ZANJEER is a punk band from Bremen, Germany. The band was formed in 2020 with the intention of playing uncompromising political punk influenced by bands like Sial, Fertil Miseria, Ratos de Porao etc with lyrics in Urdu, Punjabi and Farsi - languages native to Pakistan, India and Iran. The members come from parts of the globe namely Colombia, Pakistan, England and Germany.

The band is comprised by veterans in their respective scenes, involved in acts such as Inferno Personale, Ex-dom, Cataphiles, Amenazas, Muro, Huffin Paint, Beast as God, Multinational Corporations and Dead Bhuttos. With each member bringing their own vastly different experience, influence and expertise to the table, Zanjeer stays poised to be a relevant act for the current hardcore punk landscape - giving a necessary window into the lives of people from the global south.

Their debut EP "Parcham Buland Ast" contains 6 tracks in 8 minutes, sending the listener into the chaotic world of religious extremism, violent post-colonial nationalism, crumbling environment and economic destruction. Lyrically and musically, this project seeks to narrate the frustration, the anger, and the hatred born out of systematic and consistent oppression.


Our take: Symphony of Destruction brings us the debut record from Zanjeer, a band based in Bremen, Germany, but featuring members from Colombia, Pakistan, England, and Germany singing lyrics in Urdu, Punjabi and Farsi. There’s been a lot of (long overdue) interest in the punk scene in hearing from marginalized voices, and Zanjeer seeks to provide, as the label’s description notes, “a necessary window into the lives of people from the global south.” I’ll let you read the lyrics yourself so you can hear what the band has to say about that rather than this white person’s summary, so I’ll keep my focus on the music, which rips! Zanjeer’s sound is pure hardcore without sounding like it’s too grounded in any specific sound… as with the members’ backgrounds, there’s a melting pot approach. “Nakhair” is built around a crushing mid-paced part that wouldn’t be out of place on a Warthog record, but moments like the off-time punches in “Ijtimayi Bemaari” or the lunging beat in “Na Un Moghe, Na Hala” sound unique and distinctive to me. It’s tough to make a record in this day and age that sounds fresh without compromising on the intensity and rippingness, but Zanjeer has done it. And its eye-catching screen printed packaging ensures you’ll want to pull it out and play it every time you flip past it.