Interview | Gutslit On Making Extreme Metal a Celebration, Ahead of Their Europe-Australia Tour
For an independent band from India, Gutslit has made it a habit of scaling sound barriers that few even attempt.
Published : May 30, 2025 at 5:21 PM IST
By the time Gutslit hits the stage at Antisocial in Mumbai on June 8 for Ashes of Indra, a gig that unites Indian rock pioneers Motherjane and the genre-fluid Claver and the F Band, they’ll already be half-packed for Germany. Their tour schedule is a blitzkrieg, the kind you don’t come back from unchanged. There are no off days, no backup plans. There is only velocity.
Because Gutslit doesn’t gig. Gutslit invades.
Party.San Metal Open Air, Summer Breeze Open Air, Dortmund Deathfest, Brutal Assault in a Czech fortress, Death Coffee Party in the Czech Republic, club shows in the Netherlands, and an Australia tour with supporting band Gosika, culminating in Primitive Fest, Sydney. All before 2025 ends.
“It’s been a decade since we first played Obscene Extreme," Aaron Pinto, drummer and the band’s multitasking powerhouse, tells us over the phone. “That was the first step. Now we’re everywhere. Europe, Australia, some of the most iconic fests in metal. It’s surreal.”
The scale is epic, but the grind is intimate. Long nights of merch design, midweek band calls, lists, soundchecks, grit. But never grind for the sake of the grind. “You’re only as good as your last show,” says bassist and founding member Gurdip Singh Narang. “That’s the pressure we love. That’s the joy.” There’s also the small matter of representing Indian metal to the world. And Gutslit carries that flag with precision, not posturing. “It’s a privilege,” says Gurdip. “It’s also a responsibility. You leave blood and sweat on stage. And you hope the venue remembers.”
Tight Set
In Sydney, guitarist Ishwar Hariharan will be coming home... sort of. “I studied there for years,” he says. “It’ll be special playing Sydney again. But this time, I’m bringing the band with me!” That band is tighter than ever. The current lineup (which includes Aditya Barve on vocals and Aditya Swaminathan on guitar) has forged a rare chemistry out of chaos. It’s a seesaw of energy and exhaustion, a game of tag between madness and melody. “Some days I crash and Gurdip pulls me up,” says Aaron. “Other days it’s him. But the band always rises.” Gutslit’s sound is technical, brutal, refined. It’s also unexpectedly welcoming.
“We’ve had non-metal fans become regulars at our shows,” says Gurdip. “That’s how engaging we want the live show to be. It’s aggressive, but it’s a party.”
Even the merch is part of the show. Designed in-house, it’s part propaganda, part communion: T-shirts, baseball caps, patches, posters relics from a band that knows the culture is the payload. Their visual identity is just as fierce. Aaron, who is also a talented illustrator and designer, has crafted album covers and visuals that rival the brutality of their sound. The branding is tactile, visceral. You don’t just listen to Gutslit. You wear them. You bleed with them.
Yet, it’s not just about shock and shred. Their 2017 album Amputheatre flirted with themes of torture and state violence. Their 2023 release Carnal dissected serial killer culture. Now, the fifth album (in process) dives into something stranger: transcendence.
New Album Alert
“Our new track I, Berserker is already in our live sets in Bangalore and Hyderabad,” says Gurdip. “The concept is about life after death, about what comes next—but not in a peaceful way.” The band will debut the new album’s first single and video before their Europe run this August. The fifth record is being mixed and mastered, and promises to be their most ambitious yet.
It’s all building to something monumental. Shirock Festival in Ukhrul, Imphal on May 23 was just the warm-up. For an independent band from India, Gutslit has made it a habit of scaling sound barriers that few even attempt. Back in Mumbai, they’re preparing for Ashes of Indra with the kind of reverence only seasoned warriors can afford. “Motherjane has always fascinated me,” says Aditya Barve. “To play alongside them feels like full circle. It’s a dream. And the audience that night will come from every direction. That excites us.” The sonic contrast isn’t a concern. It’s a feature. “People from all walks, all genres... when they collide in one room, something beautiful happens,” Aaron says. “That’s the point.”
Gutslit’s evolution hasn’t been a straight line. They’ve had lineup changes. They’ve had setbacks. But there’s a thread that never frays. The core is built on intensity, trust, and a shared obsession with pushing further. “There’s always been a cycle of adrenaline between us,” says Gurdip. "The guitarists we’ve worked with each brought something unique. And we feed off each other.” What started in the sweaty rooms of Indian metal scenes has erupted across continents. And yet, they don’t preach. They just play. Hard. Loud. And without apology.
When asked about curating a dream festival, their answers are a storm of names, cities, memories. “A festival in Mumbai having an OG lineup with PDV and Scribe,” says Gurdip. "Add Inner Sanctum, Third Sovereign.” Aditya throws in Cannibal Corpse, Aborted, Whitechapel. Location? Malana. Why not turn a Himalayan village into an extreme metal Mecca? “I’d bring in Dying Fetus,” says Ishwar. “I don’t care where it is—we’ll tear it down.” Aaron nods. “Let’s get Infernal Wrath, Maneating Orchid, Devoid, Godless and Myndsnare. Yasmin on drums is one of the greatest to ever do it.”
In a way, Gutslit has already curated their own fantasy. They’re attending global festivals, and earning stage spots. They’re waving the flag of Indian metal, and redrawing the map. And the best part? They make it all sound like a party.
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