Popular Bands of Pakistan
House no 362-M Block ,
Lahore
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Pakistani rock is a form of rock music that is largely produced in Pakistan. It incorporates elements of both American rock and Pakistani classical music. It has its own distinctive elements, such as a homegrown class of sounds and melodies, spanning progressive rock, hard rock, or heavy metal. Pakistani rock is almost entirely sung in Urdu, however many new bands have recently come out with songs in Punjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and English.
History
Pakistani rock began with the arrival of American satellite television in the 1990s.[1] The popular form of music quickly spread throughout the country and with that came the arrival of various rock bands. Bands Vital Signs and Junoon were regarded as the pioneers of Pakistani rock. Other bands such as Strings began in the mid 1990s and during the late 1990s underground bands were becoming a norm in cities across Pakistan. Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad witnessed an explosion of rock bands and concerts in 2000 as Pakistan began to liberalize under President Musharraf's "enlightened moderation" campaign.In 2004 a major climax in the rock music of Pakistan occurred with the arrival of a band called JAL.This band totally changed the concept of rock in Pakistan and after that many JAL influenced bands appeared.This band also played a lead role to inject rock music in Indian film industry.In 2006 Raeth (Pakistani Band)spread waves across the border by there debut song Bhula Doh which became a number one on Mtv Top Charts next to Kailash Kher's Song Saaiyan.
[edit]Sufi Rock
The band Junoon is said to be the pioneers of Sufi Rock, a genre of Pakistani rock which mixes Sufi poetry with modern rock elements. They sing mostly in Urdu, in a style blending Western hard rock with Sindhi and Punjabi folk and Qawwali. Junoon effectively created an audience for rock music in Pakistan. "The band's appeal reaches beyond the Westernised elite", said Newsweek. Q magazine called them "One of the biggest bands in the world". The New York Times referred to Junoon as "the U2 of Pakistan". In a preview of Junoon's performance at the House of Blues in Los Angeles, the L.A. Times said that Junoon's "ability to captivate audiences" is "inspiring Beatles-like reactions". Junoon has been credited with beginning the "Junooni" generation in Pakistan, similar to that of the MTV generation in the United States.
[edit]Contemporary Rock
The majority of all Pakistani rock bands are contemporary in nature, often mixing soft rock with Pakistani classical music. Several popular bands, including EP, Call, and Noori, have been integral in revitalizing the rock culture in Pakistan.
[edit]Heavy Metal
The roots of Pakistani hard rock and metal can be traced back to the first wave of bands from the late 1980s and early 1990s. The bands Final Cut and Barbarians are considered the earliest Pakistani heavy metal bands. Although they were short-lived, they influenced many other musicians. The second wave of heavy metal artists, including bands such as Dhun which was Fawd Baloch's more conventional metal project and Black Warrant which still continues to promote the genre. Later bands like Mizraab, a band led by Faraz Anwar that is considered to be Pakistan's first progressive metal band, have also played a significant role in promoting the growth of metal music in Pakistan. Furthermore, bands such as Jehangir Aziz Hayat, Takatak, Messiah and Foreskin are examples of significant metal bands that have surfaced in the past five years.
[edit]Underground
"Underground" is an umbrella term that covers bands that perform in small establishments throughout the country, most notably in the various universities and colleges in Pakistan. Bands like Kainath, Seth, Incision, Black Warrant and symphonic metal band Jangli Jaggas were some of the earliest underground bands. Other bands such as Burzukh, Corpsepyre, Holy Black, Against All Odds, Hassan Sheraz, Ecstasy, ICU and Sifr have recently emerged. There are a large number of bands from all across Pakistan at present including The world famous Kamode Band, Black Warrant, Paranoid, Mercury, Kain, Ahsan the band, Drain, Lithium, Drainage, Cultural Jukebox, The Rising, Genocide, and Hypnotix-2000. The underground scenes in both Karachi and Lahore are teeming with college students eager to become famous. ICU is the first Pakistani punk band.
More recently Death Metal and Progressive Metal have experienced a rise in popularity in the underground Pakistani music scene. Newer bands composed mostly of university students have taken a huge step in taking the heavy metal scene of Pakistan forward. Bands like Berserker, Black Warrant, Cardinal Sin, Elegy, Communal Grave, Dementia, Odyssey, Takatak, Keeray Makoray, Reckoning Storm, Ruin and Soul Vomit among others have already made their mark in Pakistan.
[edit]Famous bands
Aaroh
AAREZ The Band
Arsh The Band
* Black Warrant
Call
EP
Fuzon
Jal
Jehangir Aziz Hayat
Josh
Junoon
Karavan
The Kominas
Laal
Lahu
Mauj
Mekaal Hasan Band
Mizraab
Noori
Roxen
[RAETH}
Seth
Strings
Sajid & Zeeshan
Vital Signs
Takatak
SYMT
