Popular Kerala-based Indian metal band ‘The Down Troddence’ tells us what drives their music and the manifestation of a rich history in its root

Words by Likhitha P Nair    Photographs by The Down Troddence

In 1968, a group of men from England’s West Midlands moulded a form of music that was strangely similar to the tumult from steel mills in their hometown. Tonny Iommi’s roaring guitar and Ozzy Osbourne’s rebellious vocals were just a few of the many reasons why Black Sabbath became the light at the end of the tunnel for many. While Metal was going through the metamorphosis that any style of art is destined to, with Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Pantera and many others distorting its style and spirit, the world was adapting to it. Around the same time, miles away, here is the God’s own country, Naxalites were ruffling the social calm of Kerala, as it inhaled a new political set-up; rights for all, and freedom for all.

When I watched The Down Troddence live few years back in Chennai, I remember feeling captivated and connected to their music. The Kannur-based band has very deep ties to a culture, that is cult to many. In conversation with vocalist Munz, Guitarists Varun Raj and Advaith and Bassist Nezer regarding the origin of the band that portrays itself to be ‘voice of the oppressed’, came the surreal revelation that their music was largely inspired by a dark Malayali subculture.

BEING THE DOWNTRODDEN

The band was founded in 2008 in Kannur district, north of Kerala, by group of teenagers who went searching for music that enthralled listeners during a time of social and political distress.

Nezer: Metal happened to me quite surprisingly, a friend gave it to me in exchange for big bubblegum tattoos (laughs). But the pull towards it, I believe had a lot to do with the atrocities we saw as children. We were struggling to articulate those.

Advait: Many living among us were poor, not in terms of money, but social awakening.

Munz: While in school I used to try finding someone who would help me download music. I remember the first time I was introduced to Metallica. It changed my life. I think the difference was that our generation had no facilities that people have today. Without phones and the internet, we had time to look around and witness what is happening around the world. That had clear impressions on the music we made later.

THROUGH THE EYES OF POTTAN AND NAGAVALLI

The fury and savagery of ‘theyyam’, a traditional ritual art form of worship is well-known to Kerala. The music video ‘Nagavalli’ by TDT speaks about the popular legend of a dancer who haunts her jealous master for slaying her over revenge for fancying another man. ‘Shiva’ on the other hand is the story of ‘pottan’ or ‘pottan theyyam’, the first downtrodden race to revolt the system of oppression.

Varun: Though Nagavalli was originally made as a soundtrack for a movie, it never worked out. When we discussed it further, we all coincidentally related to the tale of an opressed dancer.

Nezer: Cult art forms of Kerala are all dark and rebellious. Art used to be a tool for conveying stories and messages before modern times started celebrating its entertainment value. I think metal, or any kind of liberating art form, revolves around the same ideology.

Munz: These similarities or adaptations were not meant to patronise an audience. North-Kerala has a history that has seen dark times and blood spill. We empathised with a lot of those concepts. Like the way, our society treated the ‘underprivileged’, or how women were only seen as “articles of possession”.

French author Andre Maurois once wrote that art is an effort to create, beyond the real world, a more humane world. It sometimes carves into itself and grows a new seed. As for The Down Troddence, Nezer has the right words to divulge this,“TDT has a sound. And that will stay.”