Metalcore band Melodrama: (From left) Augustine (bass), Among Jinger (lead), Nungsang Jamir (vocals) and Wapang (drums). (Photo courtesy: Benjamin Sugathan)
Morung Express Feature
Dimapur | January 4
In-your-face, delirious Nu-Metal music players- that was the old Melodrama. Take it from the boys themselves- Melodrama has evolved to a new sound. A sound that will be heard when the original head bangers of Death Metal Music release their much awaited EP album this year!
Melodrama with Imlinungsang on vocals, Among on lead, Augustine on bass, and Wapangtemjen on drums are no strangers to the music circuit. The band formed in the year 2007, and has since been gushing out a unique sound of metal music for the music junkies. Taking a literal stance on its band name, Melodrama on stage tells stories though their song, replacing acting with head bangs, while brandishing a megaphone.
“Melodrama has gone mellow with less drama”. Drop that bomb and the band shifts uncomfortably in their seats. “Every jam session, our music has been changing. There’s a constant shift in our music and it’s forever evolving,” the boys said and attributes this to the fact that the band-mates have different music tastes. “We listen to different music and we try to make music out of it” explain the boys. The band had also hit some rough patches, with few members of the band and management having to part ways.
Melodrama ideology apparently is not to put a specific pressure on one certain thing. Take it from the rockers mouth. “It’s blending the old with the new. Basically we are Nu Metal by norms. With all due respect we have everything Deep Purple had back in the 70s, just newer and fewer,” Nungsang laughingly adds.
“We have own technique and style and that we believe sets us apart. Over all its just keeping up with time and discovering new things. So in practicality our music is imply staying new and fresh and true to Rock n Roll” Melodrama states.
One thing that Melodrama won’t be changing is their trademark original compositions. Nungsang said that original compositions gave the band identity. “If you are truly a musician you should have your own original. Wapang said that “If you play covers you are just imitating the band”. However, Nungsang counters that performing covers are not a waste saying it is also a good exercise on your skills.
In an exclusive interview with The Morung Express, Melodrama band minus their latest band member- Augustine (bassist) admit that when the band started it was “completely death metal music”. Fans of these hard grooving youngsters should expect to gain eight to nine songs, each completely different from the other from their impending album.
The Early Beginnings: Melodrama begun when a group of music loving friends got together assembled instruments and just played music. Young and loving music, Melodrama band members listens to a varied genre of music thus resulting in a “Hybrid-metal’ project leading to a couple of gigs in local music joints. Their first taste of real metal taste came at “Campus Rock Idol”, a National Level Beat Contest in 2009.
On the name ‘Melodrama’: The boys are synonymous with their band name ‘Melodrama’. With identical clothes which they prefer to call as ‘uniforms’, and long hair, the boys look very much the part on stage and off. But it was after long, serious debate that the name was finally settled on. What Melodrama fans might not know is that the name was bestowed upon by a teacher of a band-mate.
The rock star life: Melodrama has struggled. Wapang recounts how the band has often skipped breakfast, lunch and dinner and still got up on stage and blazed it afire. He also reveals that the band is still struggling despite being receiving recognition. “Still we have not given up,” he says and adds that the band feels the most alive when it’s on stage.
Nungsang however lays it down to rest by stating simply, “It’s very simple, if you are passionate about music, nothing can stop you”.
What’s on Melodrama Playlist: Nungsang listens to Marilyn Manson, Prodigy. Among is always listening to Dream Theater, 30 Seconds to Mars, Linking Park, Evanescence, Joe Satriani, while Wapang grooves to Lil Wayne, and for his drumming inspiration he turns to Slipknot.
Most memorable show till date: Among and Nungsang lists the performance at Campus Rock Idol Hyderabad 2009 as the most memorable. For Wapang, it was the Handshake Concert at Bangalore. Nungsang chooses the song “Melodrama” as his most favorite, while Wapang picks “Metal Comic” and Among “Ego Technology”.
On treating music as a profession: Like many, many, many youth in Nagaland who opt for music and survive on bare strings, Melodrama faced opposition from parents and the like. “Our parents all say music cannot feed your stomach. It can’t sustain you. We need to open doorways for others, for the upcoming generations. We want to prove them wrong” said the boys passionately.
Melodrama take on being role models to youth: If we do a slight mistake also people point it out. We should definitely be aware about what we do on stage and off stage.
Melodrama shout out to fans: “Nagas are very talented, but we learn music through listening to others, which is a good thing. But it’s very good to have degrees in music so that in future if you want to take music as a profession, it will be beneficial. I encourage aspiring musicians to go for music degrees” says Wapang. “Do not be discouraged with the current music scenario in Nagaland. Keep supporting us always,” says Among.
