Reliving Warfaze - premier heavy metal band of Bangladesh celebrates 25th Anniversary

Reliving Warfaze
Faizul Khan Tanim attends the historical Warfaze re-union concert and returns with added respect and appreciation for the band and their contribution to rock music

photo by Zooel / Nabhan

During the early 80’s, heavy metal and thrash was all about velocity and aggression. It was a war, a war of speedy guitar riffs and solos, killer drum rolls, thumping bass lines and vivacious shrilled voices of the contemporary local bands like Warfaze, Rockstrata, In Dhaka, Aces and more.

From that particular era, Warfaze is the only heavy metal band who survived breakups, patch ups, transition, coalition, demolition and many other phases that most successful bands go through. As a result, the band has solidified ‘rock’ as a genre to historical proportions.

The energy was anticipated and the hype was well-deserved, as news broke of a ‘reunion’ concert. The passion was felt by fans on the eve of October 15 at the Sheraton Winter garden, when they witnessed the fire-cracker lineup of 11 past and present members of the band including Babna, Roger, Shams, Mizan, Sumon, Kamal, Oni, Russel, Tipu, Sunjoy and Balam.

It was no less than an arms race with musical weapons of mass illustration as the guitars revved with the riffs, speeding up now and again. The drum kits pounded on which sloshed the bass lines, propelling the vocalists to unleash their seemingly pent-up rage to the jam-packed auditorium. As the music got louder, over 1200 fans in the winter garden swayed and head banged, as if enchanted by the wizards of rock.

I am only human and so my blood too churned like others at the concert. The sudden rush I felt increased my urge to behold the band’s original lineup of Sunjoy, Babna, Kamal, Russel and Tipu. The fantastic five had composed and produced iconic and optimistically liberating songs like Ekti Cheley, Shadhikar, Koishor or Obak Bhalobasha.

The sight of the original lineup probably worked like an aphrodisiac on the crowd who began screaming Sunjoy’s name. The air and the mood was no different from his concert during his heydays with the band at Dhanmondi Women’s Complex in 1997 when the relentless vocalist quit as the band’s front-man.

As the members looked like action figures from my initial vantage point, I wanted to see them up-close. I cruised and made my way towards the stage, aided by the energetic crowd dancing to the beats of thunder.

The move was audacious but seriously worth it as it was elevating to see the energy and interaction of ‘our heroes’ on-stage. Shams, Roger, Sumon, Russel, Oni, Mizan, Babna, engaged with the crowd. Catalyzed by the interaction and chemistry between each other, they justifiably performed such classic Warfaze tracks as Obak Bhalobasha, Aasha, Money Porey, Nirbashon and finally the immortal Ekti Cheley.

It was truly poetry in motion, from the guitarists kneeling in front of the amps, to Russel’s nu-metal-ish guitar stunts, from Babna’s heavenly voice and flamenco guitar playing to Sunjoy’s jumping and cajoling the crowd. Even Tipu’s non-stop energetic drumming made me feel that the guys were born for ‘this’.

By the time they finished Hotasha, Bewarish, Jibondhara and launched in to singing Nei Proyojon, Mukti Chai and others, I was at the edge of the stage and it was absolutely worth it! The lights poured and the simulated fog floated and created the ‘valley of life’ from where the rock stars emerged ‘undaunted’. These were definitely some very spirited Warfaze moments that I haven’t seen in a long time. Truly a ‘reunion’ that Dhaka will remember till the next 50 year celebration concert.