Indian heavy metallers Bloodywood have made an explosive return with the release of their gnarly new single, Gaddaar. The song is taken from their forthcoming debut album Rakshak, set to arrive on February 18, 2022.
Accompanying the track is an energy-packed video that captures the band performing in the midst of a rainstorm in New Delhi. In the first few moments a disclaimer appears, which reads: "This video contains heavy political commentary. It isn't aimed at a particular person, party or political mindset. We remain politically neutral. Honest."
The song itself explores how politicians rely on dishing out hate in order to gain votes and raise their political standing, and how one can rebel to break the cycle.
"It's been a while since our last song, so we wanted to come back heavy with Gaddaar," explains the band in a joint statement. "It's a song that's aimed at a complete separation of religion and politics across the world. Everyone deserves equal rights and equal treatment at the hands of their governments no matter who and how they worship. We've seen the use of religious and divisive politics globally in recent years and it needs to be spoken about.
"It's the first single we're releasing in the build-up to the album because musically speaking you'll hear something familiar, but there's also enough to hint at the evolution of our sound. That'll become evident across the release of the next couple of singles and the album itself. We gave the album everything we had and can't wait to unleash it all.
On the upcoming record, Bloodywood say, "Rakshak means 'protector' or 'guardian' in Hindi. We've always been as passionate about the message of our music as much as the music itself, and our goal has and always will be to make a positive impact in people's lives and on the planet.
"Musically we've taken more than a few risks and pushed the limits of our sound both vocally and instrumentally. Besides having a few songs with our signature sound, we have also experimented heavily by writing our fastest, heaviest and angriest music yet while also incorporating elements and instruments from genres that lie on the other end of the musical spectrum."
Speaking to Louder exclusively, the band elaborate on the making of the video, noting "As we were shooting the video across New Delhi a storm started brewing around us, you'll notice scenes where the sky goes dark, everything is drenched (in both rainwater and sweat) and the wind's blowing violently.
"Even though it made shooting the video very difficult we felt it was fitting, because we're back and we're ready to hit like a hurricane."
In other news, Bloodywood will be setting off on tour across the UK early next year. Kicking off from March 23 in Brighton, they'll be making stops in Milton Keynes, Glasgow, Manchester, Bristol and Birmingham, before finishing up in London on March 31. Tickets are available now.
Listen to Gaddaar below:
Bloodywood UK 2022 tour dates:
Mar 24: Brighton Prince Albert
Mar 25: Milton Keynes Craufurd Arms
Mar 26: Glasgow Cathouse
Mar 28: Manchester Club Academy
Mar 29: Briston The Fleece
Mar 30: Birmingham Institute 2
Mar 31: London Islington Academy
