Meet Nushver, The Metal Band From Mumbai Turning Mortality Into Melody
The members cut their teeth in various bands before coalescing around a shared desire to make something raw, layered, and deeply human.
Published : July 26, 2025 at 1:37 PM IST
If you’re trying to find the origin point of Mumbai’s newest dark progressive metal band Nushver, you’ll have to time-travel back to the sweaty, riff-laden gigs of the 2010s, where bands like Dionysian melted faces at local venues while forging bonds that would one day evolve into something heavier and more self-aware.
Nushver is (in the words of frontman Priyyank Kotian) a “sensational affair with life.” Which is to say, the music doesn’t just scream into the void, it listens, contemplates, and screams again. Their debut single, Dead ænd Beautiful, is both a gut-punch and a slow burn, a meditation on mortality disguised as a headbanger.
Born From the Ashes
The band name itself sounds like a Sanskrit-derived ritual chant, but it’s homegrown. “Nushver has an Indian metal sound to it,” says Priyyank. “It’s about the thrills of being mere mortal. Great sages have used this word to convey profundity. We’ll do our bit via music.” Comprising seasoned metalheads George Monteiro on leads, Anand Iyer on rhythms, Mitish Amin on bass, and Paresh Vijay on drums, Nushver is a supergroup of sorts. The members cut their teeth in various bands before coalescing around a shared desire to make something raw, layered, and deeply human.
“George, Andy, and I played extensively with Dionysian,” says Priyyank. “Mitish and Paresh reforged the team with the same intensity but a new spirit. That’s what we call Nushver.”
A Word for the Impermanent
There’s something oddly grounding about a band so committed to reminding you how little time you have. “Nushver is impermanence,” Priyyank says. “We belt our songs, themes and titles with that subtle reminder done loud. The music is about being here now, even if it’s dark and distorted.”
Their lyrics are more existential poetry than angst-for-angst’s sake. Dead ænd Beautiful was born from what was once just “Dead End,” a title that felt too final. But over 15 years of jam sessions, lineup shifts, and evolving identities, the track became something more graceful. “It’s a special song,” says Priyyank. “It talks about a character who realizes he is Nushver in a dream-like post-apocalyptic world. We’ve played it live for years, and it felt alive enough for us to finally record and release it.”
Describing the Indescribable
Try explaining dark progressive metal to your mom. Better yet, try telling her that your new band is called Nushver. Priyyank laughs at the challenge. “Just describe the energy. Then drop the name. It sets the tone.” And what a tone it is! Brooding, percussive, beautifully unrelenting. There’s the technicality of Meshuggah, the atmospheric depth of Opeth, and yes, even the mass appeal of Linkin Park (their wildcard pick for late-night listening).
The band’s dynamic range is matched by their chemistry in the studio. “We’re generally funny guys,” Priyyank says. “Guitarists were plucking air during intense sessions. George and Paresh had their first taste of objective-focused recording. It was joyful chaos.”
Finding Light in the Dark
Despite the heavy themes (afterlife, impermanence, existential dread), Nushver doesn’t drown in nihilism. Quite the opposite. “We hope listeners feel a strange oneness,” says the Gujarat-based musician. “That they draw energy, or a scream, from our music to deal with their own worries.”
The band operates from a space of honesty and catharsis. “We’re not trying to be dark for the sake of it,” he adds. “We’re just being real about the messiness of being alive. Music is how we hold space for that.”
What Comes Next?
Nushver’s digital presence may still be in its infancy, but their momentum is undeniable. “Two more singles are in the pipeline,” says Priyyank. “They’re the raw forms of our earliest collaborations; songs that need to go out into the world.” A concept album may follow once they find their groove, and a tour is definitely on the cards. “We’d love to go live at max volume any day,” he says. “That’s where this music breathes.”
And breathe it will... loudly, lovingly, and always with an eye on the void.
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