Interview / Kasck

Kasck! Here we are finally, a good 9 months have passed since I saw you guys perform at Wacken. How has the ride been since then, what's the thrash trio been up to?

Mayank: Hey Saurabh! Yeah, 9 months have passed already, time flies man. Before I answer your question, I just want to thank Decibel Warfare for doing this and really helping push the metal movement forward, so thanks a lot from all of us! Yes, 9 months since the Wacken performance, we’ve been busy since then. Lots of highs but some lows as well. To elaborate- We had to cancel our Eurasia tour which was scheduled in October 2024. And soon after that we parted ways with our previous drummer, Saurabh. We found Rahul immediately after that and we’ve been playing live with him ever since, Outrage Festival Delhi being his first show with us, where we played with some Indian metal giants like, Bloodywood, Godless, Amorphia and many more. So that was a memorable moment for us and then we played at Sandstorm Metal Festival Dubai, where we played as a duo because Vishal had fallen ill at the very last moment. Fun times! Oh and almost forgot Bangalore Open Air 2025, which was a dream come true literally  and other few shows that we played in India. Currently, we are recording new material, new album this year. Look out everyone!!

That's quite a lot! Looks like you guys have been busy. Before we get into the meatier stuff, tell us a bit about the band, your journey, what got you into metal and what keeps you ticking.

Mayank: We started this band back when we were still in high school, not many people were into metal where we come from, so naturally every metalhead musician sort of knew the others. That’s how we got jamming and soon after we started writing our own material and I remember coming up with a riff out of nowhere and I knew, this is the band for me.  You will hear that riff in our upcoming full length.  And then it’s been a journey ever since.

And is there a story behind the band name?

Mayank: To make this brief, we tried many names before this but apparently they all were taken by some other band in some part of the world. Then we decided to keep a name which should be unique and should be used just by us. One day while browsing the internet I came across Cask and I did the most obvious thing ever, I changed the ‘C’ to ‘K’...Yeah real original haha. So that’s how KASCK came to life.

Full marks on keeping it simple, for sure haha. Let’s talk about metal back home. What's the Indian metal scene like these days? There seem to be a lot of metalcore bands now. How is Thrash fairing in the motherland?

Mayank: Let's just be real here, Metalcore has always been there in India, as far as I know, a lot of big names early in the days were metalcore,. Not saying that it's bad to be a metalcore band but it's no thrash man, come on! Haha. But metal in India has all kinds of bands and fans, some of the biggest bands today are Death Metal, Heavy Metal, Grind, Thrash Metal bands. You will find every kind of band in India today, the number might be small but they are here, I don’t know if that makes sense to you?

Vishal: Thrash is here to stay and we are putting together some new material for our fans out there. We are here to make sure Thrash stays in its pure form.

The metal industry has changed over the years, hasn’t it? A decade or so ago metal acts in India struggled to make money out of touring or making music. I guess that's how it is the world over now but metal is now  more widespread back home. When I spoke with Sahil (Demonic Resurrection) back in 2023 he'd said that there are so many live acts these days for people to choose from and in a good way that's led to the music industry back home becoming more professional and in line with the international scene. Has that made things a bit easier for new bands to get a foot in and survive?

Mayank: Yes and No. Certainly it’s much easier these days because everybody has the “knowledge” now because of the internet.  And everything is so transparent (at least all the things which can be). But at the same, this leads to an increase in the competition too.  And let’s face it, in the end it's a competition to grab your audience’s attention or else they have a million other options to choose from. Surviving or making a living just by playing metal, being an Indian band? Uh…. not quite there yet, of course you can argue that there are bands doing that, but a very few bands. Although I feel we will reach there pretty soon, a lot of International bands are also realizing how big of a market India is.  So, let’s see, the metal scene has survived so long with or without the money.

Now, let's go back a couple of years, because we need to talk about Wacken 2024. Tell us how it was at BoA and competing to perform at Wacken.

Mayank: You were there at Wacken! You know how it went haha! We had the time of our lives man, a dream come true and beyond. I am sure we all as kids used to watch that stage on YouTube or some videos AND finally getting there to play, unreal! And Beyond grateful! To get to Wacken we had to compete in two rounds here in India, first the regional round and then the National. The competition was tough as many great bands participated, to be honest, we didn’t even think that we had a chance when we first registered for the competition. But as the competition came closer we knew what we had to do, so we did what we do the best, which is, KICK ASS. And it worked, haha!

