After a near six-year hiatus, Dutch progressive metal veterans Textures stepped foot in India once more, their fifth tour of the country. Covering Mumbai and Bengaluru, we got to catch their show in India’s tech capital.
While told that they’d play at a mall in Mumbai, guitarist Joe Tal exclaimed that they would play at a McDonald’s if they had to (the ever adaptable showbiz artists that they are). Thankfully, Bengaluru was spared that fate this time. The perfectly reasonable GYLT turned out to be a good enough venue to hold the weight of this comeback.
Check out our interview with Textures guitarist Joe Tal > ‘Everybody’s a bit more mature’: Textures guitarist Joe Tal on unexpected comeback
Silver Tears set the tone
Opening duties went to Guwahati progressive act Silver Tears. The current lineup features Bibhash Buragohain on vocals with Ishan Das and Manasquam Mahanta on guitars. Fun fact: Girish Pradhan (yes, that Girish of Girish And The Chronicles) once fronted them.
Their set included tracks such as Miseries and the instrumental New Day (don’t miss the trippy animated dystopian animated music video set in a VR game). Closing with one of their earliest tracks Dirt Beyond Beauty, their set had a good mix of heavy rifff, jazzy chord changes, and Pliniesque guitar playing. A tasty, textured warm-up for what was to come.
Sound struggles and sweet spots
From the upper floor, things sounded muddy and the view oddly detached. Watching from below is ritual, as many might agree. So, down I went.
A large portion of the crowd has been upgraded to the Fan Pit closer to the stage. While this is a good thing, it made the space feel quite claustrophobic. I wouldn’t have minded if the sound had been flawless, but the clarity varied and was inconsistent as I moved around. Eventually, I landed the sweet spot: about 45° to the right side of the stage, same as last time (surprise, surprise). Much better.
Awake!
The band began with one of their usual set openers, Regenesis. The soaring Reaching Home, with their most hummable chorus, was a joy to listen to, while crowds chanted the chorus to New Horizons before catapulting into that insane riff. They played the beautiful Polars with its ambient refrain progression. The band played their latest single Closer To The Unknown with its screams and straight groove. Awake, their signature anthem, with its cathartic ballad-like first half, and death prog metal climax, was a peak moment of the night.
From there, Uri Dijk on synths and keys hushed the venue with the beautiful ambient piano track Zman (woven with electronic percussive touches) before snapping into to the powerhouse Timeless (exactly as on Phenotype). From this cathartic, blissful transition, we went to the closing stretch: Singularity, Edge of Winter, and Laments of an Icarus, with its marching band drum intro and power groove prog riffing.
Checkout our interview with vocalist Marcus Bridge of Northlane > “We Just Do What We Want to Do” – Marcus Bridge on Emotion, Experimentation, and Coming Full Circle with Northlane
Vocalist Daniel de Jongh shifted effortlessly between demonic growls and commanding majestic baritone cleans. Reminiscing about their last show in the city as part of their 2017 farewell tour, the band welcomed listeners old and new. Undoubtedly, the band had relentless live energy, and whipped the audience into a headbanging frenzy in no time.
Despite the crowded venue, the pit opened and closed (breathing rather) like a living organism with the occasional wall of death. Before wrapping up, Textures slipped in a new unreleased track as the last song of their set. Hopefully, Bengaluru won’t have to wait another six years to find out where Textures go next.
You May Also Enjoy > 11 Indian Rock Acts You Need to Hear in 2025
Check out our Spotify playlists.
Visit our YouTube channel for music reviews, playlists, podcasts, and more!
