Against a backdrop of earth-shattering riffs and pounding drum beats, a high-pitched Bhangra jingle pops out of nowhere, adding a melodious undercurrent to the heavy, dissonant sound. Just as you settle into the groove, which the vocalist Jayant Bhadula describes as a "confluence of east and west," a seismic death growl erupts. The raw fury and relentless energy suggest the tales of violence, gore, or mass destruction—the usual tropes of heavy metal lyrics. But Bhadula flips the script, screaming: "Main salaam bhi karunga, main pranaam bhi karunga, Sat Sri Akaal se leke, Ishu ka naam bhi karoon. (I greet you in Urdu, I greet you in Hindi. I use the Sikh battle cry and value the compassion of Christ.)" In a mere forty-five seconds, the single Gaddar encapsulates the idea and allure of Bloodywood, the most popular Indian metal act ever, who recently collaborated with the legendary Japanese band Babymetal.
They weave the twang of tumbi, a single-stringed instrument used in Punjabi folk music, with blistering guitar riffs, the cadence of dhol with drum, and gut-punching growls with catchy rap verses. Their sound is global, yet rooted in their tradition, and their discography is replete with songs that tackle social issues with fierce conviction. While their song Gaddar talks about social harmony, urging people to rise over their religious differences, Jee Veerey tackles the weight of mental health struggles. One of their most popular songs, Dana Dan, is a warcry against rape culture, dismantling the "not all men" defense rooted in the patriarchy. This song gained international prominence when it was featured in the trailer for Dev Patel’s 2024 film Monkey Man. Initially sceptical, the band dismissed outreach from Patel’s manager on Instagram as a potential scam. "We still played along and shared our Whatsapp. We had the shock of our lives when Dev revealed himself on the video call. He explained he found us on YouTube, praised our music, and explained he wanted something for his movie," says Bhadula.
Their songs often have a moral clarity that is refreshing for a metal scene that often courts controversy for their fringe views and overt masochism. "We want the world to be more inclusive, with no place for racism or any “ism.” In 2025, the world is so connected, yet issues persist. We aim for acceptance and unity. We believe everyone bleeds red, and our songs uplift people to overcome challenges and unite society under one umbrella of music, where differences are forgotten," says Bhadula.
The band blends the heaviness of metal sound with the desi folk elements, and once you tune in to their unrestrained auditory assault, you will want to have more of that thing. It's no surprise that they are the most streamed metal band in this country, with their songs consistently surpassing one million views and some of their most popular tracks nearing ten million streams on YouTube. They are the first and only Indian group to perform on the main stage of the Wacken Open Air and Download Festival, two of the premier metal festivals. They are holding the Indian flag high in the world of metal. Their unprecedented success have put the Indian metal landscape in the spotlight.
Bloodywood began as a bedroom project of guitarist Karan Katiyar, and vocalist Jayant Bhadula. The duo would create metal covers of popular Bollywood tracks, and upload them on YouTube. The name of the band is a cheeky dig on Bollywood, the country's premier film industry. Their playful but musically brilliant renditions of Daler Mehndi's Tunak Tunak and Panjabi MC's Mundian To Bach Ke earned them a strong following in the Indian metal scene. Soon, Karan would quit his job at a legal firm, and Bhadula, as an artist manager, once the band brought in more earnings. “We didn't wait for a big moment. We wanted to put everything into this, no backup plans,” says Bhadula, who worked as an artist manager at a comedy club.
Their all-in gamble paid off when their cover of the Punjabi folk song Bari Barsi, titled Ari Ari, went viral, attracting thousands of new fans from across the world, including Bollywood actress Ileana D’Cruz, who shared it on Instagram. The significance of this success does not stop at virality though; it also earned them critical acclaim and served as a prognosis of the distinct sound that would go on to define the band. It was the first song featuring Kerr as a rapper, who became a permanent member of the band. “It also proved to be our last cover. We realised it’s time to move on to the next level, and we started working on original compositions. But this was the goal from the beginning. The covers were a fun way to explore our sound and build an audience. Once we achieved that, our next goal was to make original music and go on a world tour. Now, we are aiming even higher,” says Kerr.
When we caught up with them, the band was reeling from a gruelling touring schedule, having performed everywhere from Malmo to Milan, Lille to Lyon, and Osaka to Tokyo. They are reaching places—both literally and figurately—that once seemed out of reach for any Indian metal act. After a brief respite, they will be back on the road again, this time on a tour to North America. "There's a sense of pride we get in representing our country positively. We get to put faces to the names we see online, and see people dance and cry to our songs in real-time—nothing can buy that," says Bhadula.
What makes Bloodywood a force majeure is their ability to replicate the unfettered energy of their music in their live shows. Their concert feels like a grand party, with an unrelenting stream of energy that emanates from the stage dissolving thousands of disparate existences under a unifying, all-encompassing entity, where you have no choice but to be in the moment. Both the band and crowd feed off each other's energy, says Bhadula, which Kerr attributes to "preparation and practise". He adds, "It's worth knowing that we have the privilege of playing to an energetic audience that takes us to a level above what can be rehearsed."
At one of their recent shows in Europe, a fervent crowd erupted into chants of "Delhi! Delhi!"—a nod to the band's sophomore album, Nu Delhi, released earlier this year to widespread acclaim. The album is a raw and heartfelt tribute to New Delhi, the vibrant city where all the band members were raised. "Delhi is pure metal," declares frontman Bhadula. "It’s the most intense, relentless city I’ve ever known. The grind never stops; it’s a place that never sleeps. Delhi is metal as fuck. This album is our love letter to New Delhi, and also a statement that the city has stormed the global metal scene, and we’re here to stay," he adds.
The "Nu" in Nu Delhi is a clever nod to nu-metal, the genre closely tied to the band’s electrifying style. While their sound is heavily influenced by nu-metal, a subgenre that ruled the metal world in the early noughties, they have always defied strict categorisation. Depending on whom you ask, their style can be described as anything from nu-metal and rap metal to folk metal or even metalcore. It is open to interpretation and the band does not think much about it, but Bhadula admits he just does not understand the hate around nu-metal. Nu Delhi, their second album, is a playful ode to how nu-metal and New Delhi shaped their musical journey. "It's a very fun genre, and we embrace it. I still hold bands like Slipknot and Papa Roach in high regard, even if some people dunk on them," says Bhadula.
While nu-metal as a genre is often derided for the lack of variety and the limited exploration of artistic boundaries, Bloodywood stands out, not only in its content but also in its form. The seamless integration of traditional Indian instruments like dhol and tin whistles adds to their distinctiveness. It gives their sound, as Kerr puts it, "a perfect mix of primal and evolved energy." Bringing in Indian instruments to their heavy sound was a happy accident. As Bhadula recounts, "While recording a cover of Mundiya To Bachke Rahi, Katiyar added dhol with heavy metal guitars and drums, and I lost my mind—it sounded so good. These two distinct worlds, Indian folk music and metal, fused seamlessly."
Even as they have grown bigger, some of the early traits that defined this band, besides their virtuosity of course, are still intact, the most notable being humour. Did you really think a band called Bloodywood would ever lose its playful edge? When they embarked on their first USA tour, they cleverly dubbed it "Nine Inch Naans," a lighthearted pun on the band Nine Inch Nails. In one of their early music videos, Bhadula is riding horses in the streets of New Delhi, while Katiyar is perched on a camel and playing guitar. "It's part of our personality. We're socially conscious but also a bunch of boys playing metal, so having fun is just as important as making good music," says Kerr.
