Sledge is a LIVE band based out of the capital of Telangana, Hyderabad. Their music can be described as a liberating noise with inspirational intensity. This Hyderabad-based thrash/death metal band is a politically charged outfit who do not refrain from making bold statements through their music and lyrics. The band tackles contentious topics like political corruption, social disorder, and religious insanity with aplomb while dishing out tracks that are melodic and furious at the same time. In existence since 2000 and though plagued with the certain chronic problem of multiple lineup changes and forced periods of hibernation, the band has extensively toured the national rock and metal circuit, having gigged at almost all credible festivals. Of the plethora of concerts played by this quintet, a few watershed shows early in their career were the first annual metal fest in India – Domination The Deathfest – where the Hyderabad warriors cut their teeth amongst the best extreme metal bands in India in 2001, and later at the Garage Rock Festival, which they swept away and won their debut album deal with Times Music. This saw the band releasing Desert of Souls, which was well received by the underground metal circuit. 2005 saw the band recruiting Nitin Rajan (from Bombay death metallers, Morticide) to handle the vocal duties after the departure of long-time vocalist, Avin. Nitin’s inclusion saw the band take on a much darker and heavier approach to their songs, all while retaining their trademark groove and attention to melody. 2007 was a crowning glory for the bands when they were invited to headline the UMD Metalfest in Singapore. A Sledge LIVE show pushes the envelope even further. Never missing a beat amidst the fray, constantly thrashing and pounding, their presence breeds insanity. Here on, the band’s sound has taken a quantum leap from the early days of the first album and now, as their self-produced second effort, sees the band’s main composer-guitarist, Shadrach Prabhu, going back to a classic thrash metal riffing with an Indian rhythmic structural twist to the songs. The current lineup has founding members – Anjani on bass and Avin on rhythm guitars – along with Shadrach Prabhu on lead guitars and Nitin Rajan on vocals.