metalcracker.com

Yes,I know that’s an eyebrow raiser,but honestly,if you watch it with an open mind,and listen as a musician,you are going to like it.It’s not an officially released record but a Channel [V] Advertisement.Played with two electric eight string Sitars,backed by a Veena and Tabla,this cover of the  Guns ‘N’ Roses’ legendary chart topper,is definitely not metal,but it is one of those rare occasions where absurdity not only makes sense but goes along with world class master pieces. 

When it comes to this type of miscellaneous music,being the offspring of two very different genres,there is a risk of being approved by neither group of fans.In this special case,this not metal at all,and a professional Carnatic musician might call this not Carnatic enough.In any case,to the best of my knowledge,Carnatic music-like metal-never really received the credit it deserves as a form of serious art.So one might say that it is a perfect combination after all.

Guns ‘N’ Roses,as far as I am concerned,were never metal band.I would call Guns ‘N’ Roses “straight in the face,good hard rock”.G.N.R frontman Axl Rose,when questioned about sharing common ground with NWOBHM band the mighty Iron Maiden,clearly stated “I hope not”.But at the same time,”G.N.R appealed to all the sections,there was enough glam about them for the girls to love what they were doing,there was enough street-wise attitude and hard riffing for the metal fans……..they covered all the bases without realising it”,as Malcolm Dome commented to VH1-Rock Docs.Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich referred to Axl Rose as “danger personified”.So clearly G.N.R was not a hardcore metal band,but they were a  band who played serious hard rock.

Carnatic music,on the other hand,has also had its share of fusion along with commercialised music.Though I personally do not consider many of these commercial fusion acts as artistes,it brought Carnatic music to light,in a way it was never expected to come out.

One other thing Carnatic musicians share in common with G.N.R,and Rock artistes,is the big hair-do.As I said earlier G.N.R was not hair metal at all,but long hair has always been a part of rock and roll,and it will always be.So apart from skilled technical playing there’s more common factors between metal and Carnatic music.

This blog post is not written with the intention of provoking humour,it was not a review(you can’t really review an Ad!!!) but one good example of what true rock and roll can be sculpted into.It is “the” single genre of which the classical roots are so obvious,where the instruments are played with an extremely technical manner.After all they did a Carnatic version of Sweet Child O’ Mine,what more is left to say?