Bloodywood

Phantom Light Media
Jul 19, 2025
2 min read

Back in 2023, Bloodywood visited the Hawthorne Theater during a full-length US headlining tour and left the crowd ravenous for more of their unique blend of Indian folk music and crushing nu-metal grooves. Now, over two years later, they came back to deliver just that during an off stretch of their current US tour supporting Babymetal and Jinjer. The show sold out within a matter of weeks and spirits were high as patrons flooded the Hawthorne’s floor the near minute the doors opened. Local legends (and friends of this writer) Vintersea soon stormed the stage to open the night with a crushing set of Portland’s finest blackened melodeath, which got heads banging and bodies swaying in short order. Fresh off a triumphant return and helmed by new singer Kayla Dixon (also of Witch Mountain), the quintet blazed through several favorites off their latest album - 2024’s Woven Into Ashes - and previewed new material to the obvious delight of those who were familiar with their intricate and exquisite soundscapes. Vintersea have long been one of the proudest products of the Portland metal scene, and their brief but powerful showing on the Hawthorne stage made it quite clear to all in attendance that they have been revitalized by their break and are ready to take their talents to blistering new heights.

Soon, it was time for the main event. Bloodywood is comprised of six members who combine modern nu-metal arrangements with instruments pulled from their home city of New Delhi, a locale they pay extensive homage to on their second studio album, Nu Delhi (2025). Those six members made their presence known with absolutely zero subtlety as the frenetic percussion intro to standout 2022 single “Dana-Dan” blasted into the darkened theater to roars of applause from all assembled. It’s a rapid-fire song that leaves no room for standing still, and the sold-out floor crowd was soon a mass of writhing bodies as dual lead vocalists Jayant Bhadula and Raoul Kerr whipped them into a frenzy through call-and-response lyrics and fast-paced rap verses. Their set was short for a headliner, capping out at 9 songs and approximately 70 minutes of high-energy riffs paired with expertly-layered melodies. Cuts from the Nu Delhi album (“Tadka”, “Nu Delhi”) were received with impressive amounts of synchronized jumping, while mosh pits would soon form for some of the band’s more aggressive tracks off the Rakshak album (“Machi Bhasad”, “Gaddaar”). Between the groove-laden fills of drummer Vishesh Singh and the constant percussive presence of the band’s iconic dhol drum (wielded by Sarthak Pahwa), the night was filled with dancing and headbanging alike. Despite the short set, Bloodywood once again proved why they are an absolute must-see live act as the crowd began to disperse, tired but euphoric from the night’s festivities. It’s clear the band’s rise to metal prominence is just beginning, and it would come as no surprise if they headline a much larger venue upon their next visit to Rose City.

Bloodywood setlist: