Cactus at a recent performance. Picture by Bishwarup Dutta

Cactus is one name that has remained constant through the decade-long progression of the Bangla music scene — from the “Bangla band era” to “Bangla rock era” and now, stepping into what the band likes to call the “new-age Bangla rock era”.

The journey hasn’t been smooth all the way. After three months of maintaining a low profile, August 26 witnessed a reincarnated Cactus, with Allan (of WISE) on guitars and Indra (of Urban Reflektions) on keyboards, replacing Sanjoy and Sudipto respectively. Sayak (formerly of Lakkhichhara) had joined to share vocal duties last year.

“Personal musical differences led to the change. Sudipto and Sanjoy could not relate to our sound anymore,” says vocalist Siddhartha, better known as Sidhu. But no one’s complaining. “The change has been for the better. The line-up is perfect now,” feels bass player Sandip. “Indra’s technical knowledge is mind-blowing. He has brought in an element of improvisation into our songs, helping us create a new sound. And Allan is like family to us. He is an amazingly thoughtful musician,” says an excited Sidhu.

Being close friends, the band has been mature in adjusting to the new musical changes — including major changes in song arrangements. “But that change has come about without compromising the soul of Cactus,” Sidhu insists. Thus, with new inspirations and a fresh new treatment, Cactus is embracing a new sound that leans towards alternative territory. “After our last show, our fans — who have been with us for a long time — came up to congratulate us. They said that they were proud of us and loved the new sound. That really means the world to us,” says Sandip.

So what’s next? “We had completed recording over half of our upcoming album with the last line-up. We are now working doubly hard with the new band to get it done by the end of this year. We are really excited about this record,” says Sidhu.

The sheer raw edge, immense enthusiasm and ability to assemble diverse musical styles into a great song have made Cactus one of the biggest players in the Bangla rock scene. Here’s hoping that the battle-savvy warhorses continue to rock.