Indian Band Girish and the Chronicles Doing Hair Metal Better Than Pretty Much Anyone Else
If you’d told me even just a few hours ago that my new favorite modern ’80s-style hair metal band would be from Gangtok, India, I’d have told you to go lie down and make sure you don’t have a delusion-inducing fever. So when Vince sent me this video for the new song “Rock ‘N’ Roll is Here to Stay” by Girish and the Chronicles, I thought he was sending me something of which we could make fun. I mean, let’s be real, this style of hard rock, love it though I do, hasn’t exactly been fertile creative ground for anyone this century other than Steel Panther.
Joke’s on me.
This shit is tight, son. It sounds exactly like something Riki Rachtman woulda played on Headbanger’s Ball in the late ’80s or early ’90s, and I mean that in the best possible way. You want a larger-than-life riff that sounds like AC/DC but way sleazier? You got it, babe. You want a strong hook? This song’s hook is so strong it’ll tear your head clean off if you try to fight it. You want incredible Robert Plant-style vocals and lyrics about the awesome power of ROCK? Frontman Girish Pradhan (who, it turns out, we’ve actually covered before, and has already made in a fan out of former Lamb of God drummer Chris Adler, with whom he performed in India last year) is so good he’ll be turning down the chance to front Skid Row in no time. You want a killer sexy shred solo played on a Les Paul? Lead guitarist Suraz Sun is happy to oblige. I could also write multiple love sonnets just about the way bassist Yogesh Pradhan moves while playing his almost-surprisingly-funky bass lines and how drummer Nagen Mongrati can actually pull off the aviator glasses and vest-with-no-shirt look. The band has a keyboardist, too — Krishh Dutta — and I can’t really hear him very well in the mix here, but whatever, I assume he’s also doing something awesome. Even the way the song fades out at the end is A++++.
The band’s earlier single and music video, “Rock the Highway,” isn’t quite as good as “Rock ‘N’ Roll is Here to Stay,” but it’s pretty goddamn close. The solo does Nuno Bettencourt proud, that’s for damn sure.
So yeah check back with me in a few weeks but this might be my new favorite band.
Girish and the Chronicles will release a new album, also called Rock the Highway, on April 27 via Lion’s Pride Music. You can pre-order physical copies here and digital editions via here. If someone from the band or label reads this, send me a promo link as soon as humanly possible please? Thank you muchly.
