Shree 3 drops new single

By Mannu Shahi

Influenced by acts like Sleep, High and Fire, Kyuss amidst others, Shree 3 is a stoner rock/sludge metal trio based in Kathmandu founded by the veteran guitarist Sarad Shrestha, bassist Rozet Gurung, and drummer Robin Neupane. 

The group believes music can’t be restricted to any forms or boundaries; thus, the band relishes tons of genres ranging from rock n’ roll, blues, heavy metal and alternative rock to grunge rock, stoner rock, sludge metal and strives, to create an experimental sonic palate comprehending diverse stylistic resources.

Formed in July 2016, the group came to existence through a cover band project partaking in the grunge tribute show organized in Kathmandu the same year to celebrate some global grunge icons and their music. Amidst the tribute bands were the members of Shree 3 collaborating with other musicians to pull off the homage performance. 

And only a year after that, the three guys cohered and released two singles: ‘Eutai Antya’, a straight-forward pop rock song, and ‘Sanity Wreck’, their debut English funky tune. Both the tracks were more in-sync with the Nepali mainstream rock aesthetics that guitarist Shrestha helped popularize.

Sarad Shrestha was the former guitar player in the prominent rock group The Axe Band, which literally alleviated the construction of this “Nepali mainstream rock” sound that most of us are very familiar with now. Hits like ‘Thado Jane Ukalo’, ‘Timro Najarle’ and ‘Euta Chitti’ incorporated the sleekest of guitar phrases, and every kid growing up in the mid-2000s’ wanted to play guitar to appear as cool as Sarad Shrestha.  

But the guitarist, engrossed in the quest to learn, unlearn and contrive his musicality, left The Axe after nearly two decades of association, and embarked on his experimental journey with outfits like Tumbleweed Inc., 2 Gunslingers, Shree 3, and his solo project. The guitarist deems just as cool and relevant even today because of his perseverance for continually refining his skills and reinventing his music time and again throughout his vibrant and evolving career arc.

Following the release of their singles, Shree 3 dropped their debut ten track album “Drabya Dharma” in May 2019 comprising a heavier, progressive and contemplative timbre which panned out this concrete vision the trio was trying to forge further. 

Lyrically, the album ravels around different concepts, such as individual thought patterns, self-reflection, socio-politics, and economic issues. Their seven track sophomore album “Rust In Dust” released in January 2022, intensifies the stoner rock and doom metal essence, and lyrically sheds lights on topics like fantasy, cosmos and death, and a message that new beginnings only emanate after  agonizing endings.

And the trio dropped a new single last Thursday, on December 15, 2022, titled ‘Rangamanch’, a Nepali banger, after quite some time. Recorded, mixed, mastered and produced by Bishal Nepali of Broken Egg Recording Studio, an abiding collaborator and the audio person for Shree 3 since their sophomore entry.

The video is directed by Sushil Manandhar a.k.a. Dr. Rollin of the Banana X-press; produced by Hendrix & Tracy who have also officially uploaded the video via their channel; starring Manashi Tamang. 

Due to former drummer Robin Neupane’s departure for higher studies to the UK, the group replaced their backbone introducing Samrat Manandhar (formerly of Kazuki JJ) on the drums-throne. The prog-rock tune embodies detailed, well-structured patterns weaved in an intricate and saporous arrangement. Overall, it is a very promising tune by the group, so definitely check it out in case you’ve missed this one.