with TABAHI

Thrash metal bend from Pakistan!

TABAHI: First of all, thank you for the opportunity, really appreciate it. It's really been great to have interviews and our thoughts being shared from all around the world, and it mainly helps Pakistan and Tabahi to promote our album everywhere across the world.

Please, tell us something about the bend? How it's started…

TABAHI: Tabahi was initially started in 2008, with the main members Faiq and Hassan learning to play guitars and jam along with each other. Then we got to have 5 member lineup and started covering songs from our big inspirations like Slayer, Metallica, Sodom all of the old school 80's 90s era, the golden thrash era. Then later in 2009 all the members had to leave the country to pursue and continue their further studies. Same happened with me (Faiq - Guitars) too, joined university but still kept Tabahi going on the side, made and wrote originals hoping for a day that we might release it out somehow. Finally in 2013, I met Hyder, a beast of a drummer that he is, was perfectly suited and made for Tabahi, and Daniyal came into the picture by learning Bass from me, and then finally around mid 2013 we all decided on the final lineup for Tabahi and started working on producing the best thrash metal album to make an impact in the thrash metal industry worldwide!

What does it mean name Tabahi?

TABAHI: Tabahi actually is an Urdu word, it means destruction. A big influence on the band is obviously the german thrash metal legendary band, "Destruction". Destruction is what you see everywhere in Pakistan and even the whole world. Be it the business industry, Political environment, Economical environment of our country. Our intentions are not to support all of this Tabahi going on. Our songs on the album are specifically written to spread a constructive message to all parts of the world of eliminating the negative perceptions that people have for our country.
Rock and metal scene in Pakistan…

TABAHI: Rock and pop scene in Pakistan has been active mainly around 90s, there were a couple of bands that really influenced Tabahi, but as you know our country is going through a tough time, most of the artists literally struggle here to make money and support their lives. So music here is always a primary option for any artist here, you cannot depend upon music to make up your life. Coming onto metal, only 20-30 percent of the population here listens to metal, a few of the metal bands are surviving here and now are focusing on releasing albums independently as there is no support for music here in our country. Hopefully this can change in the coming years!

I won't ask about social-political atmosphere. You sad enough about that in your songs. But, I'm interested in how are you living? What do you do? How you survive?

TABAHI: We all three are students and we also work in order to survive for playing metal and buying stuff for ourselves, from guitar strings for guitars to the drum skins for our drummer, we all pitch some amount for the band from our salaries to make the band working and running. Also, we've got the support from our parents as well. Studies, work and then music.

The album. What are the technical possibility for recording session in Karachi?

TABAHI: There are a couple of recording studios in Karachi, but also they're pretty expensive when it comes to recording songs and full length albums. Therefore, we set up our own studio with the help of some professionals from the local industry and international industry. We got production help from UK and Italy in order to make this record the best sound that we've ever produced.

Where do you have rehearsal? According to the pictures in the album that is the modest room.

TABAHI: Yes, that's our jam room. We rehearse twice or thrice a month, just because of the tough time schedule, but the album was recorded in 2 months, drums, guitars, vocals everything! Some of the songs, were written a couple of years back which was an advantage before getting into the studio and recording it out. We jam, have late night dinners, party's and rehearsals in the same room!

For now you release the album like self-released/ free-download. Are looking for some editors?

TABAHI: We're looking for some record labels to help promote our album worldwide. We're currently signed up by SWA Productions and Distributions (Turkey) which have released our album in cassettes and cd's there and also the album can be bought from their website.

Your songs accept the energy have strong social-political motive…
TABAHI: Yes, that's what we wanted to point out in our songs. Our songs can relate to most of the countries having the same social political issues happening in their countries. The message is to clear all the negativity people have about our country, Pakistan as well!

Do you have because of that, problems with fundamentalists? Do they know about your work?

TABAHI: Yes, we are always scared of the fundamentalists here! Metal is a genre that isn't much popular here so I guess we're pretty safe when it comes to exploding our ideas and thoughts. Again, the album was produced and written for all the countries having the same conditions and problems.

I'm interested, in one particular, is it in Pakistan allow public performing rock, metal, pop, punk music? What is the position that western culture?

TABAHI: Western culture is pretty much accepted here now, concerts doesn't happen on a regular basis, but yes an acceptance of the western culture is there. However, if you talk about metal/rock music, there are a few people who're into metal and appreciate the music, therefore metal concerts are on a hiatus in our country.

For song "Hona Hai" you had inspiration with texts of writer Sabir Zafar. Who is he?

