“കാശിന് മേലെ കാസ്റ്റ് പറക്കോ?
കാശിന് മേലെ ജാതി പറക്കും!!!!”
(Will caste soar over wealth?
Caste will soar above wealth!)
In 2011, The Down Troddence (TDT) made a striking breakthrough on the Indian metal scene with Shiva, a track inspired by the origin tale of Pottan Theyyam, a ritualistic art form from Malabar. Blending the Shiva Tandava Stotram with the tale of Adi Shankaracharya’s realization that the oppressed caste person he shunned was Shiva himself. The takeaway was that the marginalized must don divinity to be recognized as human in the first place.
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Now, in 2025, TDT returns with “Ejjathi“, the second single from their upcoming album AYAKTIHIS (As You All Know, This Is How It Is). Sung in Malayalam, their first in their native language, the track dives into the persistent social malaise of casteism. In India and South Asia, caste discrimination continues to persist, from migrant workers to those who have experienced economic mobility, shaping social interactions, employment opportunities, and everyday life. Not many Indian metal acts have tackled these themes so directly.
Musically, Ejjathi begins in the groove/thrash metal realm and gradually evolves into progressive territory. Tightly structured, its sections flow seamlessly, weaving in TDT’s signature crushing riffing to a heavy breakdown, then gliding into a magical, soaring solo by guitarist Varun. The intricate work underneath the stunning interplay of the rhythm section here makes it possible. The song culminates in a mind-blowing outro, dense in sound design and cinematic in its musical storytelling, delivering a powerful, emotionally charged punch.
The music video, directed by Chidambaram of Manjummel Boys fame (scored by TDT’s Sushin Shyam), brings the narrative to life with immense ferocity and symbolism. The band, clad in ‘80s glam metal gear, storms a matrimonial office, having kidnapped a groom linked to a dowry-related suicide. An animated segment weaves in the Parayi Petta Panthirukulam folktale, an oppressed caste woman whose 12 abandoned sons with a brahmin grew up in 12 different castes. While traditionally interpreted as a tale of caste harmony, it reinforces caste divisions by portraying them as divinely ordained.
Vocalist Munz penned the lyrics to the song based on personal experience. The lyrics reference dominant caste surnames and casual casteist remarks, harmful notions of purity-pollution that reinforce social discrimination. Munz emphasizes that casteism remains a persistent issue, even in Kerala, a state renowned for its high human development indices. The song also addresses patriarchy and colorism associated with caste. Lyrics such as “Colour venam, height venam, PhD padanam venam” (“We need a girl who has fair skin, height, and a PhD”) critique societal expectations in marriage.
Challenging the hypocrisy of a society that prides itself on modernity while clinging to regressive hierarchies, Ejjathi is an unapologetic, unflinching confrontation, reaffirming The Down Troddence as a band with urgent and deeply relevant things to say.
You can stream the song here:
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