the three-piece band. Its different two key members are Karan Katiyar on guitars, flute, manufacturing and composition and Raoul Kerr on rap vocals. On excursions, they’re joined by Sarthak Pahwa on the dhol, Roshan Roy on the bass and Vishesh Singh on the drums.
Bloodywood – Live in Amsterdam in 2025
| Photo Credit:
Special association
“Karan, when listening to ‘Bekhauf’, suggested that the song would sound better with Babymetal on vocals. Within two-three days, we received a serendipitous message from the band’s producer and instantly sent them the project. The curation of the composition was followed up on e-mails, and their Japanese vocals were later mounted on the song,” shares Jayant.
Known for its compelling lyrics, Bloodywood, which began out as a parody band in 2016 and rose to the entrance burner of fame in 2018 with the success of singles like ‘Ari Ari’ and ‘Jee Veerey’, was nominated for the Breakthrough Asian Band title on the 2021 Global Metal Apocalypse awards, ending second. Its first album Rakshak was launched in 2022.
The 10-track album is recognized for delicate lyrical narratives, the themes of which swing between addressing mental-health points (‘Jee Veerey’), bullying (‘Endurant’), and a commentary on the politics of hate (‘Gaddaar’). Its new album too stands testimony to the band’s inventive arch — that of making acutely aware content material. The eight-track album options songs like ‘Halla Bol’, which brings to thoughts the eponymous play by Safdar Hashmi, a pioneering determine in Indian road theatre, however Raoul explains: “We wrote this from the Indian perspective having survived Colonialism, for people all over the world who have survived oppression of any kind. It’s a testament to their resilience. It’s about drawing on that knowledge and experience of how power can be abused and using it to break the cycle of oppression forever, rather than becoming the next chapter.”
Bloodywood’s Raoul at Bandland 2024
| Photo Credit:
Special association
Another compelling monitor, ‘Daggebaaz’, from the album takes a jibe at ‘Plastic Influencers’. “Plastic Influencers who rely on the superficial sides of life are annoying. It takes skill to get people to follow you; we see a lot of these people using their skills for the wrong reasons and abusing the trust they manage to manufacture. It’s also about calling people out for this gullibility because that’s what gives these influencers power. The culture of idol worship and the tendency to blindly follow is something that needs to die fast so we’re helping put one of the nails in the coffin,” says Raoul.
When requested to listing his high picks from the album, Jayant factors at ‘Nu Delhi’ (the title monitor), which he says is a love letter to Delhi, the town the band was fashioned in; ‘Kismat’, which is about youngsters who had to develop up too quick due to the life’s circumstances; and ‘Bekhauf’, which is about unlocking and overcoming our fears. “Interestingly, most metal music is characterised by profound lyrics; take, for instance, ‘Rage Against The Machine’. But then, the genre also has ‘Pizza Thrash’!” laughs Jayant.
Jayant (centre) of Bloodywood on the band’s live performance in Paris
| Photo Credit:
Special association
The band began engaged on Nu Delhi in 2023 throughout its efficiency in Chicago and recorded the tracks in Noida at Karan’s dwelling, the place the band’s studio is. The album artwork has been created by Anirudh Shekhawat, says Jayant. “The album has been released by Fearless Records, an American independent record label, which is looking after the distribution and production of vinyls and CDs. Besides the general instruments you find in metal bands, the ethnic Indian instruments used were dhol, sarangi, tumbi, esraj, harmonium, and many regional percussive instruments. Also, the recording software includes RME Interface, sE mics, Ibanez guitars, Adam Monitors and Line6 guitar processors,” says Jayant.
Members of Bloodywood pose with the vinyl of their new album Nu Delhi
| Photo Credit:
Special association
He leaves us with the information of the band’s subsequent collaboration with Babymetal. “The song is called ‘Kon! kon!’ and it will be featured on Babymetal’s upcoming album called Metal Forth, which is set to release on June 27. It has collaborations with artists like Tom Morello, Poppy, Electric Callboy, Slaughter to Prevail, Spiritbox and more,” informs Jayant.
Till then, mosh on, metalheads!
The album Nu Delhiis now streaming on all on-line music platforms and its CDs (₹1,400) and vinyl information (₹2,700) can be found on bloodywood-official.myshopify.com.
Published – June 10, 2025 03:50 pm IST
