Warfaze

Last updated

Warfaze
ওয়ারফেইজ
Warfaze 2023 Lineup.jpg
Warfaze 2023
Background information
Origin Dhaka, Bangladesh
Genres Hard rock, heavy metal
Years active1984–present
Labels
Members
Past members
Website www.warfaze.rocks

Warfaze is a Bangladeshi heavy metal band formed on 6 June 1984 in Dhaka by Ibrahim Ahmed Kamal, Meer, Helal, Naimul, and Bapi. They are one of the earliest heavy metal bands in Bangladesh. The band had numerous line-up changes since 1984 and since its inception, the band has released seven studio albums, one compilation album, and several singles. They have experimented with numerous sub-genres of rock and heavy metal over the years.

Contents

History

1984–1994

The first lineup of Warfaze in 1984 consisted of Bapi on vocals, Meer and Naimul on guitars, Kamal on bass, and Helal on drums. This initial line-up underwent the first of many changes with Helal, Meer, and Bapi having to leave the band for personal reasons. By that time Kamal met Tipu in early 1986 and Tipu joined Warfaze as the drummer and co-founder. The band was far from breaking through to the mainstream music scene in Bangladesh and heavy metal music was not very popular in the country back then. [1]

In 1986, Kamal took up lead guitar duties and they took in Babna Karim as the bassist, and Reshad as the vocalist. This second lineup had to be discontinued when Naimul moved to the US. At that time, there were three other Dhaka-based metal bands: Rockstrata, In Dhaka, and Aces. Mashuk Rahman from In Dhaka and Fuad from Aces volunteered to help Warfaze as guest members (guitarist). The band opened a keyboard position and then Russell Ali joined. [2] In 1988, Reshad had left the band for some personal reason and his place was filled by Sunjoy. Kamal had made arrangements for further education in the US by 1991.

At the time, Warfaze was mostly a cover band, covering bands such as Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Dokken, Iron Maiden or Guns N' Roses. However, inspired by Maqsud, former vocalist of Feedback, the band performed their own Bangla songs at a concert arranged by BAMBA at the University of Dhaka on 26 April 1992. The band at first decided to make a mixed album, but as it turned out Warfaze had enough songs to be able to release a solo album. The band went on to release their self-titled album, Warfaze , on 21 June 1991. The album featured songs like "Boshe Achi Eka" and "Ekti Chele". At the time, Bangladeshi music listeners were still new to metal and any lyrics other than those inspired by romanticism or patriotism were rare. It took several months for the album to gain popularity but it later succeeded.

The album was followed up by a concert on 7 January 1992 at RAOWA Club. The next album, Obak Bhalobasha, was released by Sargam in 1994. Warfaze's sound was developed in this album, featuring songs with heavier tones.

"Obak Bhalobasha," the title track from the album was a big hit. This song was composed with soft melodic structures in a progressive way and is one of the earliest progressive rock songs in the history of Bangladesh. It was sung by Babna Karim (Warfaze's bassist), instead of their lead singer, Sunjoy. "Obak Bhalobasha" is one of the fewest hit songs recorded by the band which weren't sung by their lead singers. It is also one of the longest tracks recorded by Warfaze, spanning 8 minutes and 37 seconds.

After completing the album, Russel Ali left the band to start a music career in the United States later that year.

1996–1998

The band released the album Jibondhara in December 1996, with Sunjoy on vocals, Kamal on guitars, Babna on bass and vocals, Tipu on drums and guest keyboardist, Fuad played together on the same album. Ruchi joined as a guest backup vocalist. During the same period, Iqbal Asif Jewel joined as a guitarist and second vocalist from another rock band, Legend. Babna had to leave for his career and study in the U.S.A. and therefore he was replaced by Saidus Sumon who played for the Oshamajik album on 1 April 1998. After completing Oshamajik, Sunjoy left to pursue his career in 1999. [3] Around the same time, Sumon left the band to pursue a career both as a solo artist with his band Aurthohin.

Then Biju joined as a bassist, replacing Sumon. Iqbal Asif Jewel left the band to join Miles as well as Fuad Ibne Rabbi, who left for his career.

2001–2003

The band underwent many changes in line-up over the next eight years. Their guitarist Balam, replaced Iqbal Asif Jewel. [4] From 1999, Mizan replaced Sunjoy on vocals, Shams on keyboard and Biju on bass. Tipu and Kamal held their previous positions. This line-up released the album Alo আলো (Light) in 2001.

