BLOODYWOOD

Bloodywood are the torchbearers and barrier-breakers of metal from India, their hard-hitting folk, yet modern metal sound making the world sit up, take notice and show up to sing along.

Bloodywood first caught the attention of the internet with their YouTube channel, when multi-instrumentalist, producer and composer Karan Katiyar and vocalist Jayant Bhadula were about to get deadly serious about their craft.

Bolstered by the support they were getting, Bloodywood dropped “Ari Ari” in 2018. A Punjabi folk song made famous in the early 2000s remix boom in India by hip-hop act Bombay Rockers, Bloodywood pushed it further with help from the gritty New Delhi-based conscious hip-hop artist rapper Raoul Kerr.

With the additional accessibility from Kerr’s English rap verses, Katiyar’s inimitable flute melody and Bhadula’s powerful vocals, the band’s first original song “Jee Veerey” (2018 – a song about mental health) brought a flood of praise from around the world. With the release of “Jee Veerey,” the band discovered their own sound and message. Songs like “Endurant” (anti-bullying anthem) and “Machi Bhasad (Expect A Riot)” in 2019 saw Bloodywood level up, adding Kerr as a full-time member.

“We’re trying to push the limits of the impact that music can have on the world” Rapper Raoul Kerr as he reflects on the message of the band, “Whether it’s the battles within or the fight for a better world, our sound is meant to bring everyone together and win.

Joined on tour by drummer Vishesh Singh (a fixture since their early days), bassist Roshan Roy (a seasoned figure in New Delhi’s indie music scene) and dhol player Sarthak Pahwa, Bloodywood took their music out of the studio and to concerts across Europe, UK and Russia for their first ever tour.  The sold-out Raj Against The Machine tour in 2019 was proof that an Indian metal band’s global online following would convert into packed venues.

Even a global pandemic couldn’t stop the juggernaut that was Bloodywood – “Yaad” in early 2020 had deepened their storytelling. The band followed it up in late 2021 with “Gaddaar,” taking aim at how politicians use religion to gain votes. Songs like “Aaj” and “Dana Dan” (the latter rallying against rape culture) built up to the release of their debut self-released album Rakshak in 2022. It was important to them to keep fighting the good fight, whether it was against one’s closely held inner demons or the decaying standards of global governance. It earned them a nomination for Best International Breakthrough Artist at the Heavy Music Awards in 2022.

Charting on the Billboard US and UK’s Official Charts with Rakshak, and garnering such accolades as…”

Indian metal sensation Bloodywood mix nu, folk and rap metal on their thrilling debut Rakshak- Loudersound / Metal Hammer UK

“Rakshak is a thrilling ride through western and eastern sounds…It’s undeniably fun but also well thought out with emotional and anthemic moments”

– Wall of Sound.AU

Bloodywood went on to perform to packed crowds, selling out such storied venues as Gramercy Theatre in New York City, The Electric Ballroom in London, O-East in Tokyo to playing in front of tens of thousands at festivals across the world.  From Lollapalooza India, Download Festival, Bloodstock (UK), Hellfest (France), Summer Breeze (Germany) to Brutal Assault (Czechia), to Fuji Rock (Japan) and American mainstays like Louder Than Life and Aftershock, Bloodywood won global acclaim.

“We couldn’t believe how much the band means to the fans. They bring flags to the show, get our lyrics tattooed, give us personalized gifts and most importantly share the hell out of our music” states Vocalist Jayant, “We are blessed to have such great supporters that not only do they connect with the music, but they also become one with it. They may not understand all the languages we sing in, but we feel their passion as they sing those words along with us.”