Any conscientious person who inhabits the upper echelons of society would have been acutely aware of their sense of privilege given all that transpired last year in terms of the riots in Delhi, the lockdown and the resultant migrant crisis, farmers' protests, etc. Sahil Makhija is no different. The pioneering metal musician who fronts veteran act Demonic Resurrection tells us, "The pandemic gave me a different perspective on life in general. I come from a fairly privileged background and am not struggling. My job wasn't affected. So, seeing the situation in India - the migrants, the riots, the general political atmosphere and people suffering because of the situation - gave me a different outlook on how grateful I should be about what I have."

It's this feeling of gratitude that led Makhija, 38, to create And This Too Shall Pass, an EP that he has released in his solo avatar, Demonstealer, after a gap of two years. He says that he had become disillusioned with the indie scene in the intervening period (which is understandable, given how metal music is still somewhat of a pariah within a circuit that feeds off more approachable sounds). But he realised that others have way more reasons for disgruntlement, and that there is no point in moping when - apart from his economic privilege - he also has the added privilege of being able to create music. And he thus set his misgivings aside and did a one-man-army job of ensuring that this EP sees the light of day.