TABAHI: Sabir Zafar was a recipient of Tamgha-e-imtiaz (Medal of Honor in poetry) in 2010 For Pakistan. It's the only Urdu Thrash Metal Track for our album.
After hearing the song for the first time, he absolutely dint get it which was quite obvious for a person who has been writing rock songs and ghazals his whole career. But after a couple of replays, he got the melody and was more interested in writing that we actually thought he would be. This is the first "Metal" song that he has written.

You are for democracy. What people and all nation in Pakistan think about such society form?

TABAHI: We aren't in support for democracy. Democracy is a great way of making people fool and get them to be your slaves for all the years to come. Pakistan has been associated with democracy on and off as well, there a couple of years that military was the main power of the society and Pakistan was doing pretty much well at that time. But once democracy got hold of the government, corruption spread everywhere. Pakistan is a nation where strictness in the law, rules.

Because, you say in first single "Democrazy": 'democracy will not come, no matter how hard we strive it…'. So, you don't believe strongly in your goal?

TABAHI: We strongly believe that democracy is not the way for people to live their lives. However yes, if democracy is done the right way its supposed to be then it's a great form for the government! But in our case and in our country, that won't be happening because of the massive corrupt traitor of the so-called democracy government.

In a song "Twisted minds" you say 'love is prison, marriage is a fucking hell…'. Do you speak about that from your personal experiences, or simple just from some other point of view?

TABAHI: It's one of my (Faiq Ahmed - Guitars) personal experiences; also this was a song that is written on the women domination in Pakistan. The culture is pretty ethical but when it comes to women, gender discrimination is always there. In a society like ours, women can always get what they want and then men get to suffer the aftermaths.

How often are there on streets bomber-suicide ? In a song "Virgin bomber" you talk about that…

TABAHI: Haha, there aren't any suicide bombers hanging around in our streets, its seriously not like that. That's just the wrong perception that the media has televised it out to the world, we live a normal life, just like you people, it's not that we woke up to the sound of firings and bombings happening here, life here in Pakistan is tough, but every country does have problems as well. Virgin bomber is a tribute to all the people who lost their lives in suicide bombings, if you read the lyrics, that is the story of a how a normal person becomes a suicide bomber by the holy preachers. These holy preachers try their best to portray a bad image of our country!

You mention the devil in "Devil inside". Are there connection because battle between talibans (croatian name for followers of Osama Bin Laden) and USA army? Is it talibans correct word?

TABAHI: Yes, Taliban is the correct word. They are big followers of Osama bin laden. The devil is inside everyone of us, we know it and we try to hide it. Devil Inside is about taking control of your life without the influence of the devil making all the decisions. However Talibans just do what they want, they have even the support of our new government as well!

Also, you attack the media (song "Televised end"). What's the situation with that in your country?

TABAHI: As I've mentioned in the previous questions, media is the real culprits of this. We do believe in freedom of rights and everything but sadly when a guy in America watches people dying in Pakistan he would probably think that the country is a mess! Therefore there should be strict laws against this, instead of promoting terrorism and getting as much airtime you can to promote Pakistan in a negative manner.

I'm interested how you in generally look on western culture of Europe, USA, and on political situation with Barrack Obama? Yes, that's complex question, but tell me rational, discreet, concrete and concise …

TABAHI: We really don't have any problems with the western culture of anywhere actually. It's just that the equivalence of human rights should be present in every country. We've been getting great responses from all over the world, and they're literally surprised on our views as well, but that's really how every Pakistani thinks too. It's not like we hate every white person or we all have guns of our own, it's just the equality which matters. The terrorists play with guns, we play with our instruments.

Concerts? Do you have live acts in Pakistan? Where do you perform? Do you band maybe play abroad?

TABAHI: Yes, we're looking forward to play abroad and really looking out for the opportunity to promote our album and mainly Pakistan worldwide because of the fact that concerts here in Pakistan are on a hiatus because of the security threats and the lesser amount of metalheads in our country.

Is there possibility to see you in Europe?

TABAHI: Hopefully if there's any promoter out there who can try pulling us out in Europe we would love to perform our hearts out! Because we all three. Tabahi literally crave to perform LIVE! And that's what we're BEST AT!

Plans for nearest future?

TABAHI: Plans for the near future are of promoting our album worldwide, also playing live and making more good positive metal music to help change the negative perceptions about people have for our country, Pakistan.

Maybe you have some special message for audience and public in Croatia and Europe?

TABAHI: Yes, we specially would really like to thank you for conducting this interview and contacting us out! All of my friends, thrashers, metalheads in Europe and Croatia, Tabahi wants your support! We have a whole 13 song album at a free download on our facebook page (www.facebook.com/tabahi666), where you can listen out our songs and our efforts. Please all give any song a listen and let us know how It feels out to you guys cause it would really mean the world to us! Thank you once again!

Thank you very much for your time to do this interview.

horvi // 18/04/2014