Based in Kolkata (India), MUSTANG not only pedals but also embodies trad and Speed Metal with deep and unwavering dedication. The high-octane Metal group was formed in 2015 and has been a fixture of local shows since 2018. In 2019, the Indian unit played their first overseas show at Thrashmandu 2 in Nepal. 

MUSTANG’s turbocharged, speedy singles (“Terror Striker” and “Black Steel”) and live clips received global recognition from the global Metal community, including legendary personalities like Bryan Patrick of Manilla Road, John Gallagher of Raven, Allan Johnson of Exciter, as well as modern-day torchbearers like Enforcer, Solicitor and Claymorean.

On their debut album, “Beyond Raging Thunder”, MUSTANG expands beyond their previous Speed Metal territory, ultimately delivering an all-encompassing package for all classic Metal enthusiasts. The album, which includes eight originals alongside an intro and a cover of Judas Priest’s “Ram it Down,” has lightning-fast Speed Metal furies, stormy sing-along bangers, solo-driven trad Metal fuels, and even soul-stirring ballads. At the same time, MUSTANG equally prioritizes the impact of memorable and vigorous songwriting. “We aimed for leaving a long-lasting effect on the mind of every listener,” says the band. 

MUSTANG’s debut record boasts not only sonic dynamism but also exciting narratives. “The album title, ‘Beyond Raging Thunder,’ itself gives the audience a prospect to get lost in the magical realm beyond this daily mundane life, inviting them to chase the crystal raindrops and rainbows”, informs the Indian group. MUSTANG names one of their tracks “Sapphire”, following in the footsteps of legendary bands like Kiss and Thin Lizzy, who have similarly named their songs “Black Diamond” and “Emerald”, respectively, after precious stones. The inspiration for another track, “Queen of Red Light”, comes from Iron Maiden’s “Charlotte the Harlot” and “22 Acacia Avenue”, two songs that deeply fascinated MUSTANG’s vocalist Arijit. Additionally, “Realm of Madness” pays tribute to the late John Patrick Jr. McDonald (aka MIDNIGHT) of Crimson Glory, who is considered a significant inspiration to the MUSTANG vocalist.

MUSTANG’s journey as an underground Metal band from Kolkata has not been without setbacks, but they refused to let adversity take over. Self-financing the album was one of their major challenges, and they also encountered difficulty in producing and engineering. Nevertheless, for production, vocalist Arijit Dutta teamed up with Jan Loncik, who has worked on TRAVELER’s first two albums and RIOT CITY’s Burn the Night. Loncik mixed MUSTANG’s album at Rich Hobo Studios in Calgary, Canada, and it was mastered by Dennis Koehne of Dortmund, Germany, who has worked with bands such as Sodom, Exumer, Lacuna Coil, and Orden Ogan. 

MUSTANG will promote their debut album by performing extensively in India and South Asia while also exploring opportunities in the Western market, where they have already built a dedicated following. 

In July 2023, MUSTANG signed a worldwide deal with Fighter Records for the release of the band’s debut album “Beyond Raging Thunder” which will be released in September 7^th.

Review

01. The intro track to the album Odyssey simply sent chills down my spine. Imagine its the opening of the show and the stage is smokey, blacked out with fluttering strobes. The deep dark drone sounds make the room rumble while the light and gentle synth keys echo out into the space around you. The low but present ocean/storm sounds create a nice bed while a lead breaks through the mix scaling away. I am curious what will come next!

02. Children of Thunder comes in with a crack of thunder, the stomping of kick drums and epic vocal woahs. Blended in are the sounds of big drawn chords and singing lead licks. Then, out of the blue we get some good old epic metal high pitched screams. Fast ripping guitar work comes flying in smoking hot and keeps the pace fast and fierce. The vocals are sizzling on this bed of metal throughout. And if you listen carefully there is some light synth work in the background in the track. An interesting track to properly kick of the album!

