ArtcelL - Leading Bangla Band

Basically Artcell is a Heavy Metal band with Progressive inspirations. But obviously the band is arguably the first ever Progressive Rock band of the country and also experiments with tunes from other metal genres such as Thrash.


History and formation:
Ershad Bhai used to be the guitarist of a band named Tantrik back in 1999. Current vocalist/guitarist, Lincoln Bhai, joined Tantrik just before the group disbanded. They were looking for a bassist and a drummer when they met Cezanne Bhai (through friends) and Shaju Bhai (who used to attend same coaching-classes with Lincoln Bhai).

The members later renamed their band to Artcell in August 1999 and the band was officially formed in November 1999.



Influences and Lyrical Theme:
The band cites American Thrash Metal group, /MetallicA\, as its main influence, They also name Progressive group Dream Theater as a very important inspiration. They occasionally quote Pink Floyd as an influence too. Ershad Bhai himself is heavily influenced by Jazz and Classical Stuffs (Al Di Meola, Paco De Lucia, Dire Straits, etc.). Cezanne Bhai quotes Bassist Billy Sheehan, John Myung (Dream Theater) etc. and Lincoln Bhai is mostly influenced by Thrash and Extreme bands, as he mentions Sepultura, Pantera, Sodom, Kreator, Death, Cannibal Corpse, Nile, Deicide, Monstrosity, Morbid Angel etc. as his influence. Shaju Bhai is influenced by Thrash, Death and some Progressive bands.

Their lyrics typically highlight anger about social injustice and hypocrisy. But their first album also had philosophical songs with softer tone. Like all other groups of the progressive sub-genre, Artcell plays significantly with timing and scale and a few drastic changes in a song which is not new to their fans.

Although they have released a$$-kicking titles like Chile Kothar Sephai - a song that incidentally shares name with a famous novel by Akhtaruzzaman Ilias - in general, their songs are targeted towards an audience with a more sophisticated sense of music.


Members:
The band stands on its four pillars:

* Lincoln - Vocal and Rhythms/Riffs
* Ershad - Lead Guitars
* Cezanne - Bass
* Shaju - Drums

While still being a member of Artcell, Cezanne Bhai also worked with legendary Bangladeshi metal band, Warfaze, as a part-timer fill-in bassist and recorded a full studio album "Moharaj" with them.

A few years after the bands formation - tragedy struck. In 2002, a close friend of the members and the main songwriter for the band, Rupok Bhai (R.I.P.), passed away after being infected by the fatal disease, cerebral malaria. The incident happened when the band was working on their first solo album - Onnoshomoy. The album was dedicated to Rupok. The fourth track on this album is titled as “Rupok - Ekti Gaan”.


Discography:

Full-length Studio album:
- 2002 - Onno Shomoy
Number of tracks - 10; Total length – 65 minutes (approx.); Label - G-Series

Singles - released in Mixed albums
- Aguntok - Osstitter Dikey Pododdhonir Shommohon
- Aguntok 2 - Chile Kothar Shepai
- Aguntok 3 - Bangladesh… Sriti O Aamra
- Charpotro - Odekha Shwargo
- Din Bodol - Aashirbaad (along with Black and Cryptic Fate)
- Lokayot - Chherha Akash
- Onushilon - Dukkho Bilash & Opshori
- Projonmo - Shopner Chorus