It’s not often I come across an album I want to listen to in its entirety, but Nu Delhi by Bloodywood certainly fits that bill. I didn’t listen to it just once, but five times in a row. And then, another three times the next day. When I finally stopped, my only complaint was that the album wasn’t longer. Though, truth be told, they could have added four more songs and I still would have wanted more. What can I say? I’m greedy for good music.

While the intro to the album may start slow, don’t let that fool you. The first drop will punch you in the face, and then take you on a wild ride for the rest of the album. This is pit music, no question. The album starts with “Halla Bol,” a song of strength and resistance, telling the story of overcoming hardship, finding hope, and now not only surviving, but thriving. With lyrics like “rise up in legion, let it all out,” they’re bringing you along on this journey and encouraging you to find your own strength. As yet, I have not seen this song played live, but I cannot imagine a world where this song doesn’t inspire the whole crowd to jump up and down screaming the chorus, “Halla bol, saare,” (translation: raise your voice, together). If there is such a world, I don’t want to be in it.

The second song, “Hutt,” reminds me of the George Bernard Shaw quote, “People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.” It’s a song about being true to yourself, following your own path, and putting in the work to get it done despite the haters. On my first listen, the line that stuck in my mind was, “Taking all your curses and turn ‘em to a gift.” If that’s not the most on point life advice I’ve ever heard, I honestly don’t know what is. “Dhadhak” follows along on a similar topic, and continues with the heavy sound and metal growls, but it also adds in a nice surprise with a more mellow and melodic pre-chorus. Sung in Hindi by Jayant Bhadula, the lyrics translate to, “A clay statue will crumble to dust if it fears the flame. Your heart’s desires will stay buried if you don’t dare to give them wings.” You heard him, people. Follow your heart.

In “Bekhauf,” Bloodywood collaborated with BABYMETAL to create a song that not only includes probably my favorite metal growl on the entire album, but also an unexpected and lively EDM breakdown right in the middle. “Bekhauf” continues the theme of standing fearless, taking on the fight, and coming out stronger, this time with imagery of a warrior going off to battle. The ladies of BABYMETAL complete this imagery in the role of women lovingly saying their last goodbyes with the lyrics (translated), “Farewell, fearless warrior. I dedicate myself. Stand up fearlessly.” For those who grew up like I did, practically inhaling stories of King Arthur and the knights of the round table, it evokes visions of a lady tying her scarf around a soldier’s armor before sending him off to war. Or, perhaps a slightly more recent reference, in 300 when Queen Gorgo says to King Leonidas, “Spartan! Come back with your shield, or on it.”

Bloodywood is a fusion of Indian folk and metal, hence the genre Indian folk metal. While they show aspects of that in all of their songs, I don’t think any song showcases this more than “Kismat,” where the intro leans heavily into Indian folk, and then slams you into the metal with a guitar rift so delicious I sat back in awe, and then replayed it 27 times. The lyrics continue on the theme of facing your battles and coming out on top, with Raoul Kerr rapping (in English) the hard hitting line, “I became the heroes I believed in.” While all of their lyrics are meaningful, some of them you just feel.

I admit, I lack enough background information to fully understand “Daggebaaz.” Coming to this album review as a person living in the US who knows some about India and its history, but definitely not all, I feel certain that this song is political, though I cannot pinpoint the specific moment or person it’s about. It definitely would not be the first time Bloodywood wrote about political topics. One of my favorite songs, “Gaddar,” which came out in 2001, is about politicians using religion to gain votes. And, I do know pointing out issues that need to be addressed is one of the main messages of the band. As Raoul Kerr has said, “We’re trying to push the limits of the impact that music can have on the world. Whether it’s the battles within or the fight for a better world, our sound is meant to bring everyone together and win.” So, using the only frame of reference I have, I’m mostly certain this song is about a corrupt politician. With lyrics such as, “Run, deceiver, run. Words soaked in lies and deceit. You play for profit, driven by greed. You sold your integrity, your worth, your fellow man. For you, there’s only one name,” I think we’ve all felt that way about our political representatives at one time or another.

With the next song, “Tadka,” we make the leap from serious to fun with a song about Indian cuisine. The word tadka means “temper,” as in, “to change the physical nature of a substance, using heat or a chemical process,” which they explain in the must-see video for the song. You’re absolutely missing out if you don’t watch it. Seeing these guys trying to put together a meal, only to have a woman (I’m assuming she’s either the “mother” or “mother-figure” mentioned in the song) come in and show them how it’s really done is a complete riot! This video was my introduction to the band, and it immediately made me want to learn everything about them. If you want to test drive this album before jumping in fully, this is where you should start.

With the final song on the album, we get to the title track, “Nu Delhi.” Obviously being a play on New Delhi and nu-metal, the song is about life in the city where “every day is a festival here,” but also, “home to both saints and sinners, not a city, but a game of chess.” The video for the song is pretty straightforward. The band is performing in, presumably, New Delhi. It’s maybe not as fun as the video for “Tadka,” but it’s still a good taste test if you want to get a feel for the vibe of the band.

I think this album covers so many bases that it would be a hit for metal fans, rap fans, anyone who likes heavier music, and anyone who loves a good cathartic pit experience. The lyrics are in English and Hindi, with a cameo of Japanese by BABYMETAL. The band has offered phonetic translations in their YouTube channel video descriptions, so if you do not speak Hindi, you can still learn to sing along. My only word of caution about the album is this: Be careful when listening to it in your car, because this is the type of album that will give you so much energy, you’ll likely end up with a speeding ticket.

Review by I’m Music Magazine Photographer/Writer Amanda Packey