JUNE 11th 2024
AGAINST EVIL EXCLUSIVE

MetalTitans very own, Metal Mom Rita had the opportunity to speak with fist pumping, bone crushing Heavy Metal band from Visakhapatnam, India, AGAINST EVIL. Forming in 2014, and not officially entering the scene until 2015 with the release of their EP, "Fatal Assault", this band's journey has been an inspiration in the metal scene of India. Sharing stages with bands such as Queensryche, Riot V, and more, while also getting a few full length records under their belt, this new and upcoming band is a force to be reckoned with. For more, check out our interview below:

MT: Tell us how you came up with the name "Against Evil”?
We were going through a lot of names when we finally came up with “Against Evil”. We thought it sounded cool with the name also fitting the style of music that we were making.

MT: Who are your band members and how did they come to be in the band?
It’s Siri (Vocals, Bass), Sravan (Vocals, Rhythm Guitar), John (Drums) and myself Shasank (Rhythm, Lead Guitar). We’re all from a very small city by the beach in southern India with no rock & metal scene at all. Since there are only a handful of people listening to this genre of music in the city, we got to know each other. We all played together in a local cover band before forming “Against Evil”.

MT: Were you in a band before this one?
Yes. It’s a classic rock/metal cover band called “Echo”. We all played together in this band for quite a few years before we decided to start writing our own music.

MT: Who were your musical influences?
Mostly classic metal bands like Judas Priest, Accept, Motorhead, Megadeth, Metallica, Dio, etc.

MT: Is there one band that really made you decide that this is what you needed to do?
We’ve each got our own main influences. But it’s mostly the bands mentioned above that really inspired us to start a band and write our own music. For me personally, it would be Megadeth and Judas Priest.

MT: Coming up July 12 (Give ‘Em Hell) via Doc Gator Records in Europe, independently rest of the world. You must be excited about this, was it an easy task from writing to getting it to final form?
Yeah, we’re definitely excited for everyone to listen to the album! Making an album is never an easy task as it’s a long process. It took us almost a year to get this album ready for release, but we enjoyed every second of it.

MT: Were there any problems along the way of making it?
Not really. Everything was super smooth and straightforward. It’s our fourth studio album, so we learned a lot over the years!

MT: Who writes your lyrics, and where does the inspiration come from?
For some songs, it’s just me and for other songs, it’s a combination of ideas from the rest of the band. The inspiration comes from so many different things like real life events, experiences, movies, pop culture, etc. The main idea for the lyrical theme comes from the instrumental version of the song and we write lyrics based on what comes to our mind when listening to the song.

MT: Does each member write their own, riffs, drum blasts and then it gets put together?
I usually start writing riffs and put them together with scratch drum loops to build a song structure. Once I am satisfied, I send it to the others and then we start adding other things like real drums, bass, vocals etc. Similarly, the others also share their ideas with me and it involves a lot of teamwork.

MT: How do you decide which video will be released, is it something you like the most or do you think it is something the fans will react to?
We always do what we think is best and try not to think about what the fans or others might think. Even with song writing, our goal is to always write songs for ourselves and not for others.

MT: Do you yourself have a favorite song on the new album, and why that one?
It’s probably the title track “Give ‘Em Hell”. It’s a straightforward “meat and potatoes” metal song that’s full of energy and is super fun to play. It also perfectly describes the overall vibe and sonic intensity of the new album.

MT: I am going to guess that once your album is released that you will do a tour to promote it?
Yes! We will be touring Germany, Austria and Switzerland from the end of August till mid-September. Do check out our socials for announcements and other info!

MT: Do you have a favorite place to play?
Mostly our favorite clubs and some festivals in Germany. The crowd is always great, the energy is amazing and we always have a great time!

MT: What is your best experience with being in AGAINST EVIL?
I get to do what I love! Make heavy metal music and play at some of the finest clubs and festivals in the world in front of awesome fans! Even though it’s not my fulltime job, I am still very fortunate to be able to do this and I thank all our fans and friends for their undying support over the years. None of this would have been possible without you guys!!

MT: Have you ever had any regrets about being in the music industry? It can be tough.
Not really. This is not my fulltime job so I have no complaints!

MT: Is there anything you would like to add to the interview that I might have missed asking?
You’ve already covered everything, but I’d like to say again that our new album “Give ‘Em Hell” will be releasing worldwide on July 12th. Do check it out if you get a chance and I hope you all like it as much as I do.

Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview with us here at MetalTitans, much appreciated.
Thanks to you too. Take care and stay metal! Cheers!

FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/againstevil.india
INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/againstevil.india/
YOUTUBE - https://www.youtube.com/AgainstEvil



Words, views and opinions expressed in answers are those of the authors and do not reflect necessarily the official position, attitude or position of 𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗠𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗔𝗚𝗘 ᴳᴸᴼᴮᴬᴸ