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“Pakistani Metal Music” might seem insignificant and unheard of on a global scale - well, that's what I assumed until I checked out Azaab’s “Summoning the Cataclysm”. Raising the bar so high and matching the international standards of death metal made not only me but many new fans appreciate the band and the musicianship coming out of Pakistan. The newest stuff from the nation isn't something to be tossed around; thus when I received the promo of Tabahi, I knew what I was going for.
For those of you under the rock, Tabahi is a thrash metal band from Karachi and is heavily inspired by the German thrash metal bands Kreator, Sodom, Destruction. Fans of German thrash can relate the aggravated presence of rage and resentment in their tunes. Being politically opinionated and dealing with war, violence and corruption in their lyrics is not something new. While it was evident to see a chunk of that rage too in Tabahi's track, the band seems to be angry….for real!
"Run For Your Life" captures all the struggles and challenges behind living in one of the dangerous cities of Pakistan. Furthermore, Tabahi's music video has represented and shown their hometown Karachi, 12th largest city in the world beset by sharp ethnic, sectarian, and political conflicts. Filmed among the local civilians, the music video captures various facets of a Pakistani's life. Watch the Music Video here:
Now to the actual music - From the opening moments itself, Tabahi blasts out thunderous riffs with magnificent speed. Bleeding in, is the vocals of Daniyal Buksh Soomro with signature Tom Araya high-scream. The powerful lyrics along with the energy-filled vocal lines bring the much needed adrenaline rush. Just after the chorus, we are face-smashed with a breakdown - the half-time rhythm along with simple chugs works perfectly in the scenario and is the perfect headbanging riff. (The kids in the music video headbanging to it is the ultimate form of satisfaction). Faiq Ahmed's blistering guitar solo was the last thing we could have asked for in the song, and it doesn't disappoint at all!
With a short duration of 2:17 minutes, the song is effective in its execution with all its elements in its place. The production is good to a point of being thoroughly enjoyable, a slight improvement would have been a joyride one. Since no drummer was mentioned in the promo, I'm gonna assume it's programmed. Also, the vocal texture of Daniyal Buksh Soomro puts me off a bit, but I can't really complain about the execution of the vocal lines either.
If you are looking for something aggressive and angry from the morning itself, look no further than Tabahi's new single, "Run For Your Life".
