Chepang – Jhyappa

Metalcatto

We all know that Metal is a melting pot (some people in the Black Metal community live in a fantasy, though), and we’ve seen our fair share of Folk Metal. However, how many times have you seen a band mix Grindcore with Nepali culture? Never, right? Well, that’s what Chepang promises in Jhyappa—a blasting and merciless delivery with some added detail and depth. But does it work? I was fairly skeptical. Let’s be real, this combination sounded like eating a chocolate cake with nachos on it—but who knows, maybe that’s also good. Let’s go!

What surprised me about Jhyappa wasn’t its subtle and tasteful folk elements, it was the depth of its sound. It feels as if we’re listening to the band live in a cold cave that also happens to be high up in a mountain. It doesn’t get more authentic than this. It’s unforgiving, like you’d expect from any Grindcore, but it has enough ups and downs to keep you from getting bored or numb. Even if the tracks are brief, they don’t overwhelm you with heaviness. Chepang isn’t afraid of changing things up. It is comfortable in places most bands in the genre wouldn’t dare to go.

It’s all about those drums that punch you deep into oblivion. I have no clue what the lyrics are about, but given the history of the Tibeto-Burman ethnic group, I assume it’s nothing funny or happy. Jhyappa is rather simple in its presentation and production. It manages to be raw but not rancid, which is always a plus in my book. Honestly, I can’t write all that much this time—the album feels almost like an EP. I had to read the promo a few times to be sure. In a way, it’s one long track with a few intermissions and a ton of blasting from the grave.

Now, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but if Jhyappa had been a bit longer, it might’ve added more depth to its ideas. Also, some of the spoken intermissions are hard to interpret without knowledge of the language. For a moment, I thought that “Khel” was a stand-up comedy sketch, but I have no way to know how serious—or how offensive—what I just said might be. It’s interesting, but a few more catchy riffs here and there would’ve sealed the deal for me.

So, in the end, Chepang delivers a few surprises that show its creativity and potential to make a difference in the scene. I’m not the biggest Grindcore fan, but I’d say Jhyappa is a solid introduction to the genre. It actually brings creativity to one of the least creative subgenres of extreme music. That has to be respected somehow, which is why I might dive into this “Immigrantcore” more often than usual.

Label: Relapse Records Records

Release date: 23 May, 2025 

Website: https://chepang.bandcamp.com/album/jhyappa

Country: USA/Nepal

Score: 3.5/5.0 from nowhere!