Warfaze Current Lineup 2023 Warfaze Current Lineup 2023 v3.jpg
Warfaze Current Lineup 2023

However, 2002 marked changes in the line-up once again with Mizan leaving the band for personal reasons and Kamal leaving the band for his personal and family issues. Kamal later joined Sumon's band Aurthohin in 2006. With Mizan's departure from the band, Balam took up vocal & guitar duties. Sazzad was recruited from Metal Maze as the lead guitarist replacing Kamal. Biju left the band to pursue higher education in Canada. All the while, throughout all these drastic changes, Tipu solely held the band together. Cézanne was then recruited as the bassist of the emerging progressive metal band Artcell. Later on, Balam departed to pursue a solo career as a commercial pop artist. [5] Kamal rejoined the band in 2007. The band recruited Oni Hasan from the band Vibe right after. This resulted in a major change in their tone and sound, with neoclassical metal influences especially in live performances.

2009

Following the release of a compilation album titled Poth Chola (sponsored by Nokia) which includes re-recorded versions of their songs along with a couple of new singles titled "Tomake" and "Omanush," the band began touring extensively. With a new and stable lineup since 2007 that had stayed together for almost more than 5 years then, the band went on to celebrate their silver jubilee at a gala concert, which featured performances from both past and present members of Warfaze at the Winter Garden, Hotel Sheraton, Dhaka. [6] Tipu announced that a live concert recording album was planned, along with a new studio album which later came out in 2012 titled Shotto.

The band continued to experiment with their sound with the release of a fusion album entitled Somorpon, merging elements of heavy metal with traditional Bangladeshi folk music as a tribute to Hason Raja, Lalon, and Baul Shah Abdul Karim working with Sumon's band Aurthohin and solo artist Habib Wahid. Warfaze tributed the songs of Lalon, Aurthohin tributed the songs of Hason Raja and Habib Wahid tributed the songs of Baul Shah Abdul Karim. [7]

2012-Present

Warfaze in 2023 Warfaze Current Lineup 2023 v2.jpg
Warfaze in 2023

Shotto was released on 21 October 2012 featuring the same line-up as in Poth Chola. The album was a huge commercial success with hit tracks like "Purnota" and "Rupkotha." The album also included an unreleased single from the early 2000s called "Protikkha." [8] [9] Later on Oni Hasan took a break for his studies in the United Kingdom and Kamal went through a series of surgeries and was recovering from them. With their absence, the band asked Faisal (from Metal Maze), Samir (from Powersurge), and Shrapnel Method to perform as guest members on live shows. [10] [ non-primary source needed ] With Oni playing lead guitar, the bands tone and sound significantly changed with Kamal's shredding and Oni's heavy groove metal riffs. He used to perform jaw-dropping dive bombs, whammy pedal uses, melodic fast arpeggiated solos with sweep picking.

At midnight on 13 February 2013, Warfaze performed at the Projonmo Chattar to show their support for the Shahbag protest in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in demand of capital punishment for Abdul Quader Mollah and all the other accused war criminals of the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh. It also marked the return of Kamal with his solos. [11] In late 2014, Oni Hasan left the band to pursue higher education. Warfaze performed their mega reunion Legacy Concert on 30 January 2015 to celebrate 30 years of music-making. The legacy concert took place at Gulnaksha Hall, International Convention City in Bashundhara Residential Area (ICCB), Dhaka. The celebration has brought together four of its past members – Babna Karim, Sunjoy, Balam, and Romel Ali along with their current line-up on stage. On 7 April 2016, the band announced that Mizan had left the band on their Facebook page. [12] [ non-primary source needed ] Later they announced Palash Noor as their new vocalist.

Currently, they are working on their upcoming compilation album 'Pothchola-2' which will include re-recorded versions of their songs like 'Alo' and 'Hariye Tomake.' [13]

Musical style and influences

The band has been consistently cited as an inspiration by most active heavy metal artists today in Bangladesh as one of the first bands to introduce metal to the people in their country. [2] The band used to play cover versions of bands like Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Scorpions, Guns N' Roses and Dokken, etc. in their early years. [2] Throughout their career, the band has experimented with multiple genres of rock and metal music

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

Mixed albums

Members

Present members

Past members

Timeline

Warfaze

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ayub Bachchu</span> Bangladeshi singer, musician, rockstar, guitarist and record producer

Ayub Bachchu was a Bangladeshi rock guitarist, composer, singer and songwriter, who was the founder of the Bangladeshi rock band Love Runs Blind and earned success as the lead singer and the lead guitarist of the band. He is considered as one of the greatest singers of all time in Bangladesh and a pop culture icon He was one of the pioneers of Bangladeshi pop music.

Black is a Bangladeshi alternative rock band formed in 1998 in Dhaka. It was originally formed by Jon Kabir, Mushfeque Jahan, and Tony Vincent (drums). They were soon joined by Mahmudul Karim Miraz, and in 2000, Tahsan Rahman Khan.

