From garage jams in Pune to Wacken’s global stage, KASCK fuse old-school thrash with modern fire, representing Indian metal worldwide. We dive into their journey, struggles, and ferocious vision ahead.
1. Let’s
start with the roots—how did KASCK come together, and what inspired you to form
a thrash metal band in Pune?
The band
was formed more than 10 years ago ago, just a few high school kids wanted
to play heavy metal music. Back in the day we would jam Metalica, Slayer,
Obituary, Kreator, Carcass and all those bands. They were a huge inspiration
from day 1.
Soon after we got inspired to write our own music and got encouraged to do so
from our local friends. This is how the band started then we had a couple
of line up changes over the years. Now the band consists of Mayank katare
as the frontman, Vishal Prabhu as the Bassist and the most recent addition
Rahul Singh on drums.
2. Your
debut EP Deal with the Devil gained critical acclaim and attention from notable
platforms. Looking back, how do you feel about its impact on your journey so
far?
We are
really grateful to our fans who have supported us from day 1. The success of
the EP has led to continuing doing this with even more determination and
passion.
This is just the beginning.
3.
KASCK fuses old-school and modern thrash into a unique sound. How do you
balance paying homage to the classics while carving out your own identity?
We’ve
always seen ourselves as students of the genre first, bands like Metallica,
Slayer, Kreator, and Sepultura are in our DNA. That said, we never wanted to be
a copy paste of the past.
The challenge and the fun is in taking that old-school rawness, that ‘no-rules’
energy, and filtering it through our own lens. We live in a different era, with
different struggles, so lyrically and emotionally, there’s a modern anger and
urgency to what we write.
We use classic thrash frameworks, but we're not afraid to bend them. We also
draw major inspiration from new wave thrash metal bands like Havok, Power Trip,
Municipal waste and more.
Our goal is to make music that honors the roots, but still sounds like
KASCK, not just a revival, but a progression.
4. August
1, 2024, was a milestone—the day you stormed the stage at Wacken Open Air. Can
you share what that experience meant for you as musicians and as
representatives of Indian thrash metal?
Wacken was
surreal. It’s the kind of stage you dream about when you're jamming in a sweaty
garage with second-hand gear. To actually be there, representing India,
standing in front of a global metal crowd, it was overwhelming in the best way
possible. It wasn’t just a win for us as a band, it felt like a moment for the
entire Indian metal community. We’ve grown up watching those performances on
YouTube, and suddenly we were part of that legacy. We carried the energy, the
struggle, and the fire of the Indian underground scene with us onto that stage.
And to see metalheads from across the world headbanging to our songs, it proved
that good music doesn’t need a pin on the map. It was a proud, emotional, and
humbling experience all rolled into one.
5. Touring
in Germany, UAE, India, and Nepal, while sharing the stage with bands like
Jinjer, Cynic, Bloodywood, and Suicidal Angels—what has been the biggest lesson
or takeaway from playing internationally?
Touring
internationally really opened our eyes, not just to different audiences, but to
different ways of living, thinking, and connecting through music.
Sharing the stage with bands like Suicidal Angels, Jinjer and Cynic, who’ve
been on this path for years, is really inspiring.
One big takeaway is that no matter where you are, the energy of metal is
universal. You feel it in the crowd, in the pits, and in the silence too.
But it also taught us to stay sharp. Audiences abroad have seen it all, so you
can't fake it. You have to be tight, honest, and give it everything, every
single night. It pushed us to level up, not just musically but mentally. And
most importantly, it reminded us that our voice, as a band from India, has a
place on that global stage.
6. The
Indian metal scene has been steadily growing. How do you see KASCK’s role in
shaping and spreading Indian thrash metal on a global scale?
We don’t
claim to be the torchbearers of Indian metal, but we do take our role
seriously. As KASCK, we’re proud to be part of a movement that’s pushing Indian
thrash and Indian metal as a whole onto the global stage.
