System of a Brown Tour: Bloodywood/ The Pretty Wild/ La Drones/ Ankor

Phantom Light Media
Apr 22
3 min read

I had my first real, authentic exposure to Indian culture at a San Diego wedding back in 2024. The groom and his family were all from India, and thus the couple decided to have two receptions, one a more traditional American-style gathering, and another featuring all the food, music, and festivities one could expect from an Indian celebration. Now, I’ve never been much of a traditional wedding person, so I may be somewhat biased when it comes to how I judge these events, but believe me when I say the Indian reception was, simply put, a PARTY! I danced more that night than I had at any of the other weddings I attended combined. The energy, the food, the unspoken notion that anyone and everyone was almost obligated to partake in the festivities; it all combined to create one of the most memorable nights of my life.

I mention this because when I heard that Bloodywood would be bringing their unique brand of Indian metal to Boise on their System of a Brown tour, I knew I couldn’t miss the opportunity to revisit that same energy I had felt years before.

Opening the night was alt-metal five-piece Ankor, hailing from Catalonia, Spain. With electronic synths punctuated by metalcore-style breakdowns combined with lead singer Jessie Williams showing incredible range with both clean and harsh vocals, their set kicked the show off in high gear. The energy from the crowd was electric from the outset, with a healthy pit for almost every song and lots of engagement from the front rail. The band’s onstage antics helped fuel the mood, with Williams interacting and dancing with the rest of the band at various points. Guitarist Fito Martínez was particularly animated, and I’m pretty sure I saw him fall over dead at least three times throughout the set. Overall, it was the perfect opening to a night full of pleasant surprises.

Next up was Guadalajara-based Ladrones, bringing a unique blend of traditional Mexican music, rap, and metal; what they call Flow Pesado. Their combination of moody acoustic guitars and punchy electric metal riffs were a hit with the crowd, with half jumping up and down like they were at a party and half moshing in the pit that dominated the floor in front of the stage. Lead vocalists Zxmyr and Cirujano Resendez traded off throughout their set, mixing clean hip hop flows with occasional harsh screams that lent their performance its particular flavor. My only issue with this set is that it wasn’t longer, and I can easily envision Ladrones headline their own shows someday.

The Pretty Wild followed, led by sisters Jyl and Jules Wylde. The duo performed with a chemistry that only comes from decades of practice and experience, with both trading off on clean and harsh vocals. Their set was reminiscent of all the best parts of early-mid 2000s rock-pop, but with a much more modern flare. Their showmanship and personality onstage meant that their set felt much shorter than it actually was, despite being the longest of the night thus far. There was never a moment that felt like it dragged or could have been tightened to improve the flow of the performance. It was the perfect buildup to the show’s headliner.

As much as I love shooting photos at shows, there are occasionally bands that make me wish I didn’t have my camera hanging around my neck so I could join the rest of the crowd in the pit. Bloodywood is one of those bands. From the outset, vocalists Jayant Bhadula and Raoul Kerr engaged with the audience in ways that often gave context to their songs, and everyone in their band maintained the energy of the leads. This gave the impression that each band member was an artist that could have held their own onstage if they needed to. Mixing traditional Indian instruments with nu metal and metalcore influences meant that their live performances felt almost celebratory, with people dancing as much as they were moshing. This fits with much of the band’s messaging, both on and off the stage, with them often advocating for and celebrating diversity and promoting various charity causes. While their set was shorter than some of the headliners I’ve seen lately, the constant vibrance of the performance meant that every song hit hard and only left the crowd wanting more.

Overall, this was one of the best shows I’ve seen in recent memory. The diversity in this lineup was one of its greatest strengths, and lasting only a little over three hours meant that it didn’t overstay its welcome. If you haven’t been able to catch the System of a Brown tour yet, I’d highly recommend it!