Rock band Arogya has been putting in a lot of work in the Indian and Nepali metal scene chiefly, playing a lot and having two full-length albums under their belt. That work seems to be paying off now; they’ve just inked a deal with the German record label Out Of Line Records. That’s usually a big boost and will greatly help them with the release of their upcoming third album. Now, ‘Broken’ is the first single from it, and while it isn’t redefining synth-based hard rock or anything, it's catchy and nostalgic despite using 'modern' and sterile production.

That nostalgia comes from the pounding rhythms of mid-decade hard rock, accessible riffs and those synths. This is proper 2000s or early 2010s stuff and it’s potent. The vocal melodies are stretched out and have a sense of emo drama that only someone familiar with what hard rock was a decade and a half ago will truly bawl their eyes out to. That's not to say it’s only for them though; they are genuinely addictive melodies and tough not to sing along to. The grooves are simple, mid-tempo and played 'straight' with some gratifying switches between double-time and half-time for some added spice. The riffs are also those simple, chuggy and dramatic ones that let chords ring out in choruses and provide headbanging fodder in the song’s short breakdown of sorts. This is almost an excellent pop single disguised as a riff-drums rock song, but that accessible and catchy quality is what makes it stand out. It’s also backed by a full produced video, so as a label debut, ‘Broken’ is a great statement. There are more singles to come in the next few months, so there’s a lot to look forward to.