For years, The Down Troddence has been at the vanguard of Indian metal, pushing boundaries by fusing thrash and groove metal with the fiery spirit of Theyyam and the folklore of Malabar. A decade in the making, the band is finally ready with their sophomore album, As You All Know, This Is How It Is (AYAKTIHIS). Unleashing the lead single Maharani, they raise the stakes, enlisting T.M. Krishna, Carnatic music’s most radical iconoclast.
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It’s a partnership no one saw coming, yet one that feels inevitable. Two artists unshackled by convention, converging at the crossroads of rebellion. Both The Down Troddence and T.M. Krishna have long wielded their music as a weapon of dissent, fearlessly challenging oppressive structures through their respective art forms. While their sonic foundations differ, their thematic core remains the same: the pursuit of social justice, channeled into subversive art.
Propelled by the rock-solid rhythm section of drummer Ganesh Radhakrishnan and bassist Nezer Ahemed, guitarists Varun Raj and Advaith Mohan bring relentless low-end chugging, clean riffs, and blistering solos. On synths and sound design, Sushin Shyam, now Malayalam cinema’s most sought-after composer, drenches the track with atmospheric and haunting soundscapes. T.M. Krishna’s brief but fundamental parts in Tamil drive the momentum and musical storytelling of the song. Vocalist Munz, at his best, delivers roars, rasps, and guttural growls, giving voice to an ode of defiance from the oppressed. The intensity is unrelenting because the message demands nothing less.
Building on their synthesis of extreme metal roots and a progressive, folk-infused sound, everything feels sharper, more refined. It’s a chiseled equilibrium between chaos and precision, an evolution that maintains the band’s fury while elevating their craftsmanship.
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To match the epic scope of the sound, director Rajaram Rajendran forges a striking cinematic vision of a music video. A regimented assembly, a woman trapped in a glass pyramid, and the inevitable arrival of Pottan, the band’s long-standing mascot of defiance. As he steps in, a chain reaction is sparked, cascading into an unrelenting sequence of rebellion and liberation. The symbolism is intentional, the message loud and clear. This is an anthem for the disillusioned, a call to arms for the marginalized.
Lyrically, Maharani is a furious outcry against systemic oppression, drawing from the horrors of war, genocide, and exploitation. Written by Munz and Nezer, the song was deeply influenced by the Palestinian struggle, serving as both an ode to resistance and a broader condemnation of authoritarian violence across caste, creed, and religion. Given this, it’s no surprise that AYAKTIHIS features a track named Intifada. The band isn’t pulling any punches.
With Maharani setting the tone, AYAKTIHIS promises to be a sonic manifesto, one that speaks truth to power, one track at a time.
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