VIP: Nemesis sound checks privilege
After an eight-year hiatus, Nemesis returns with ‘VIP’—an album that balances raw introspection, sonic experimentation, and a sharp critique of the privileged
You can think whatever you want about Nemesis, but one thing's for sure — they're easily one of the tightest-sounding bands out there. Whether you're listening to them live or diving into their studio work from the past fifteen years, their music has this unmistakable polish that's as smooth as it is sonically soothing.
This past Saturday morning, they switched gears for something more intimate — an unplugged, low-key show for a crowd of about a hundred of the band's closest supporters and close associates.
It was the kind of setting that might've put a cap on the full range of the band's diverse instrumental talents, but what it did instead was shine a spotlight right on Zohad's voice. Raw, powerful, and beautifully imperfect, it filled the cosy space like smoke curling through morning sunlight.
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And just as the acoustic session wrapped up, they played their freshly finished fourth studio album over the speakers — ten (well eight, as two tracks were released earlier as singles) brand-new tracks that fans could vibe to on the spot while munching on their breakfast bento boxes; the very same tracks you could stream later tonight.
'VIP'marks Nemesis' studio comeback after an eight-year hiatus, and as the listening party culminated, we caught up with the band to discuss all things VIP.
First things first—what's up with the title? Why VIP?
"It's about the privileged 'VIP culture' that persists around us. It needs to go," Zohad Reza Chowdhury explained.
The band believes that just about everyone around us has, at some point, felt the sting of the privileged class — the kind that stems from a broken system where the privileged few walk all over the rules and the rest of us are left to deal with the consequences.
"Yeah, we play rock, sure. But that doesn't mean that's all we listen to. We're constantly exploring, constantly being influenced by different kinds of sounds —even electronic music, and we even incorporated some electronic elements into this album to keep things interesting."
It's especially visible in a country like Bangladesh, where entitlement seems baked into the daily grind. You could be standing patiently in a line for hours, only to watch someone with status waltz in and get served first, no questions asked, no apologies given.
Or you're stuck in a suffocating traffic jam, honking with a thousand others, while the streets are cleared for a VIP to glide through without a single red light slowing them down.
These imbalances are exactly what the band wanted to capture, especially in the title track, where some of the lyrics are laced with sarcasm and frustration. Lines such as —"Ami VIP, ulto paash diye chalai gaari" ("I'm a VIP, I drive past you with pride") stand out — a biting reference, as Zohad explained, to those all-too-familiar scenes where the powerful think nothing of speeding down the wrong lane with their security convoy in tow, simply because they can.
That said, the album isn't entirely built around that theme of social inequality. In fact, the band points out that VIP — the title track — is the only one that tackles that specific narrative head-on. The rest of the album, as they put it, is far more introspective.
"VIP is definitely the standout track, but the rest of the album is quite personal," Zohad shared. "Usually, we focus on social issues and current affairs in our music, but this time around — maybe it's the impact of Covid-19, or losing Dio as our drummer, or just the personal battles we've all been through — that's what shaped the rest of the songs."
Nemesis admits that this album plays with a few quirks and eccentricities that might feel like a slight departure from their signature rock sound. Over the years, they've been known for a consistent, tight rock sound — but this time, they've allowed themselves a little more room to breathe creatively.
Naturally, that brings up a familiar dilemma— some fans might complain that Nemesis doesn't sound like the "old Nemesis" anymore, while others might grumble that they never took enough risks when it comes to experimenting in the first place.
But the band isn't losing sleep over it.
"We really don't care," they said with a laugh. "Nemesis is 26 years old. Music has evolved — and so have we, both as people and as musicians. Of course, we're not going to sound the same as we did years ago."
Zohad chimed in, "Yeah, we play rock, sure. But that doesn't mean that's all we listen to. We're constantly exploring, constantly being influenced by different kinds of sounds —even electronic music, and we even incorporated some electronic elements into this album to keep things interesting."
Touching more on the whole "Nemesis still sounds the same" debate, we brought the question directly to guitarist Sultan Rafsan Khan. One particular case fans have pointed out is the track Ghour, which was released as a single a while back.
Almost immediately after its release, comparisons started popping up online, with some listeners claiming it bore a striking resemblance to Ghuri, a track the band had contributed to a mixed album years ago.
"It's probably due to the count measure," Rafsan chuckled, brushing off the idea that it was intentional. "In music, it's not uncommon to stumble into familiar progressions or tonalities — that doesn't mean we're rehashing old material. We never go into writing new songs thinking, 'Let's recreate this or that from before.' It's just not how we work."
Whenever a beloved band like Nemesis drops new music—especially after a long break—there's always that one burning question fans can't help but ask: Will any of these new tracks live up to, or even surpass, the classics? Can any of them carry the same emotional weight or anthem-like legacies like the Obochetons and Kobes?
Truth be told, the band doesn't really concern itself with that kind of thought.
"For the newer generation tuning in, this album could actually serve as a gateway," said guitarist Ifaz Abrar Reza. "They might discover our older songs through the new ones."
He explained with a personal example, "I'm not from the RHCP generation, but after hearing 'Dark Necessities'—one of their newer tracks—it made me dig into their older stuff. That's how I found their iconic tracks of the past. In the same way, someone might discover VIP today and end up falling in love with Obocheton tomorrow. I believe there are songs in VIP that could do that."
