We are listening

They came in the picture sixteen years ago. Now in 2011, rock/electronica band Pentagram's new album promises to be more matured, edgy and aggressive

They came in the picture sixteen years ago.u00a0 Now in 2011, rock/electronica band Pentagram's new album promises to be more matured, edgy and aggressive

Pentagram to a music lover equals- Season of Mist, Black Widow, Peaceville and Bobby Leibling. Or wait is it- We Aren't Listening, Up, It's OK, It's All Good and Vishal Dadlani?u00a0 It has been sixteen years since the four young men took Mumbai's college festivals by storm and yet the inevitable albatross of being mistaken for the heavy metal Virginia band hangs around their neck.

Still going up: Papal 'Chai' Mane, Randolph 'Light Bulb' Correia, Shiraz '
Chacha' Bhattacharyau00a0 and Vishal 'Vishnu' Dadlani

But that is a small burden the band carries which set out to play 'individual, original and unique music' in 1994. Hailed as one of the definitive who changed the Indian rock scene, the rock/ electronica band is coming up with its fourth album Bloodywood. And yes, performing in your city today.

Anti Mainstream
When their first album We Aren't Listening came out we were listening to something new with bat years, then came Up in 2002 and then It's Ok, It's All Good in 2007, which unfortunately smelt of Bloc Party and Nine Inch Nails. But that was almost four years ago. "We were performing around the world and busy with our tours, so Bloodywood took so long to be conceived," says Vishal Dadlani or Vishnu, the lead vocalist explaining the long wait.

"But then again, the album is expected to have 15 or more songs. We can't be force to come up with songs , for us it is not a job but a beautiful process which take time," he adds. The albumu00a0 according to him is the exact polar of all things mainstream, the oppositeu00a0 of all things socially conventional. Theu00a0 band will play six or if the mood and time permits, seven songs from this new album today in the Capital. Mental Zero, if you have already seen Vishal jiving to it in Mumbai has that strange energy of The Ignorant One from We Aren't Listening, only Mental Zero seems better.

Peek-a-boo
And if you have been following PentaTV, The bands website which uploads videos it helps you peep into their personal space. You will realise the boys haven't been only busying writing songs for Bloodywood. Shirazu00a0 'Chacha' Bhattacharya,u00a0 has been cruising on his 1500 cc Harley-Davidson motorbike (mind you! single seater)
in Mumbai's streets but would want to do it in Mongolia as well. "We started it because we realized it helps our
fans connect with us more, and it really works," says Vishal.

Hello to the namesake
And finally, coming back tou00a0 their albatross, when asked about the confusion with the American pioneers of doom metal in the 70s, Vishal has only one reply. "We would love to meet them given a chance. But back then, we had never heard of the band. And we wouldn't change it for that reason," he adds. Well, if they ever had to, we would simply suggest-Matchless.u00a0

When: Today
At: Hard Rock Cafe, DLF Place, Saket
Timings: 9 pm
Ring: 47158888