Onslaught (India) is a two-member band from Hyderabad, India comprised of brothers Yohan and Rueban Isaac. Onslaught (India) formed in 2007 and previously released the Metamorphosis (ep) in 2010. In thinking about how to describe their sound, I first found their own description – “new age alternative music interlaced with ambient overtones”. I definitely agree with the alternative label and would add in hard rock to that as well. On first listen, their sound is along the lines of bands like Disturbed, Five Finger Death Punch, Alice in Chains, and Disciple.
Leap of Faith opens up with and raucous and chunky guitar riff in “Bite the Bullet”, that definitely grabs your attention quickly. Vocals have a confrontational, challenging tone to them and Reuban Isaac almost sneers “I’ll bite the bullet, make my sacrifice”. Just the right amount of aggression in both the vocals and music make this song work well. Things slow down a little bit on the title track, and an Alice in Chains type vibe takes over for this song.
Influences abound on this record and even some you wouldn’t expect come through. For instance, the guitar riff in “Antivenom” immediately brought back memories of Joan Jett and “I Love Rock-n-Roll”. Some of these touches work well, and others don’t seem to fit very well. The song “Lazarus Rising” features some backing vocals and a more melodic chorus section compared to other songs on the album and the clean chorus section just doesn’t seem to fit. “Killing Judas” features a great rumbling riff and vocals trading off presumably between singers, making it one of the more unique tracks on the album, but here again, the vocals on the chorus section seem a bit strained and just don’t seem to fit the rest of the song. The album closes with the song “Alive”, which also is somewhat different from the rest of the album. “Alive” starts out with a cheery, clean guitar riff that carries through most of the song, which could serve as song most similar to a ballad on the album.
The first thing one will notice listening to Leap of Faith is the production and mixing. Guitars seem overly loud and dominating while the drums are somewhat lost in the mix and the vocals have an odd quality to them, almost as if they were recorded in a metal hallway. Given that this is an independent release and done by a band consisting of two people, some leeway has to be afforded them in this respect. If you listen closely, you can pick out the drums and guitar solos, which are very solid, but unfortunately, are somewhat hard to discern in the current mix. Production and mixing aside, Onslaught (India) have put together some solid and catchy songs in a genre that generally doesn’t feature many Christian artists.
Rating: 6.5/10
Written by John Jackson
Tracklist:
1. Bite The Bullet
2. Leap Of Faith
3. Antivenom
4. Lazarus Rising
5. The Target
6. Killing Judas
7. Break The Cycle
8. Alive
Band Members:
Yohan Issac – Guitars, Bass
Rueban Issac –Vocals, drums.
Record Label: Independent, Sept. 2012
Discography:
Metamorphosis (EP), 2010
Leap Of Faith , 2012
Interview With Onslaught (India)
Weblinks: Facebook / Reverbnation / Bandcamp
Digital album available here:
Itunes / Amazon / Medianet / Deezer
Music Video for Leap Of Faith