Cactus has been the forerunner of the Bengali rock scene since the early 90s. Unlike many other such Bengali bands that have come and gone during this period, Cactus is one of the few bands which has firmly stood the test of time. Blah Blah Blah is their fourth studio album, after the release of Tucho in 2008.

Blah BlahBlah is more of an experimental album for Cactus, they have deviated a little from their usual classic rock genre and gone into Alternative/Modern Rock and this album contains new renditions of three of their older songs. The album opens with the title track ‘Blah Blah Blah’ which talks about how politicians build up hopes with their nonsensical jabber and bring them crashing down to the ground later on. This track has a very bass-filled verse and some broken nu-metal riffs. Also, guitarist Ritaprabha Ratul Ray has put in some beautiful work with delays on this track and a screechy Tom Morello-ish like solo. The outro of this number also has a very Rage Against The Machine vibe to it. Next up is ‘Boro Deri’ which starts with an eerie ambience and a heavy bobby bass from Sandip Roy, and Ratul too puts in some beautiful chords and little fleeting solos here and there making this one of the eased out songs of the album.

‘Dulchhe’ has a very groovy and powerful chorus that really moves you. The bass line during the last verse is amazing coupled with a beautiful old-school rock kind of guitar solo and a very crazy techno-ish end thus making this track one of those where the band takes the listener on a ride over Crazy Mountain.

The track ‘Status Update’ ironically has nothing to do with any social network; rather it addresses the fact that Bengalis are generally very fond of procrastination. This track incorporates some nice tricks using the phase shift on the guitars.

The first of the three re-works on the album is the song ‘Mon’ which originally featured on their 2002 album Nil Nirjone. The song is a tad disappointing since the original was a very soothing song where the theme of the lyrics clicked perfectly with the music. This newer version on the other hand does not quite fit the theme and also has some sour interludes. Listeners who have appreciated the original version may not quite enjoy this newer rendition. The next track is a rework of ‘Nil Nirjone’. The intro riff once again has a slight RATM vibe to it. The bouncy bass lines, along with some groovy drumming from Sibaji Baji Paul, enhances the mood and takes this version to another level entirely. Ratul also unveils some clever and intricate tricks here and there making this one of my favourite songs from the album.

‘Noah’ is the last of the reprise tracks in this album and is actually better than the original. The simple but elegant acoustic riff fits so perfectly into the mood that you just cannot resist singing along. And the drums come in magnificently with such preciseness giving the track a whole new definition. Also, the outro totally reminds me of Pink Floyd and their dramatic endings. The next composition ‘Shohoj’ starts off with a funky groove. Some nice Ray Manzarek styled riffs along with up-tempo guitar riffs gives this track a very alternative character.

All in all, this entire album is a breath of fresh air for Cactus fans. With Zorran Mendonsa on the production duties the bass was more prominent on the album and it felt really nice. Pus the guitars were intricately placed and lots of different influences were noticed here and there. It was very nice to see Cactus evolving with their sound and finding a new definition for it all.