A band rose from Dhaka's underground scene to become a household name among the metal and prog rock fans of the country – Artcell.

In spite of almost a decade of inactivity, the band continues to spread madness among the youth. Thousands of voices chanting "Artcell, Artcell, Artcell!" resonate in the concert halls to this day.

In a conversation with The Daily Star, the band opens up about their recent activities, and their concert experiences over the decades.

The third Artcell album

Ever since the band came back to doing stage shows after their long hiatus, fans have been raving about their third album. The impatient, avid fans, have urged the band to stop with the 'high school drama' and give them new music. So, when is the album really coming out?

Artcell's drummer, Kazi Asheqeen Shaju, shared that they are done recording this much anticipated album. The mix-mastering is in progress right now.

"If everything goes to plan, we will launch the album this year, by the end of December," he said.

Ershad's participation in third album

Some of the fans might have expected guitarist Ershad Zaman's involvement in the third album, but the band clarified that he was officially, and legally, no longer a member of the band. Besides, he has been irregular at the practice sessions and recordings, since 2008.

Suffice to say that he does not have any kind of input in their upcoming album. However, he does have access to some commercial benefits from the record label for the songs he penned down in the past albums.

Their return

Beyond all odds, Artcell has made its way back on the stage. The band is now quite regular at gigs after their drummer, Shaju, has returned from abroad.

But what was it that brought them back?

According to the vocalist, George Lincoln D'Costa, their love for music and mutual respect for the band is what reunited them. Shaju believes it is the fans and their unbridled support that helped the band realise that they needed to get back into the music scene.

He said, "The tremendous support and the covers we saw online were receiving a lot of traction. And we always received a great number of tags and mentions on our social media platforms every day. This gave us the spirit to come back together. We knew people remembers us."

"It's amazing how these fans kept the band alive," Shaju added.

Gig plans

Artcell is now more selective about their gigs. They do not want to perform at too many gigs every month, and are careful about performing in an impactful manner.

However, the band does plan to arrange gigs in a couple of districts across the country, as well as abroad, soon after the launch of their third album.

Artcell's first concert

The year was 1999, and it was the ICMA auditorium in the capital's Katabon area. This used to be an underground venue back in the days.

"I was very nervous. It was only three months since I started learning drums, and we had just begun practising together," Shaju shares.

Shaju had brought his own local 'Tama pedals'— the double bass drum that was provided in the venue was too rough to kick. The concert was nerve-racking for them. They covered numbers such as Sepultura's "Propaganda" and "Beneath the Remains". By the end of their performance, his pedals broke apart.

Memorable Concerts

According to Shaju, Artcell's most memorable concerts would be three – the band's first solo concert in 2002, the 10th anniversary celebration concert, and the 20th anniversary celebration concert.

He said, "Our first solo concert in 2002 at the Russian Culture Centre (RCC), arranged by Alter Metal forum, was a hell of an experience."

Though this venue had a capacity of 300 people, over a thousand fans gathered there, and many were standing on the street, unable to be accommodated inside.  

"That was the first time we realised how crazy of a fan base we have. It was the beginning of witnessing the madness that people have for Artcell."

Shaju added that having legendary musicians of the country, such as Maqsoodul Haque, Labu Rahman, Hamin Ahmed, Iqbal Asif Jewel, Ibrahim Ahmed Kamal, Bassbaba, Shakib Chowdhury, Romel Ali and many more, at their 10th anniversary celebration concert has been an incomparable experience. And the 20th anniversary celebration concert has been remarkable for the band as well.

Concert audiences

According to Lincoln, he noticed the ways their audience have gotten smarter. According to him, the fans who truly understood their songs and message, were more important than the crazy fans.

Shaju shares how there used to be a crowd who would chant and urge Artcell to get on the stage amidst other bands. This was disrespectful for the other performers.

"But it's a whole new crowd now. They are young, and a little toned down. But they still sing along with us and give us support. That still remains the same" added Shaju with a pleasant smile.