And Thus Begins The Dance of Destruction

Tandav (pronounced THAHN-duv) is an American extreme metal band, born in New Jersey. Fans of Lamb Of God, Revocation, The Faceless and Wretched will enjoy bathing in the band’s marriage of unexpected melodies and brutal vocal stylings.

Tandav’s story begins with guitarist Hemanshu Agnihotri. Hemanshu had been quietly writing songs for years, but in 2016 he decided it was time for the world to hear his work. Staying true to his roots, Hemanshu gave the project an Indian name and a very metal one at that. The definition of Tandav is: the dance of destruction performed by the Hindu god Shiva (The Destroyer).

In an effort to gauge interest, Hemanshu posted an instrumental play-through video of his song “Gray” on Facebook. It didn’t take long for vocalist/lyricist Carl Morissaint to reach out. “When I first heard ‘Gray’ I felt a burst of joy as I quickly realized that I finally stumbled upon a rare gem. Any time I listen to bands like Meshuggah, The Faceless, or Necrophagist I imagine what I would have done if I had been given the opportunity to try out for one of those bands. This was my chance to fulfill that fantasy” – Carl. Hemanshu was equally excited about the partnership. “Carl’s amazing ability and his dedication to bringing Tandav to the next level is what I admire about him most. Carl’s drive strengthens my aspirations” – Hemanshu.

Carl began writing lyrics for Hemanshu’s tunes and the pair immediately started recording Tandav’s debut EP “The Nascency” which was released in January 2017.

The duo continued their search for a bassist and drummer, but never slowed down their writing and recording efforts. Tandav proudly released their first full length album entitled “The Infant King” in June 2018.

“The Infant King” is part social commentary and part gut-wrenchingly raw emotion. Add to that a sound that is painted with broad strokes of speed, melodic aggression and unpredictability and you have a product that touches the mind, body and soul of the listener.

2018 was an exciting year for Tandav. They were finally able to complete their line-up. Drummer Dave English came aboard in August of that year. After years of recording and performing with a wide variety of artists, Dave was thrilled to find Tandav. He describes the band as “a project that finally pushes my creative and technical abilities”.

Tandav found the final piece of their brutal puzzle the following month in bassist Rob Colonnello. “I’m passionate about the music. Not only is it influenced by several of my favorite bands, but it’s challenging enough to motivate me to become a better musician.” – Rob

In August of 2019 Rob suffered a fall that resulted in a traumatic brain injury. In order to keep Tandav moving forward, the remaining members reached out to friend Justin Weiss to fill Rob’s shoes while he continues to recover from his injury. Justin has been affiliated with the band from the beginning and has been credited on their album for his songwriting contributions to “Murder, Death, Rape” and “Amrita”.

The band has already begun working on Tandav’s second album. Keep a look out for their live performances and stay tuned. There is so much more to come.

Contact us at tandavus@gmail.com