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In a metal mood
Progressive rock is a genre light years away from the Pakistani pop mainstream. Its hallmarks are lengthy, grandiose song structures, complex, narrative lyrics and a running theme that often culminates into a ‘concept’ album. Rush, Yes and Dream Theatre are a few of the bands that have made inroads in global prog-rock (as it is known for short) circles, with Rush deserving special mention for their tight songwriting and legendary musicianship. However, in the shifting sands of the local pop environment, a Pakistani group has picked up the gauntlet to carry forward the torch of this ‘thinking man’s metal.’ Their name is Mizraab.
A quartet featuring lead-guitarist Faraz Anwar, Jamie (Jamal Mustafa) on rhythm guitars, Khalid Khan on bass (though he has departed the band as per the latest) and Irfan Ahmad behind the drum kit, Mizraab is on the verge of releasing their second record, the interestingly titled Mazi, Haal, Mustaqbil. Faraz and Jamie talked about what the band hopes to achieve and what it has achieved in its past, present and future. Sub tu soniyeh this definitely isn’t.
“The genesis of Mizraab took place in 1997, but at that time the make-up was a little different as we didn’t have the same members. We went on to release an album, Panchi, in 1998, but I was not satisfied with the end result, recording-wise and production-wise, so we didn’t hype it at all. There were no videos, none of that stuff. Now we are back with a new record, so that’s a brief history,” says Faraz. Apparently, a former band member had taken the rough mix of the first album and released the record without Faraz’s knowledge. This bit of audio brigandry caused the creative lull and now, after a gap of four years, the band is back to give the big time another shot – this time on their own terms.
There have been three video singles released from the unreleased new record; Insaan, along with the animated clips for Meri taran and Izhar, a punk-ish barn-burner which could have won the band more mileage had the video been executed better.
Mizraab’s new album is ready for release, but according to sources, it is being held up because of lack of enthusiasm on the part of local record labels.
“We’re ready to go. It’s a concept album, something along the lines of Pink Floyd. It’s based on a single story and the central concept of the record is human beings. We’ve explored the different problems man faces in everyday life,” Faraz Anwar says.
Is it possible that Mizraab is having a hard time marketing their record to labels because it is such a guitar-heavy album? Even though the local music market has matured considerably, there seems to be a sort of silent aversion to loud, hard, fast guitars.
“Everybody knows that making rock music is a risky task in Pakistan. But I think there is growing acceptance of rock. Somebody’s got to take the first step and let people know this music exists,” replies Faraz.
Does the guitarist see any other potential crusaders out their who might want to join the battle to plant the flag of rock music atop the hill of profitable record sales?
“Well, there’s Ali Noor, but I don’t really consider that rock. That’s more of an American pop-rock sound. We’re pretty much the only ones doing alternative or progressive rock. I don’t know what’s going to happen. But I do know that we’re trying our best to kick-start the scene. All we can do is hope for the best,” stays the stoic guitar slinger.
Though Mizraab have their lyrics written by an outside source, Faraz is adamant about steering clear of cliches when it comes to subject matter for songs.
“We have focused on the problems and dilemmas a normal person faces. If you listen to what’s out there, everybody is writing and singing about the same old stuff, all that lovey-dovey nonsense. Nobody talks about real life. Nobody discusses issues in their music. I believe this type of music can also be commercially viable, that is, only if the media supports us. If the media is not behind us like it is with other genres of music, how do you expect alternative music to survive?” Faraz asks rhetorically.
“We don’t just look at our music as pure entertainment. Expression is very important to us. I don’t know how much entertainment value our music has, but I think it’s only going to appeal to people who can identify with our work on an emotional level,” Jamie adds to the discussion.
What is the band’s stance on videos?
“Ideally, I would want our videos to be literal interpretations of our songs. But we just don’t have the budgets. Take Pink Floyd for example. Their concepts were brilliant. We dream up similar concepts, but how are we going to execute them if we don’t have the budgets? To date, all our videos have been self-financed. All the band members have chipped in to complete the costs. We’ve had no sponsors,” says Faraz.
Naturally, this leads into the issue of sponsorship, a hot topic in musicians’ circles nowadays. As soon as the topic is raised, Faraz Anwar laughs in an almost facetious, sarcastic manner. As the guitarist gathers his composure, Jamie attempts an answer.
“Sponsorship is great as there is no established music industry in this country. Obviously, bands need sponsors as they cannot keep pouring money into videos and albums out of their own pockets. But of course, there is a major catch. One must not compromise on one’s artistic integrity. For instance, if there’s a subtle shot of the sponsor’s product in the video, I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. But the product shouldn’t be the central focus of the music. At least the product’s name shouldn’t be mentioned in the songs. It shouldn’t be a blatant sell. Music is an art form, as are music videos.”
Though Mizraab is the tie that binds these musicians, they are all also involved in side projects, basically to keep their boat afloat, financially. Faraz Anwar works with popster Ali Haider, Irfan has worked with Strings while Jamie has played sessions for Mekaal Hasan.
“We need to do other projects because that is how we make money to put into our videos,” reveals Faraz.
With a tight live sound, intelligent, dense tracks and engaging concepts, this band of progressive metal troopers are walking the delicate line between mainstream success and underground notoriety. They have the requisite talent. All that is needed now to take Mizraab into orbit is support from the mandarins of the local music industry.
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