And getting to the Holy land? The bus ride is something else, isn't it?

Vishal: The air smelled great. It hit us hard when we laid our feet on the Holy Land. That feeling was surreal, a feeling of anxiousness and excitement. I remember slapping the drummer on the back and saying “Dude, we made it!” We got there only because of the drive, passion and the grit to win!

How did you guys find the crowd at Wacken? Wasn't Thomas Jensen there backstage when you guys were doing your sound check?

Mayank: It was great, the way the crowd responded, it felt like home. You were there in the mosh pit! It was wild man! Lot of known faces too in the crowd and some Indian flags, whoa, that was something else altogether! We did meet Thomas multiple times throughout the weekend, but not sure if he was backstage during our soundcheck. It’s a different energy backstage, while setting up the gear or even backstage I only look towards the band or the techs if they have to say something, otherwise there are a lot of distractions backstage.

That was a pretty intense mosh pit. I remember I had to come out after maybe a minute.

Vishal: We saw the circle forming and trust me – Goosebumps!!! We’ve seen large crowds during festivals but the only difference this time was that WE were the ones on stage. Again, the moment was magical watching the crowd go wild as we ripped through some of our fast tracks. The energy was uplifting. The air was great, the weather was just perfect. The experience was so unreal. A very proud moment in our lives.

One question that's on everyone's mind when it comes to Wacken is how is the Band camping area, do you guys get to stay near the big boys? And did you guys get any tips from them?

Mayank: We camped in the VIP area, and yes, we DID meet a lot of big boys near the Green rooms or at the catering area. I remember Nergal just driving by on his electric scooter near the Green rooms, it was a funny and surreal moment. Also caught Mark from Accept as he was on his way to do some laundry, what a gentleman! Met a lot of other legends in the area.

Vishal: There was a lot to learn, right from how to compose ourselves. We were representing our country! That sunk in too deep and we spoke with confidence, not starstruck really. But of course, we got to shake hands with legends like Gaahl, Uli Jon Roth, Testament guys, Amon Amarth guys, Opeth guys and many more. Which we thought would remain a wish/dream.

And what did you eat at Wacken dude? The place has become bloody expensive and there's only so much 'Pommes Frites' you can eat. My favorite was the Wacken Nacken, best 9 Euros spent.

Vishal: We were largely on a liquid diet. The beer was refreshing. Kidding. We ate at the artist catering area. The buffet was extraordinary. We are not too fussy about food. Anything goes, as long as there is this madness and burning desire to keep going. We developed stronger legs at the end of the festival.

And how is 2025 looking for you guys?

Mayank: Lots of things planned and in the work,  we can’t tell you all of them but we can disclose the release of our new full length album.

Alright, time for a few quick fire questions before we close this. What's your favorite band?

Mayank: Metallica

Vishal: Slayer

Rahul: Decapitated

A concert you enjoyed watching the most?

Mayank: Testament, KK’s Priest, Korn, Scorpions, all at Wacken. Playing- a lot of em, probably our first show after our first release, that was an intense show.

What is the most insane moshpit?

Mayank: Wacken again for Testament or Kreator at Bangalore 2024.

Your influences?

Mayank: From old school: Metallica, Exodus, Judas Priest, Slayer, Carcass, and a lot more. New wave: Havok, Power Trip, Suicidal Angels and a lot more)

If you could play with any band, who would that be?

Mayank: Metallica, Metallica, and of course, Metallica.

Wacken or Hell Fest?

Vishal: Wacken again

Mayank: I’d say Hellfest because I need to be there asap and we have to play there too.

Favourite Indian Band?

Mayank: Can’t just name one man Godless, Amorphia, Gutslit, Kryptos, Chaos, DR and lot more.

An Indian metal band that you need to get onto your playlist; besides Kasck, of course?

There are so many good bands in India right now, not just the big names in the scene but bands from some smaller towns/cities are equally good or even better at times, sometimes they just don’t get the attention they deserve. So many good thrash metal, death metal and even black metal bands in our country. But If you put a gun to my head, at this moment the band that we enjoy the most- Amorphia they are just too good live! 

Alright, that’s it for now. It’s been a blast watching your set at Wacken and talking to you guys. Hope you get to play at Hellfest soon and can’t wait for your new songs. Till then, stay metal!