(August 20, 2025) When Sravan Chakravarthi’s fingers begin to slide effortlessly over the fretboard of his electric guitar — the metal freaks go into a frenzy. The mood only gets electric when the remaining band members — Siri on vocals and bass guitar, Noble John on drums, and Shasank on lead guitar — join Sravan. What follows is metal mayhem.
The four friends are ‘Against Evil’ — a heavy metal band from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh — which is making its presence felt on the international circuit. Earlier this year, the band toured Europe, playing to packed venues and metal-loving crowds. “While heavy metal’s popularity has declined among younger generations who prefer other genres, its spirit remains strong. The genre’s loyal fan base and sense of community are unwavering,” smiles Sravan, vocalist and guitarist of Against Evil, in a chat with Global Indian.
The band, which won the Radio City Freedom Awards for “Best Metal Artist” in 2015 and 2019, one of the few Indian awards recognising metal music — has just concluded their three-week European tour. “The response was phenomenal, as always, with friends and fans attending shows, buying our music and merchandise, and spending time with us,” informs Sravan.
Marking a decade of fatal assault on tour
The band performed tracks from all four of their releases, with a special spotlight on their EP Fatal Assault to mark its 10th anniversary.
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“We released a limited-edition vinyl of the EP in Europe and performed its tracks prominently. Venues ranged from club shows to open-air concerts, with set times varying from 45 to 90 minutes,” says the musician.
Concert-goers picked up custom-designed merchandise — including CDs, T-shirts, magnets, and patches — all created by Croatian artist Andrej Baltulovic.
Sold-out shows and a DIY metal tour
At nine out of 20 venues, the tickets were sold out as heavy metalheads from all age groups flocked the venues and cheered the band that curated three different set lists featuring songs from all their releases.
The tour was entirely self-sponsored and coordinated with the support of their tour manager, Oliver Rix — who also owns Doc Gator Records, the band’s European label. In true road-warrior spirit, the band even drove 800 kilometers overnight from Liechtenstein to Germany to make it in time for a back-to-back show.
Expanding their European footprint
This was not the band’s first European tour; they previously toured in 2019, 2023, 2024 and now in 2025. “We regularly performed in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. For the first time (in the recently concluded trip), we performed in the Netherlands and Liechtenstein,” he says.
From covers to original metal glory
Against Evil has produced one EP, Fatal Assault (2015), and three full-length albums: All Hail the King (2018), End of the Line (2021), and Give ‘Em Hell (2024) with 33 original tracks.
From 2009 to 2013, the band played rock and metal cover songs before transitioning to original music in 2014. Their first EP (Fatal Assault) was released through the Indian label Transcending Obscurity, informs Sravan.
They were initially noticed as a new band in the metal circuit, but true recognition came with their full length album, “All Hail the King”, in 2018.
Collaborative craft and individual wins
Lyrics are primarily written by Shasank, Siri, and Sravan while vocal melodies are developed by Siri and Sravan. “Songwriting is a collaborative effort. We discuss ideas, riffs, lyrics, and themes as a band to create each song,” says Sravan, adding Shasank won an online guitar solo competition organised by Furtados in 2014 while Siri won the Best tourism film award (popular choice) in the year 2016 at the Amaorgos tourism film festival, Greece.
Since all the four band members live in the same city, they connected through mutual friends or college. “We share a love for classic heavy metal bands like Judas Priest, Accept, Dio, and Iron Maiden, as well as thrash bands like Megadeth and Metallica,” says the musician.
He says Visakhapatnam has no established metal scene, with only a handful of people listening to this genre. “This shared passion brought us together, and we decided to form a band.”
From classmates to bandmates
Sravan and Shasank were college mates during their master’s at GITAM University, Visakhapatnam. “Although we attended the same school — Timpany School — we didn’t know each other then.” Siri, who pursued a degree in cinematography from a university in the UK, and Noble John connected with others in the band through mutual friends.
When Sravan and his bandmates first told their parents they were starting a heavy metal band, the news was met with surprise and skepticism. “But they later became supportive,” says Sravan.
Navigating passion amid challenges
Pursuing a career as a musician in India is challenging. “There’s often a conflict between parental expectations and personal passion, but fortunately, our parents understood and supported us,” says Sravan.
Another ongoing challenge for the band is balancing their passion for music with their professional lives, since music isn’t a full-time career for any of them. Shashank and Noble John work full-time jobs, Siri is a professional photographer and cinematographer, and Sravan manages his family business. “We all manage day jobs while finding time, money, and energy to create music,” he says.
Additionally, says Sravan, the dominance of regional music in India limits opportunities for heavy metal bands. “Despite this, we stay true to our passion and continue our journey.”
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Looking ahead with metal ambitions
“We are planning a new album in the near future. We look forward to performing at Wacken open air in Germany and HellFest in France which are world’s most prestigious metal festivals,” says Sravan. The band is also planning to organise concerts in India and abroad.
As Against Evil steadily makes its mark on the global metal scene, the band stays true to its roots and passion for the genre. With new music in the works and hopes of performing at some of the world’s biggest metal festivals, the journey ahead looks promising. For these four musicians from Visakhapatnam, the best is yet to come.
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