INSTEP Magzine




1. 'War in Heaven' Aatish Raj and Zeeshan Parwez
Composed first in 1995, 'War in Heaven' is one of the finest musical pieces ever done in the local music scene. Musically, it's very haunting, moody with a tinge of sadness. It begins with a voiceover, but it not singing by any means. The reference to Lucifer in the voiceover is a take on the Biblical concept of War in Heaven in which rebellious angels led by Lucifer fight a war against angels loyal to God. Thus begins the war. 'War in Heaven' is not hardcore number, but quite mellow, especially with the addition of keyboards and the good part is, it is not a congested track by any means that attempts to do too much. There is a lot of sadness to it that can be reflected on the times that we live in. Brilliant! According to Nadeem Farooq Paracha, "The genre of this track is a cross between Industrial Rock and Art Rock." Aatish Raj is actually the brainchild of music critic/ ad man Nadeem Farooq Paracha and it first came into being in early 1994. Along with two "helpers" the band went on to release two albums, Hard Tar and Black Bile (1995) and Baaghiraja (1996). Both albums saw limited release on cassettes in Karachi and Lahore. After over a decade, Aatish Raj is back with this track. Now, Aatish Raj is just NFP with Zeeshan Parwez holding the production forte for the track. Good news is, there is a video in the making, which is being directed by Zeeshan Parwez, so do watch out. In the meantime, download this number.

2. 'Mera Pyar' Arooj Aftab and Mizraable
Composed first by guitar prodigy Aamir Zaki in 1995, this track has been covered many times. Arooj Aftab's version of 'Mera Pyar' is a must listen, primarily because of her voice. Arooj hasn't tried to replicate the exact same guitar riffs. On the contrary, she put her own musical knowledge to test here and as a result has created a number that remains superlative. She sings convincingly and even though she is unable to bring Zaki's morbid style, she brings a level of subtle aggression that sets this track apart from the original. Interestingly, Arooj reminds one of Candy Perira of The Milestones fame. That said, she is certainly not a copy cat act. Currently studying music at the Berkeley College of Music in Boston, Arooj Aftab, when she returns, will be a great new addition the local music scene. A great cover of the original, this is a must hear for all. Other covers include 'Mera Pyar' by Aamir Zaki and Hadiqa Kiyani.

3. 'London Calling' The Clash
If one were looking to hear a great punk rock number, a great choice would be 'London Calling'. In terms of sound, it's an accomplished track. With some hardcore drumming, a strong bass line and guitar forming the musical structure, 'London Calling' is gripping and quite edgy. Lyrics penned by Joe Strummer and Mick Jones, pinpoint to a number of events that took place around the world at that time. The title, 'London Calling' was a reference to BBC radio identity, "This is London calling" back in the World War II. "Nuclear error" was also a reflection on the partial meltdown of a US nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania in 1979, which led to the deaths of almost 1000 innocent lives. Released in 1979, this single along with the album (of the same title) became The Clash's first critical and commercial success. Now ranked amongst the top 100 albums of all times, making The Clash, one of the world's most influential musical acts of all times!

4. 'One' U2 and Mary. J. Blige
A collaboration between U2 and Mary. J. Blige, this track is a re-created version that was first composed by the band in 1991 for their seventh studio album, Achtung Baby. Mary has sung majority of the track and has done an exceptional job doing so with support from Bono in the chorus. She not only sings but it seems that she believes in the words, which is exactly how such thematic songs should be sung. Lyrically, this song is about universal oneness amongst people, irrespective of their caste, creed, race and gender. There is also a belief that it's about the relationship of Bono with his father after the death of his mother when he was 14. In 2005, Mary and U2 re-recorded this ditty and 2006 saw its release, leading U2 to win Britain's best one-line lyric poll for the words, "One life with each other/sisters and brothers."

5. 'I Write Sins not Tragedies' Panic! At the Disco
What a fun song this really is. A cut above traditional progressive American rock, 'I Write Sins not Tragedies' moves from guitar riffs to keyboard nuances and consequently, creates a blend of American rock-meets-alternative school of music. The theme behind the song is brilliant. It's about a man who's nervous about getting married and ends up hearing that his soon-to-be-bride might be a prostitute. Paranoia followed by rationality leads him to the bright side, which is that there will be no divorce. But this is no whiny-sad love ditty but rather hard-hitting.
This song was the band's first single in 2006, which later won them 5 nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards and one win for Video of the Year.