Indian metal trailblazer Demonstealer releases new single ‘The Fear Campaign’
WORDS BY ZEE AHMED
IG: @ZEELIKEACOOKIE
In anticipation of their upcoming fourth album, Demonstealer released their politically-charged second single ‘The Fear Campaign’ last month.
Demonstealer is the solo venture of Indian metal trailblazer Sahil Makhija (of Demonic Resurrection) and his next album ‘The Propaganda Machine’ is out 31st March via Black Lion Records digitally and physically - on vinyl, CD and cassette - and features a line-up of metal musicians from across the globe. Mixed and mastered at Hertz Studio in Poland, ‘The Propaganda Machine’ is a 40-minute stellar, darkened death metal denunciation, featuring the likes of Hannes Grossmann (Alkaloid, Triptykon, Blotted Science), Martino Garattoni (Ne Obliviscaris, Ancient Bards), and Ken Bedene (Aborted). Instrumentally, the album is symphonic and triumphant. Vocally, the album is hard-hitting, capturing the harsh reality of the polarised world we live in today.
A pioneer in the metal genre in India, it’s hard to imagine the country’s vibrant and varied metal scene as it is today without the high-spirited contributions of Sahil ‘The Demonstealer’ Makhija. Formed in 2000, Sahil’s symphonic death and black metal band Demonic Resurrection became the first internationally recognised band from the country, winning the Global Metal award at Metal Hammer’s Golden Gods in 2010. He is also credited for creating India’s first metal label, Demonstealer Records. He set up and ran Resurrection Festival, which for years was India’s only dedicated extreme metal festival, alongside former Demonic Resurrection bassist Husain Bandukwala.
Pictured: Sahil ‘The Demonstealer’ Makhija
Sahil’s impact on the national scene cannot be overstated. Now, his timeless, hardcore energy has been transferred to his solo project Demonstealer, which features him on vocals and guitars. The last EP, ‘The Holocene Termination’ was released in late 2021 and featured a host of guest appearances from members of Fleshgod Apocalypse, Marduk, Gorgasm, Six Feet Under and more.
The newly released single, ‘The Fear Campaign’ features Hannes Grossmann (Alkaloid, Triptykon, Blotted Science) on drums, Dominic “Forest” Lapointe (First Fragment, Augury, BARF) on bass, Anabelle Iratni (Veile, ex-Cradle of Filth) on keys and Dean Paul Arnold (Primalfrost) with his fierce shredding. It condemns the right-wing, religious extremist propaganda that is being circulated by fascist governments to create fear in the minds of the common people by demonizing people of other religions and ethnic minorities. Musically, the track is described as a ‘rollercoaster’ with versatile bass riffs, dark guitar tones and intense, heavy drumming that all seamlessly blend together to create a haunting atmosphere with undertones of anarchy. Demonstealer says, “The Fear Campaign is a track that talks about how in most countries the religious and ethnic majority is constantly kept in fear through government propaganda to be in constant fear of minorities. It’s a tactic that has always worked. The opening lines of the song ‘Keep them in fear, Keep them believing’ really convey how this propaganda works.”
‘The Fear Campaign’ is available on all major digital and streaming platforms here.
You can pre-order ‘The Propaganda Machine’ on CD, cassette, vinyl, digitally here. Black Lion Records is also issuing the back catalog of Demonstealer’s releases which you can also pre-order on CD or digitally here.
Follow Demonstealer and Black Lion Records on Instagram to stay up to date on what they’re up to.
About Zee
Zee Ahmed is a drummer who enjoys exploring the underground music scene and particularly loves all things punk and electronic. She currently lives in Toronto, Canada where they work as a research consultant. Zee is passionate about diversity and inclusion in all spheres and is learning to play bass guitar.