Indus Creed

Indus Creed is a rock group from India that formed in the late '80s. They originally were a typical Americanised rock band but later on, they decided to change their sound to a more mature kind and also incorporated Indian instruments into their music.

Indus Creed holds the distinction of being India's premier rock band. The group was formed in 1984 and was then known as "Rock Machine". The line-up featured Mahesh Tinaikar (lead guitar), Mark Selwyn (bass), Uday Benegal (vocals), Jayesh Gandhi (rhythm and lead guitar), Mark Menezes (drums) and Zubin Balaporia (keyboard).

Rock Machine was mainly a "covers-only" band, mainly Glam metal heavily influenced by American and British rock groups such as Guns N' Roses, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Deep Purple, Van Halen, Whitesnake, and others. Based in Bombay (now known as Mumbai), Rock Machine was one of the first bands in India to tour the length and breadth of the country.

Around 1989, the band launched "Rock and Roll Renegade", India's first all-original rock album. The album was successful among Indian rock music aficionados and Rock Machine's touring made them very popular among college audiences. The band was known for its slick, well-produced concerts, unlike the highly unpredictable, inconsistent shows put up by amateur Indian bands.

Rock Machine were at that time hugely influenced by the bands of the sixties and seventies such as Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Whitesnake, Jethro Tull, Santana, Van Halen, Toto and Yes.

The early 1990s saw a major shift in the entertainment landscape in India. The arrival of MTV made new American and British music more accessible to Indian rock listeners. Almost overnight, the tastes changed and listeners either wanted heavier, harder rock (such as Metallica) or an alternative sound. Thus, "Indus Creed" came into existence in 1993. Gone were the 80s-style clothes and songs. The band adopted a new name that signalled a more global and hip image. Their sound changed dramatically; they introduced softer, more acoustic instruments, including a tabla player. Their third album titled "Indus Creed" was promoted extensively on MTV and even got them a hit single ("Trapped").

Mark Menezes left the band in 1992 and was replaced by Bobby Duggal. Duggal left in 1995 and was replaced by Adrian Fernandes. The band split in the late 1990s. Uday Benegal and Jayesh Gandhi later surfaced with a fusion band named Alms For Shanti and released an eponymous album in 1995. Their music can be found at their website [http://www.almsforshanti.com]

Discography & Track Listing

1988: Rock 'N ' Roll Renegade (CBS)Enemy within
# Top of the rock
# Prisoner of passion
# Chains and black leather
# Cant wait anymore
# RnR Renegade
# Karen
# Polivinyl Lady
# Rockin in the USSR
# Ode to Scooby Doo

1990: The Second Coming (Magnasound)
# Turn It On
# Bowl Of Madness
# Crazy
# Die For Your Country
# Believing
# Cinderella
# Pretty Child
# Screaming Out 1995: Indus Creed (BMG-Crescendo)
# Trapped
# Sleep
# New Day
# Thrown It All Away
# Best Friend
# Fly
# Cry
# Celibate
# Play
# Book Of Dreams

External links

* [http://web.archive.org/web/19991128070319/http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Stage/9039/index.html Archive of the official site] at the Wayback Machine
* [http://almsforshanti.com Alms For Shanti]
* [http://www.massdeletion.com/rm.html Indus Creed's music in MP3 format]