FALSE FLAG formed in June 2015, in the aftermath of witnessing grindcore legends Napalm Death live at Bangalore Open Air. The initial lineup was formed with Rohit and Shaunak sharing guitar duties while Pushkar and Prathamesh – both experienced in sludge band Dirge – handling vocals and drums respectively. The political climate around the time served as another major catalyst, shaping the early sound of the band on their “DEMO MMXV.”
The short but potent demo, recorded on a cellphone in a rehearsal space featured angry, pissed off Crust/Hardcore Punk in the vein of classic Swedish/British bands like Doom, Discharge, Anti-Cimex, Totalitär. Along with the d-beat assault, the band had a tendency of sneaking in melodies and grooves in their songwriting. Due to their uncompromising DIY ethic and catchy tunes, they got a good response from the South Asian Punk scene, resulting in several live performances.
After a lineup change that introduced metal drummer Rakshith (Piston, Anorectal Ulceration) and punk bassist Kamran (Death By Fungi) on the recordings, False Flag set out crafting an original sound for their self-titled EP. Though still undeniably in the realm of Punk, the new material molds the intensity of Neo-Crust (His Hero Is Gone, Jungbluth, Alpinist), the sonic textures of Screamo (Suis La Lune, City of Caterpillar) and the melodic sensibilities of Black Metal (Oathbreaker, Mgla). As a result, longer songs feature on their EP, the songs taking their time to build up with intense fast portions, introspective melodies, crushing slower parts all verbalized with a fierce howling vocal assault.
Their self-titled EP is set to release on the 25th of December and features an enhanced production job, the dark & heavy mix bringing to mind contemporary ‘chaotic hardcore’ acts from Europe. Indeed, False Flag is set to push the boundaries of Punk, fusing an existential outlook with progressive political stances against all forms of bigotry from casteism to misogyny.
Listen to the track Sisyphus Lament below