Metal on the Bay

PHOTO: Courtesy of Rudra

OF ALL the homegrown acts slated to strut their stuff at Esplanade’s annual rock music festival, Baybeats, this weekend, local death metal band Rudra is likely to be the only one older than the festival itself.

“While Baybeats is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, we’re celebrating our 20th,” Rudra’s 38-year-old frontman and bassist, Kathirasan, told LOUD with a chuckle.

“It’s our second Baybeats gig, but we’re still very excited and honoured.

“I remember the first time we played (in 2010), we were the first extreme metal band in Baybeats history to hit the stage...The crowd was energetic and responsive, way better than we had expected.”

Formed in 1992,Rudra, which also includes drummer Shivanand, 38, guitarists Vinod, 27, and Subash, 25, have built a reputation for themselves among headbangers by pioneering Vedic metal.