Aurthohin is a Bangladeshi rock band formed in Dhaka in 1998 by Saidus Sumon, Tonmoy Rahman, Ponir and Rumi Rahman. They are considered to be one of the pioneering band in Bangladeshi alternative rock music. The band were seen us revolutionary within the rock scene in Bangladesh due to singing in Bengali unlike most rock artists who perform in English. They have released 8 studio albums and also have appeared in some mixed albums. Though they were formed as a rock band they have experimented with genres like progressive metal and groove metal. Sumon's interests in slap bass also led the band's sound into funk-rock. Aurthohin currently holds a trio lineup of Saidus Khaled Sumon (Bass), Mark Don (Drums) & Mahaan Fahim (Guitars).

Ark is a Bangladeshi rock band formed in 1991 in Dhaka City by keyboardist Ashiquzzaman Tulu. The original founder members are Ashiquzzaman Tulu, Ridwan Nabi Pancham and Shamim. As of 2017, the band line-up re-consists of lead vocalist Syed Hasanur Rahman, keyboardist Tinku Azizur Rahman and drummer Hassan Towhidur Rahman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iqbal Asif Jewel</span> Musical artist

Iqbal Asif Jewel is a Bangladeshi singer, songwriter, guitarist, composer and producer. He is currently a member of the band Miles and Artcell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saidus Salehin Khaled Sumon</span> Musical artist

Saidus Salehin Khaled Sumon, popularly known by his nickname Bassbaba Sumon, is a Bangladeshi rock singer-songwriter, bass player, composer, music producer and founder of the Bangladeshi rock band Aurthohin. He is the band leader and spokesperson of Aurthohin since the beginning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arbovirus (band)</span>

Arbovirus is a Bangladeshi rock band formed in 2001 in Dhaka. They have released four Studio Albums, one EP, and twelve singles through various mixed albums.

Stentorian is a heavy metal band from Bangladesh formed in early 2001. Stentorian released one commercially successful album, Protimuhurtey, in 2005 and several commercially successful singles. Their most popular songs include "Adrissho Juddho", "Bishonno Adhaar", "Bidrohi", "Jolosrot", "Anubhuti", "Mone pore na" and most recently "Chhobi". Stentorian is regarded as one of the pioneers of the underground heavy metal music movement, which re-energized heavy metal in Bangladesh in this current decade. Stentorian is most notable for being led by Bangladeshi rock vocalists, Torsha Khan and Tanim Sufyani.

Bangladeshi rock music, or Bangla rock music, is a style of music in Bangladesh that is derived from British and American rock music, mixed with the Bengali classical and Adhunik musical styles from the 1960s. The genre was introduced in the 1960s by a few bands who began developing a distinctive rock sound. Bangladeshi rock is commonly divided into two categories: East Pakistan rock, and Bangladesh rock. From the 1970s to the 2000s, it was one of the nation's most popular musical genres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fuad al Muqtadir</span> Bangladeshi composer

Fuad Almuqtadir is a Bangladeshi-American composer and arranger widely known for defining the sound of new Bangla pop music in the 2000s and 2010s. Aside from his own albums, Fuad has also produced and launched the careers of Bangladeshi pop artists like Mila, Kona, Mala, Anila, Poonam, Topu, Upol, and many others.

De-illumination is a Bangladeshi metal band formed in October 2006 in Dhaka. Their debut album অনিবার্য (Inevitable) was released in 2010.

<i>Warfaze</i> (album) 1991 studio album by Warfaze

Warfaze is the debut album by Bangladeshi heavy metal band Warfaze. Warfaze is the self-titled debut album of pioneer Bangladeshi Heavy Metal band Warfaze. It was released from Sargam in 1991 in cassette format with a later CD release in the late '90s. The CD was also re-released by Sargam in 2008. The album featured hits like "Boshe Achhi", "Ekti Chhele", "Bichchhinno Abeg", "Shadhikhar" etc. and during that time, this sound was unheard of in the Bangladeshi band music scene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balam (singer)</span> Musical artist

Kazi Md. Ali Balam Jahangir, famously known as Balam, is a Bangladeshi singer, guitarist, composer, and music producer. He was born in Dhamaron village in Tongibari Upazila of Munshiganj (Bikrampur) district. He used to be the lead guitarist/vocalist for the band Warfaze. Later he introduced himself as a solo singer.

Ibrahim Ahmed Kamal is a Bangladeshi guitarist, songwriter and producer. He is the lead guitarist and the founder of the heavy metal band Warfaze. He has been the band's guitarist and composer for three decades.

