Hailing from the coastal city of Visakhapatnam, India, Against Evil has been making waves in the global heavy metal scene with their powerful riffs, anthemic choruses, and old-school-meets-modern sound. Since their formation in 2014, the quartet has carved out a niche for themselves as one of India’s most electrifying heavy metal acts. Blending elements of traditional and power metal with a fresh energy, they’ve earned critical acclaim for albums like Fatal Assault and End of the Line. With their music resonating with fans across the globe and their relentless passion for the genre, Against Evil is proving that heavy metal knows no borders. We had the opportunity to chat the band to talk about their journey, influences, and what lies ahead.

Interview

TheNwothm: Happy new year Against Evil! Can you introduce the band and where you are from?

A.E: Thanks, and a very happy new year to you too! We have Siri on vocals & bass guitar, Sravan on vocals & rhythm guitar, Noble John on drums and myself Shasank on lead guitar.

TheNwothm: Can you tell us a bit about how Against Evil came together as a band?

A.E: We all live in the same city (Visakhapatnam) where there is no metal scene and there are only a handful of us listening to this music which is how we all got to know each other. We initially played rock and metal cover songs for a few years and then decided to write our own music.

TheNwothm:  How did you decide on the name Against Evil, and what does it represent to you?

A.E: There is no particular reason behind choosing the band name. We picked it cause it sounds cool and wasn’t already taken! But later when we wrote a few songs which were about war, injustice, etc. we thought it connected well with the band name and went with it.

TheNwothm: Were there any specific bands or artists that inspired you when you first formed Against Evil?

A.E: Definitely the classic heavy metal bands like Judas Priest, Accept, Dio, Iron Maiden and thrash bands like Megadeth, Metallica, etc. 

TheNwothm: Heavy metal often tackles strong themes—how do topics like society, war, and politics shape your music?

A.E: Our music is never influenced by any particular theme. We always write the riffs as they come and then let the overall vibe and feeling of the instrumental guide us in deciding the lyrical themes.

TheNwothm: Let us talk about your musical journey. How do you feel about your early releases? Do you remember much about creating those songs?

A.E: Absolutely! We remember it like it was yesterday and we are still as proud about those songs as we were on the day we wrote them.

Your debut full-length album “All Hail the King” was released in 2018—what did that album mean for the band’s growth?

A.E: This album definitely laid the foundation for the band and presented us with lots of opportunities, mainly our signing with “Doc Gator Records” which put us on the European map and later paved the way to touring.

TheNwothm: When you are not making kickass heavy metal, what do you do in your spare time? 

A.E: We all have boring day jobs/businesses that take up most of our time!

TheNwothm: In the past few years you have been very musically active putting out not only a live album in 2020 but also two full lengths in 2021 and 2024? Where did that huge creative spark come from?

A.E: It mostly comes from the passion we have for this genre of music and also the energy from the fans – Their response to our songs, live shows is what makes us go back home and write more awesome songs.

TheNwothm: What can you tell us about your live album and the decision to create one?

A.E: If you’re talking about the live acoustic album that we’ve released in 2019, then that was totally experimental. We played a few acoustic shows during our 2019 European tour and everyone said they enjoyed the unplugged renditions of our songs. So, when we got back home, we decided to record but do it live together to recreate the same vibe and feel from the tour for those who missed those acoustic shows.

TheNwothm: From your album “End of the Line” and your most recent release “Give Em Hell” can you tell readers your favourite tracks and some of the stories behind them?

A.E: I don’t really have any favorites to be honest and like every song equally. If I have to pick a few then maybe “Speed Demon”, “Out for Blood” from End of the Line and “Give ‘Em Hell”, “Full Speed Ahead” from the latest album. These songs are also really fun to play live.

TheNwothm: And if someone was listening to the band for the first time which tracks would you tell them to listen to first?

A.E: Probably start with the title track of our latest album “Give ‘Em Hell”. I think that song perfectly captures and represents the overall sound of the band which we’d like to call “Fist pumping, bone crushing heavy metal”

TheNwothm: So what are you new years resolutions for 2025?

A.E: Continue writing more awesome heavy metal songs and touring as much as possible.

TheNwothm: What has been your most memorable live performance so far? And are there any bands you would like to share a stage with?

A.E: Probably “Turock Open Air” in 2019 which was the very first open-air show for us. It was amazing playing in front of thousands of metal fans and sharing the stage with bands like Riot V and Queensryche. If we ever get the opportunity, it would be awesome to play with bands like Judas Priest, Accept, Iron Maiden, Megadeth who are our main inspirations.

TheNwothm: Thinking ahead what are your touring plans looking like for the year

A.E: We will be touring Europe from the end of April till mid-May. We have announced some shows already and are working on the remaining dates. This tour will be a special one as it marks the tenth anniversary of the band and we can’t wait to celebrate it on the road with all our friends and fans, without whom none of this would have been possible.

TheNwothm: Musically, what is next? 

A.E: We always keep writing and recording ideas, but we don’t have any release plans yet. We’ve just put out an album less than a year ago and we would like to continue promoting it and playing more songs live. 

TheNwothm: What advice would you give to aspiring heavy metal bands in India and beyond?

A.E: Not much! Just keep following your passion and go with the flow! 

TheNwothm: Where can fans buy your music and merch?

A.E: You can check out our Bandcamp page (https://againstevil.bandcamp.com) or if you live in Europe, you can also check out the Doc Gator Records store (https://www.docgator.shop/en)

TheNwothm: Anything else you would like to mention?

A.E: Firstly, thanks a lot for taking the time to do this interview. For the readers, if you are into classic/traditional heavy metal music with a little bit of thrash and speed metal blended in, then please do check out our music which is available on all major platforms. If you like the music and would like to support us, then you can do so by picking up a copy of our album or shirts from the links above. If you live in Europe, then we will be touring from the last week of April till about mid-may so come on down if you get a chance. You can follow us on our socials for more info and updates.