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Combining nu-metal, rap-metal and regional folk music, Indian heavy-metal outfit Bloodywood originally started out as a parody project in 2016 but quickly evolved into the real deal. Today, they are a beloved hard-rock act that is heavily involved in social work and charitable causes around mental-health awareness and animal welfare.
Formed in New Delhi by co-founder and multi-instrumentalist Karan Katiyar, Bloodywood also features vocalist Jayant Bhadula and rapper Raoul Kerr. It started out with Katiyar (a former corporate lawyer) and Bhadula (a talent manager) as a two-piece band with the intention of "destroying pop songs."
Bloodywood's first cover came in 2017 when the band re-recorded an immensely popular version of Linkin Park's "Heavy," which they followed with the 2017 compilation covers album Anti-Pop Vol. 1 featuring updated renditions of songs by Backstreet Boys, 50 Cent, Ariana Grande, and Nirvana, and was released on Bandcamp. The band also shared a metal cover version of the Bhangra/Indi-pop song "Tunak Tunak Tun" by Daler Mehndi, featuring guest vocals from Bonde do Metaleiro.
In 2018, Bloodywood released a cover of "Ari Ari" by the Bombay Rockers, which adapts an earlier version of the Indian folk song "Bars Barsi." The first song featuring vocals from Kerr, "Ari Ari'' became a streaming sensation, thanks in part to Bollywood actress Ileana D'Cruz sharing the track on social media.
The overall success of "Ari Ari" inspired Bloodywood to start writing original material, which they did in 2018 starting with the song "Jee Veerey." Bloodywood wrote "Jee Veerey" -- a song about fighting depression -- in partnership with the online counseling site HopeTherapy. The following January, the two released "Endurant," a song that dealt with the subject of bullying.
In spring 2019, Bloodywood embarked on their Raj Against the Machine Tour and performed at German hard-rock festival Wacken Open Air. Kerr was also invited to be a full-time member of Bloodywood in 2019. Two years later, Metal Hammer named Bloodywood as one of the "12 New Metal Bands To Watch In 2022."
In February 2022, Bloodywood released their debut studio album, Rakshak, which charted on Billboard (making Bloodywood the first Indian metal band to achieve this) and featured lyrics sung in English, Hindi and Punjabi. The lead single "Gaddaar" came out in November 2021 and featured political musings around the separation of church and state. The single "Aaj" dropped in January 2022 with a video shot in Munnar, Kerala.
Translating to "protector," Rakshak is about "a joint effort to protect people and the planet as a whole from all the challenges we're facing," according to Kerr in an interview with Metalutopia. "We hope to do this by eliminating the challenges altogether, because the best defense is a great offense. You'll hear messages about divisive politics, corruption, toxic news, sexual assault and bullying, as well as personal ones about battling depression and pushing your limits."
Get tickets to see Bloodywood live on tour at Ticketmaster today.
Seeing BLOODYWOOD play a venue as small as Baltimore Soundstage for a crowd of only around 500 was absolutely LEGENDARY!!!! This band is doing for India what The Hu did for Mongolia. They are on the map making serious music! The world will know who this band is after this tour!!!! We had a blast! BLOODYWOOD is so much fun live!
Where to start, bloodywoods first u.s shows and they absolutely killed it, the energy they create it amazing, cant wait to see them come back, drove 3 hrs to see them and would do it again in a heart beat
I will be going to see these guys every chance I get.
Venue was fantastic was at the front of the stage and the sound and clarity was Crystal clear and absolutely bone shattering woukd absolutely come back for amother round and bloodywood was everything i wanted and more only downside was the lack of clear schedule
The venue is really spacious, with a decently-stocked bar (lil pricey, but what do you expect?). Staff was awesome. Only complaint is that eventry can be confusing - you need to go to the 3rd(?) floor of the parking garage, across a skywalk to the complex, and then down the stairs/elevator. Otherwise, rockin' show! Bloodywood brings nothing but positivity, and works the crowd amazingly, as if they connected with everyone on an individual level (I mean, their message is just as loud as their music)!
Most excellent performance from Bloodywood at The Masquerade. Also props to their audio engineer. The Masquerade isn't know for its acoustics.
I bought the tickets on a whim because I had seen a few of their videos on social media, little did I know that this would be one of the best shows I had ever been to. Their energy is ridiculous and they really know how to set the room on fire. When they would stop to talk, it didn't break the ambiance and it flowed well into their next piece. The pit was churning like a well oiled machine and I was there for it. Afterwards they stuck around for autographs and pictures, which I really appreciated. They're a great group of guys who really believe in their music and their message. Even if you're not really into activism, I totally say catch this one. It's not super flashy with pyrotechnics, but they don't need it. The music is electric, the performance is polished, and the energy is unbelievable.
Bloodywood was seriously one of the best shows I’ve seen all year (and I’ve been to quite a few shows!) Their energy was contagious, their positivity was much needed and they enthusiasm for rocking out was unmatched! Oh, and the masquerade was the typical masquerade. LoL