Bangladeshi heavy metal or Bangla heavy metal was originated from the evolution of British and American heavy metal bands of the 1980s. Bands like Iron Maiden, Metallica and Megadeth have had the greatest influences on Bangladeshi heavy metal musicians. Other 1970s bands to influence are bands like Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Motörhead. The first bands to play heavy metal in Bangladesh were bands like Warfaze and Rockstrata. The most prominent era for heavy metal movement was between the early 1990s to early 2000s. Warfaze, Rockstrata, Aces and in Dhaka are often considered as the "big four founders of heavy metal". Other 2000s metal bands are bands like Artcell, Aurthohin, Cryptic Fate, Powersurge, Mechanix, Metal Maze, Vibe and Stentorian. Alternative bands like Nemesis, Arbovirus and Black also played some alternative metal songs over the years. Warfaze, Artcell and Aurthohin together are the most popular rock/metal trio of Bangladesh.

<i>Icche Ghuri</i> 2006 studio album by Shironamhin

Ichchhe Ghuri is the second album by the Bengali psychedelic rock band Shironamhin. G-Series released the album on 1 May 2006 in the Bangladesh.

Prince Mahmud is a Bangladeshi popular lyricist, composer and music director. He has been writing and composing songs for solo and joint albums of band artists in Bangladesh since the 90's. Multiple songs written and composed by him have gained wide popularity. His mixed album ‘Shakti’ (1995) propelled his journey as a composer of mixed albums, which immediately garnered him a massive success Including solo, dual and mixed 'Nimantran' is his 40th album.

Nagar Baul is a Bangladeshi rock band that was founded in Chittagong in 1977 by Kumar Bishwajit. The band is considered to be one of the pioneers of rock and blues music in the country in Bangladesh. The frontman of the band, James, is referred to as the Guru of Rock as a mark of respect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheikh Monirul Alam Tipu</span> Musical artist

Sheikh Monirul Alam Tipu is a Bangladeshi musician, known as a rhythm composer, drummer, lyricist, and music producer. He is best known as the co-founder and Band Leader of Warfaze, a popular heavy metal and rock band from Bangladesh. Tipu has been with Warfaze for a year since its formation in 1986, providing drums play, percussion play, and rhythm composition for all eight of the band's music albums. He is also known for playing in the band “Pentagon” and “Winning” which garnered huge success. He served as the General Secretary of Bangladesh Musical Bands' Association (BAMBA) until November 2020 and has since held the position of Vice President which he still holds currently. He is also a Business Entrepreneur who is running an Advertising Agency named Carnival in Bangladesh. He was also the Partner & Production Director of Ektaar Music from 2001–2005. Later, he received an invitation from the National Skill Development Authority (NSDA) which is a Bangladesh government agency under the Prime Minister's Office responsible for developing policies to build a skilled force for different sectors of labor. Afterward, in 2018 he was given the prestigious role of director for the Creative Media Industries Skill Council Limited (CMISCL) which is an affiliated organization of the NSDA, that was reestablished in 2021. In 2020 he started a record label called Loy Records which was launched officially in December 2021 with the prime intention to promote and cultivate young talents of the country whilst encouraging them to find their own path through music so they can represent their country internationally. On 10 December 2021, he started his new journey with his own record label called "Loyy Records"

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vibe (Bangla band)</span> Heavy metal/alternative rock band

Vibe was a heavy metal/alternative rock band from Dhaka, Bangladesh. It was formed in 2001 but is no longer active since 2007.

References

  1. ↑ "Warfaze Biography". banglamusic.com. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 "In conversation with Warfaze". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 16 June 2010. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
  3. ↑ "Face to Face with Sumon". banglamusic.com. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
  4. ↑ "Balam 2 Bangla Music Album". banglamusic.com. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
  5. ↑ "Interview with Balam". banglamusic.com. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
  6. ↑ "Warfaze: 29 Years and Still Going Strong". The Daily Star.
  7. ↑ "Banglalink launches folk album Shomorpon today". The Daily Sun. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  8. ↑ "Warfaze's Shotto in Banglalink Music Station". AmaderGaan.com . Retrieved 28 March 2013.
  9. ↑ "Warfaze's New Album 'Shotto'". AmaderGaan.com . Retrieved 28 March 2013.
  10. ↑ "Warfaze Official Facebook Page" . Retrieved 18 February 2013– via Facebook.
  11. ↑ "Spotlight: What Fuels a Revolution". The Daily Star. 1 March 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
  12. ↑ "Warfaze's Facebook Page" . Retrieved 7 April 2016– via Facebook.
  13. ↑ "Warfaze re-releases Alo". The Business Standard. 12 August 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.