There comes a time in every musician’s life when he questions the boundaries of the "genre" he belongs to. There’s this inherent urge to do something different, to step up ahead of other also-had-been bands. Some want to establish a unique sound (e.g. – the Maiden sound); others want to redefine their "genre" or create a "sub-genre" (symphonic black metal, for e.g.). In the end, they want to prove that they’re "unique", "creative" geniuses. Dangerous words, these – "different", "unique", "expand", etc. Few have the strength to uphold the core values and integrity of metal, on one hand, and expand the boundaries of their music, on the other. Shatriya, the 5-Piece band put together by musicians from Malaysia and Singapore (Kathi and Kannan on guitars, Shiva on drums, Arul on bass and Suraj on vox) is attempting to do this tight walk rope by singing metal in Tamil. I have consciously taken extra effort to be "descriptive", rather than "evaluative" in reviewing this album, as far as possible. The final judgement is that of the listener. Overall, the music is thrashy; mostly mid-paced songs; not too many solos or blast beats. Laudable is the fact that in the search of something "different", heaviness was not compromised. Half the songs have a strong message – related to Dharma /avoiding unnecessary violence, etc. (I have a strong hunch Kathi would have written these lyrics). The other songs are pure fun-and-frolic songs. Slightly disappointing are the vocals, which lack energy or aggression and look weak in comparison to the music as a whole. The songs are: Violence Straight thrash number; message is -"Avoid unnecessary brawls and violence – sharpen your brains, not your blade"; Kasethan (Means "Money only") Good riff; Has a small solo; Message is "Don’t be too money-minded; Work hard – build a career – prosperity will follow" Valkaiye Sorgantha (Means "Life’s Heaven") Slightly dull Song; Manitha (Means "Man") Vox are slightly deep in this song and it fits with the tone of the song – which is slightly like a ballad. Low on aggression and high on melody, this song stands out (whether that’s good or bad – I leave it to you). Message, as Millennium said it : "Only You can Change your Fate" Udumbu, How Are You? Has a slightly funky groove and a catchy rhythm. This is one of the "fun" songs describing how a guy is missing his "langotiya yaar" and their adventures together. 1025 CE Couldn’t figure out the meaning of the title – but this is one of the more thrashier songs in the album; even the vocals are more aggressive. Kore Solathey (Means "Don’t Crib") Fast paced and again, slightly aggressive vox. Theme is the title. Vaye Mudu (Means "Shut Up") One more "fun" song; Has a nice bass intro; Vocals are slightly deeper and more appropriate. Modern Penne (Means "Modern Girl") Good thrashy song – fast paced and good drumming; The vocals are slightly high-pitched on this. Personally, Metal in Tamil didn’t sound awkward. I feel any reasonably-open-minded, non-Tamilian, metalhead listening to Scandinavian bands shouldn’t have a problem – since you can’t figure out in either case. But, but, but, for a Tamil-savvy guy like me, there’s a problem: Most of the lyrics are in a dialect which is the slang / street-wise/rowdy kind. This gives a kind of cheap (if I might use the word) image; the few English words thrown about add something akin to a "hinglish" connotation, which is a bit irritating and spoils the fun of the music. All said and done, I’d strongly recommend fellow metalheads to give it a listening and form your own opinion. People interested in getting a recording of the CD can contact me at rattleheadram@yahoo.co.uk.