Words by Maddy Howell
It’s been a hell of a ride for Bloodywood since they first began making music in 2016. Starting out life as a parody band, putting a riff-laden spin on popular Hindi songs, the Indian folk metal pioneers have come to create something much bigger than they ever anticipated.
The first Indian metal act to feature on the Billboard charts, their vision has swiftly spread outside of their homeland, tapping into international success with their 2022 debut album Rakshak. Finding them a permanent residence on the road, the last few years have brought monumental growth. Taking to stages across the globe, making friends with their heroes, meeting people who have found connection in their music, whilst the foundations for the band’s groundbreaking second album were laid thousands of miles away from home - it all comes back to Delhi.
“The album is called Nu Delhi, and that’s important. We come from this city, and if you give it love, it will give you that love back ten-fold. If you cross a line though, it will punish you,” vocalist Jayant Bhadula explains.
“It has a lot of charm and love, but it has danger as well. We wanted to reflect that on our record, and that’s why the songs are so in-your-face and direct.”
Bigger and bolder in every possible way, Nu Delhi is a statement of intent that’s entirely impossible to ignore. From the opening stomp of boisterous opener ‘Halla Bol’ through the electronic flashes of ‘Hutt’ and the rousing group chants of ‘Dhadak’, it’s the kind of record made to not just push boundaries but obliterate them, merging traditional Indian instruments with some of the biggest riffs in the game.
“It’s a homage to the city that we've grown up in. This city has given us everything, from amazing friends to all the opportunities that we have now… Everything started here,” Bhadula nods.
“We don't believe in sugar-coating things; we’d rather make sure that it's an honest view of our city. That's what we did here. This is us saying that New Delhi has entered the global metal chart, and we're here to stay.”
A love letter to where they come from, but also where they’re headed, a defining factor of Bloodywood’s sound comes in the native-tongued vocal lines of Bhadula, paired with the flow of Raoul Kerr’s raps. The latter largely written in English, their multilingual approach has allowed them to connect with listeners across the world, but how does the vocalist decide on the best-suited language to deliver his message?
“Honestly, it’s just about which word bounces the best,” he shrugs.
“India is very diverse, and we've got more than 2,800 languages. The dialect changes as you travel through this country, but I am just using Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi, because these are the three languages I'm most exposed to. That gives me a bigger bank of words though, so I get to choose which works best for the song.”
Proud of their culture and the ways in which it influences all they do, it’s not lost on Bhadula how open-armed the embrace has been from the wider metal scene. Seeing Indian flags waved amongst crowds of all shapes and sizes, in all corners of the world, he and his bandmates have been blown away from the reception Bloodywood have received.
“Everywhere we go, it's just pure love. We don't even carry a flag with us, people bring them to shows… People who aren’t even from Indian!” the vocalist grins.
“That makes me very emotional, because even though India has a big metal scene, it's not given much of a chance outside of India. The genre is not that big worldwide, so the bands get stuck. Now, because of the support and love that we get, we can represent Indian metal on an international stage. That’s so special.”
It’s a responsibility that the band takes incredibly seriously, thinking carefully about their platform and the ways in which their voices are used. Tackling everything from mental health to sexual violence and political manipulation across Nu Delhi, whilst their shows have become an outlet for fun, they’re also an opportunity to speak out against the world’s darkest realities. Now, in a position where fans are getting their lyrics tattooed and tearfully thanking the band for saving their lives, Bhadula is grateful that their message is resonating.
“We’re just a bunch of boys who wanted to play metal, and now we get to do it as our day jobs,” he smiles.
“Hearing fan’s stories can sometimes be heavy, but this is what we always wanted to do with our music. We want to make that change, so we embrace it with open arms. There is a sense of responsibility, but I have never seen a fanbase as supportive as ours. When the band achieves something, people feel like it's their personal victory, and that is such a special bond to have. We want to do our best to make these people proud, because they have literally put their hearts with us.”
Heading back out on the road with BABYMETAL this summer for some massive shows across North America, despite the chaos of the last few years, Bloodywood aren’t in the mood for slowing the pace anytime soon. Keeping their heads down, working hard and letting the road lead them wherever it may, the riff-masters of New Delhi have already accomplished more than most bands could hope for in a lifetime. If you ask Bhadula though, the best is still yet to come.
“Our goal is world domination,” he finishes.
“We want to be the best band out there. It may sound a little childish, but we've grown up seeing artists like Metallica, Linkin Park and Slipknot dominate world stages, and that is what 13-year-old me wanted to do. We want to be the best out there, and hopefully we can inspire people just like those bands inspired me.”
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Nu Delhi from Bloodywood is now available via Fearless Records. Order the album - HERE
Catch Bloodywood on tour supporting BABYMETAL for their North American 2025 tour kicking off in June. Additional support includes Black Veil Brides and Jinjer. See the complete list of dates and cities below. Get tickets - HERE
