By Prasanta Phukon
Dymbur, the Folk Metal band from Shillong has been one of the best known experimental metal bands not just in the North East of India but in the entire country as well. With original scores and a mix of progressive and experimental metal, the band has climbed the charts rapidly since its inception in 2012. From distorted guitars, emphatic rhythms, dense bass-and-drum sound, and vigorous vocals, this time the band has added a few Khasi traditional instruments for their new single named ‘Rape Culture’ surprising their fans with a rather sensitive issue; an experiment very few metal bands would undertake. Since the single’s release on November 11th, it has caught the attention of various music reviewers globally on social media and as a result, the band has been rising on the charts of listeners in various genres, rapidly.
According to the band, the new single Rape Culture is an attempt to raise awareness on the 
rape crisis that is prevalent in the country. With the country’s capital Delhi often being termed as ‘The Rape Capital of The Nation’, Dymbur realized that it was high time this particular issue was addressed and raise awareness through music; in the form of a metal song. The song narrates the plight of rape survivors citing examples of Nirbhaya and Asifa alongside other fictional characters, with the main objective being to send a strong message to society.
“Rape is a serious crisis in the country and we hope that this song brings about awareness on the subject matter and result in positive changes”- says Mayson, bassist of the band. The single also showcases Khasi Traditional Instruments like the Ka Duitara, Ka Mieng, Ka Bom, 
Ka Shaw Shaw indicating the band’s shift towards folk metal, which they term as ‘Khasi Thraat Folk Metal’.
Restricted by a limited budget, the band, under the guidance of their Director, Aditya Vishwanath, sought permission to shoot at the studio of St. Anthony’s College. This helped the band and its members find a production technique that proved to be cost effective, and yet still looked professional and appealing to the public. In fact, most of the cast in the video were friends of the band members who were more eager to help for the cause.
The entire audio recording, mixing and mastering, as well as video editing was done by Cornelius Kharsyntiew at Legato Studio, Shillong. This was the first song where live drums were recorded. The band also informed that henceforth all of Dymbur’s songs will have live drumming. The single is produced by Andreas Nathaniel War, the band’s new guitarist.
With the onset of the pandemic, the biggest setback in the music industry has been faced by live performing bands. For the band, it was a double whammy, as two of the band’s members Mayson Dkhar and Andreas, who also is the proprietor of a local business, got infected with the virus which led to Andreas losing his father and two of his senior staff members in the same month. However, in time, the two band members recovered.
Though the pandemic put a stop to all their gigs and performances, they used that time to redesign the band.”The lockdown gave us an opportunity to work on our new sound and upcoming album” says Cornelius.
Dymbur’s last live performance was in Kolkata. The band also stated that they would be ready to take to the stage by July or August in the following year, after the release of their second album.
“For now, the band’s main objective is to push the band’s name and influence abroad. It would be a huge challenge right now, so we are exploring various marketing strategies to reach a wider audience” says Cornelius.
In other developments, Dymbur also has three new members joining in, with former vocalist Julian Andrew Lyngdoh having been replaced by Lancaster Mawthoh of Natura and drummer Achugra B. Sangma replaced by Sain Shullai from Disturbed of Malice. Furthermore, guitarist Andreas Nathaniel War of Project Blend Ltd has joined the band as their second guitarist making it a quintet effectively. Guitarist Cornelius Kharsyntiew and bassist Mayson Dkhar are now the only two original remaining members of the band.
“The experience has been really great with these new members in the band. This was a much needed change since we wanted to change our sound and the direction we’re heading to. We have a great chemistry together with the new members. The vibe and atmosphere at the studio during our pre-production and band rehearsal sessions has been great. We are all dedicated musicians and the best part is that we all have the same mindset, the same goals. We are more like a family” said Cornelius and Mayson.
After the success of their album ”The Legend of Thraat” that fetched various nominations in the Rocka Rolla Music 2021 Awards, and the fast start with the global audience on social media, Dymbur has most definitely hit the right mark with this new single.
The band signed off with a request to their fans to support their cause by sharing the song with the hashtag #No2RapeCulture. They also thanked their crew members, cast, and all the individuals involved in the making of the music video who are mentioned below :
Script:
Dymbur & Aditya Vishwanath
Asst. Director:
Deepkala Ghale
DOP:
Pronoy Das
Production Manager:
Tyrel Lyngdoh
Gaffer:
Bhaskar Goswami
Costume & Set Design:
Naisha Richmond
Makeup Artist:
Dennia Nongkynrih
Behind The Scenes:
Embor Sayo | Yowanda Productions | Fishy Photography
Special Appearance:
Kavita Krishnan
Secretary, All India Progressive Women’s Association Member of Politburo of CPI(ML), Editor of it’s monthly publication: Liberation Women Rights Activist who lead the 16th December Movement in 2012 Nirbhaya case of Violence against women.
Nikita Arora
Founder & CEO Webnnel. Spokesperson, Haryana Congress Communications Officer, All India Professionals’ Congress
Daphisha Kharbani
Dancer & Choreographer
Roopsha Dasgupta
Media Professional & Founder – OOPSROOPS, Kolkata
Swati Singh
President – Democratic Students Forum [DSF JNU UNIT] Student, Center of Russian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi
Askeeka Haider
ALI Student, Center for English Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi
Elandina Kharsyntiew
Student, Center for Chinese and South East Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi
CAST:
Alethea Kynta
Marisa Syiem
Nipasa Pradhan
Wanza Pyrbot
Mansha Sharma
Perfectly Suting
Gladeen Shullai
Andrea War Sailo
CREW:
Heimon Kharsyntiew
Donald Zacky Vincent War
(L)Victor Sangma
Avinash Shyam Konwar
Chandre Thapa
Bakordor Thangkhiew