03. Cosmic Rage takes you to outer space with not only more obscure sounds but more thunderous shred and vocals ideas that could easily raise the hairs on the back of your neck! The song tears along at the speed of light with solos that break the sound barrier!

04. The slower number for most of the time, Queen of Red Light is up next and as soon as i heard the opening lick to this song I thought, damn this is hot! The opening riff is sexy and seductive backed by a dirty, bouncing bass line and a carefree, hard drum beat. Instantly the song had my attention. I love that in comparison to the previous two numbers the song has more punch, more control. It has attitude and power and the vocal delivery makes me think slightly of Stevens style from Sabre at times. And even when it hits the faster section for the supercharged solo its done in such a great fashion. A great song!

05. Ram it Down (Judas Priest cover) is an interesting addition to the bands album but who does not love a bit of Judas Priest! Of course the band give you their own take of this but I will let you have your own opinion of this!

06. Realm of Madness drifts in with the haunting sounds of acoustic guitars. Longing for something or someone to answer to its sadness. A lead lick sings out before we introduced by searching vocals that are low and and mostly quiet. I was surprised by a weird child like vocal section which felt out of place. Luckily this was brief as we were so thrown into some fast madness! The rest of the track is an unusual concoction of ideas that bounce between slow moving acoustic guitar ideas and all out epic sections that are a force to be reckoned with. The title of the track fits the song perfectly as it is pretty mad. I am not sure what to think of this as it some great ideas but feels gets a little lost a moments.

07. Electric Ecstacy is up next and your mind will be lit up by the rays of moonlight while you float in the heavens! I must say I have come to the conclusion that by this track, the 7th of the album, Mustang are a very unusual breed of heavy metal band indeed. This track is a bold concoction of heavy metal and airy synth pads. At moments its an overload and the unexpected noises of intimacy left me unsure of what to think. Electric Ecstasy is bold and daring and shows a band that is still clearly finding itself.

08. Voyager takes us to sea side pulling us back to the slower pacing that was found in the song Queen of Red Light. It’s a more simple and edgy song with a mix of acoustics and raw guitars that carry us through this number. Like the music the vocals are not as wild as previous tracks but still retain the Mustang vocal sound. It has some lead ideas but the song does not stand out as much as others.

09. Terror Striker enters with a big old strike of a church bells and an eerie atmosphere, that brings gloom, howls and the feeling of being on edge. Then the music comes at you with a beast of a guitar riff! I can see this song being huge at the bands shows, giving fans plenty of opportunities to head bang and throw the horns! There are thrashy beats at times which throws something new into the mix and even the vocals at some extra flavour! The solo in this song is scorching. Thats all I will say on that one! Killer

10. Sapphire closes what has been a rollercoaster of an album. It comes in gentle on the ears with the soothing sounds of sweet oohs and loving acoustic guitar notes. Theres passion and heartfelt feeling present here that is warming and comforting. More synth notes add to the atmosphere and as the song introduces the colourful and electric sounds of heroic guitars you get this uplifting feeling. A fuzziness run through your body! I was expecting a high speed track to close but this song was a welcome end note.

Conclusion

I love the fact that more and more acts are emerging from India. With the likes of Kryptos already leading the way, the future is bright for Indian heavy metal! Mustang is one these new bands that have a bright future ahead of them! Their debut album is unquestionably a worthy and strong effort!

This 10 track album shows off a band that is finding their sound and are not afraid to be brave, bold and daring. It’s one hell of a journey that has electricity and winds of fire that come at you raging. There are the epic metal screams that will shatter glass, guitar licks that are faster than the speed of sound, synths that will take you beyond the stars and all the heavy metal cheese you could want. It has strong moments which outweigh its weak moments and moments that are questionable. However with time I can see this band evolving into a powerhouse and a force to be reckoned with! Give Mustang a go and see if you are as metal as they are!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mustangindia666

Bandcamp: https://mustangindia.bandcamp.com/

Fighter Records: https://www.facebook.com/fighter.records

THENWOTHM SCORE: 8/10