Aniket Prantor
| Artcell | |
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Artcell at live concert
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| Genres | progressive metal, progressive rock |
| Years active | 1999 – present |
| Labels | G Series (2001–2007) |
| Website | www.artcell.com.bd |
| Members |
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Artcell is a Bangladeshi progressive metal band formed in October 1999. According to The Daily Star, a leading English national daily, Artcell is "one of the leading bands of the country".
Prior to forming the band, the four current members were school friends from Dhaka, and used to get together to play Metallica songs. Eventually, Ershad came up with compositions of his own and the group began to play them at shows. The positive response they received led them to the formation of a band. What started off as an underground band is now one of the most recognised mainstream bands in the Bengali metal music scene.
The name "Artcell" was decided upon because it was softer sounding than a typical heavy metal name. In Cézanne and Shaju's words:
Even though we were a heavy metal band when we started, we didn't want a heavy metal name. We wanted a softer or an artistic touch to the heavy metal side. 'Cells where art is produced' – that was pretty much the basic idea behind the name 'Artcell.' Ershad came up with it and we all opted for it.
Artcell released its first studio album Onno Shomoy in 2002. It was both critically and commercially successful. The band lost its main songwriter Rupok to cerebral malaria while working on this album. Onno Shomoy was dedicated to him. One of the songs was titled "Rupok – Ekti Gaan" in his memory.
After the success of Onno Shomoy, Artcell spent four years carrying out experiments with their music without releasing an album. They did, however, release singles scattered in various albums by other bands or compilation albums. Their second studio album Aniket Prantor was released in April 2006. "Aniket Prantor", the album's namesake, is Artcell's longest song to date, weighing in at 16 minutes and 20 seconds. The album was one of the top sellers of the year, and in May the band performed their second solo concert at Dhaka's Bashundhara Convention Centre.
Artcell celebrated its 10th anniversary on 23 October 2009 with a live concert entitled "10 Years of Artcell Insanity" at the Winter Garden, Dhaka Sheraton Hotel. A DVD of the concert was due to be released in 2010. Artcell continue to regularly perform live shows and they have also made many tours of Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi and Sylhet, with some tours in India and Sydney, Australia. In 2009 the band took part in the "International Coastal Cleanup 2009", a day-long beach clean-up movement, at the Cox's Bazar sea beach.
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