Avant-garde metal finds a new voice in Kolkata band’s first release

City-based avant-garde metal band EQS (Eris Quod Sum) has released East Coker IV, the first single from its upcoming debut EP i, marking a significant step in its journey to carve a distinct identity in India’s evolving metal scene. Formed in 2018, EQS was founded by composer, vocalist and lyricist Piqu, with a clear intent: to move away from what the band calls the “overused tropes” of modern djent and metalcore, and reintroduce depth, texture, and unpredictability into heavy music. Drawing from a wide sonic palette—90s metal subgenres, grunge, and jazz—the band’s sound leans toward the experimental, layered further with symphonic elements. “The sonic vision of EQS actually dates back to 2015,” says Piqu. “What began as a grunge- and jazz-driven acoustic project evolved into what you hear today. There was a need to go fully electric, given the resources we had at the time.” That blend—blues-laden grunge, jazz voicings, and the darker, percussive weight of metal—forms the core of EQS’s songwriting. The result, according to the band, is something “erratic and exotic at the same time,” deliberately resisting formula. The newly released track, East Coker IV, reflects this ethos both musically and thematically. Built on a minor key structure and layered with dense symphonic textures, the song explores themes of faith and redemption in a restless modern world. “It discusses religion as a path of redemption for an ever-greedy, ever-confused, and ever-rushing human race,” Piqu explains. The release also sets the stage for the band’s long-awaited debut EP i, recorded between 2021 and the summer of 2022, and scheduled to release on April 15, 2026. The delay, the band admits, was far from smooth. “Human incompetence and dishonesty played a big role in holding things up,” Piqu says candidly. “We had to deal with a lot of unpredictability, both within and outside the band. Inexperience didn’t help either.” Despite the setbacks, EQS is now looking ahead. With a second EP already in pre-production, the band’s ambitions are clear—and unapologetically bold. “The plan is simple,” Piqu says. “To become the chosen one in India’s metal.” At a time when India’s independent music landscape is expanding across genres, EQS’s arrival signals a push toward more experimental, genre-defying metal—rooted in Kolkata, but aiming for a far wider resonance.