Deaf' to the world

Most people’s knowledge of metal begins and ends at ‘Iron Maiden’. When you ask them whether they have heard of ‘thrash metal’, they give you a nonchalant shrug and walk off.

Narrates Rohit Warloc, drummer of ‘D.E.A.F’, “There have been times when we say ‘thrash metal’ and people assume it’s ‘trash metal’. Even our parents think it’s that because we don’t get a single rupee from playing.”

But the band, which comprises Arwen Magma on vocals, Vivek ‘Zombie’ KR on lead guitars, Manas ‘Paapu’ Amrit on rhythms guitar and Suraj ‘Chef’ Jack on bass, plays for their love of the music and nothing else.

“It all began two years back. I used to play for another band which would perform at birthday parties. But I was always influenced by ‘Iron Maiden’ because my dad was a guitarist.

At the time, we were going through exam stress and decided to get it out by starting a band (this was Vivek and I). Then, a few more members joined, but they left because we were really bad and they didn’t want to play for such a bad band. Basically, it took almost a year for us to settle down.”

It wasn’t until 2013 that the band started penning down their songs. Initially, they began with ‘Metallica’ and ‘Iron Maiden’ covers. “One of our songs is called ‘Violence for Peace’ – it is a tribute to soldiers who are the heroes as they fight to make sure our lives are safer.

Another song is called ‘Deafnation’; we wrote this during the elections when everyone would ask us who we are going to vote for. We are a deaf nation because every party is involved in criminal activities,” says Rohit.

The angst-ridden band has a third song called ‘Nation Led Slaughter’, which was inspired by the Peshawar attack and the rise in terrorism.

Although Rohit knows that there isn’t a great demand for thrash metal, he and his fellow band members continue to use music as a form of expression to protest against the rising atrocities.

“All of us are unhappy with the way things are at the moment, whether it is the rapes, corruption or terrorism. We are not happy with the daily news. ‘D.E.A.F’ is an anti-social band and we believe only in ourselves. Initially it stood for ‘Disturbed Educative Anti-Social Five’, but that made no sense.

It was actually a stranger in Goa who explained to us what our band name meant – he said that we are a band who doesn’t care about anything or anyone and are deaf to the world,” he ends.