Bands like Kryptos, Demonic Resurrection, and many others paved the way, they
proved that heavy music from India can go global. And today, bands like
Godless, Gutslit, and Amorphia are carrying that fire in their own brutal,
brilliant ways. We see ourselves as part of that evolving lineage. Every time
we release music or hit a stage, whether it's in Pune or Germany, we’re
representing not just our band, but the sound and soul of Indian metal. If what
we do helps push the scene forward or inspires the next wave of bands to go
harder and aim higher, then that’s the real reward.
7. Your
upcoming full-length album, set for mid-2025, promises “sheer aggression and
speed.” What can fans expect in terms of themes, sound, and evolution from the
EP?
If the EP
was a warning shot, the full length is all out war.
We’ve pushed everything, faster riffs, tighter arrangements, more aggression,
and deeper themes. Sonically, it's still rooted in thrash, but there's a rawer
edge and a more modern punch. We’ve drawn from old-school influences, sure, but
we’ve also experimented with tempo shifts, darker melodies, and a few surprises
we haven’t tried before. Lyrically, it’s more personal and even political at
times, songs about inner conflict, identity, systemic failure, and everything
in between. It’s angry, but it’s also honest. This record is a reflection of
where we are right now, not just as musicians, but as people living through
chaos. Fans can expect a heavier, more evolved KASCK, still ferocious, but sharper,
meaner, and more focused than ever.
8. Thrash
metal is often fueled by social and personal struggles. What themes inspire
your lyrics, and how does your environment in India influence your songwriting?
Thrash has
always been about rebellion, and for us, that rebellion is rooted in what we
see and live through every day. India is a beautiful, chaotic, complex place
and that chaos definitely bleeds into our songwriting. Our lyrics deal with
corruption, power abuse, identity, violence, and the everyday frustrations of
trying to exist in a system that often feels rigged. Songs like 'Death To The
Crooked' weren’t written in a vacuum, they come from real anger, from watching
institutions fail people again and again. But it’s not just politics, it’s also
personal. The pressure to conform, the inner battles, the mental health
struggles… all of that fuels the aggression in our music. Writing these songs
is catharsis for us, and if it hits a nerve with someone else then we know
we’ve done our job.
9. Every
band faces challenges—whether it’s breaking into the global scene, staying
independent, or keeping the creative fire alive. What have been the toughest
hurdles for KASCK so far, and how did you overcome them?
Being a
metal band from India already puts you on a tougher path, you’re not just
fighting for attention in a niche genre, you’re doing it in a country where
metal is still underground
. A big
struggle is being an independent artist, not many record labels here.
Staying independent also means doing everything ourselves
recording, promoting, booking, even troubleshooting on tour. But the toughest
part? Breaking that perception barrier, the idea that metal from India can’t
compete globally. We overcame that by doing the only thing we know: writing
honest music, playing our asses off live, and never compromising on our sound.
Getting to Wacken, touring outside India, releasing our EP, all of that came
from pure grind, no shortcuts. The fire never left because the mission is
bigger than us. We’re here to leave a mark.
10. Looking
ahead, what’s the bigger vision for KASCK? Do you see yourselves as ambassadors
of Indian thrash on the world stage, or simply as musicians chasing the pure
energy of the music?
At the
core, we’re people who fell in love with thrash because of its raw energy and
unapologetic honesty. Bands like Metallica showed us what was possible, and
that pure passion is what drives us every day. But we also know the bigger
picture. We’re proud to represent Indian thrash metal on the global stage, and
if that makes us ambassadors for the scene, we wear that title with honor. Our
goals are big, man, really big. We want to push boundaries musically and
culturally, while staying true to our roots. Ultimately, it’s about connection:
with fans, fellow bands, and the spirit of metal itself. So yeah, we chase that
pure energy, but we also carry the responsibility of being part of something
way bigger than ourselves and we invite everyone to join us on this journey.
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