Hela metal

Hela Metal is a subgenre of heavy metal from Sri Lanka. The style is mostly underground in popularity.
Name
Hela is a contraction of Heladiva, which is an archaic name for Sri Lanka.
History
The sub-genre was born when Sri Lankan black metallers Funeral in Heaven decided to explore new paths with their music and started incoporating Sri Lankan elements not only the music but in their song writing too.
Characteristics
Hela metal is Sri Lanka's signature genre of metal which incorporates Sri Lankan oriental instruments such as traditional drums and cymbals, amongst other things.
Lyrics often speak of the darker side of Sri Lankan history, folklore and demonology and incorporate ancient chants and prayers. Sri Lankan cultural and traditional themes are combined with the usual elements of heavy metal, in a similar style to black metal music. This is typefied by furiously shredded guitar riffs with deep bass and animalistically decimated drum lines. Other features include traditional Sri Lankan percussion, inhuman shrieks and growls.
The single "Janaani Janmabhumisca Svargadapi Gariyasi" by Funeral in Heaven which is dedicated to ten of the greatest warriors in Sri Lankan history to is an example of this.
The term Hela black metal is a rejection of all other labels or genres, which tend to limit the musical outputs regarding influences and while acknowledging the basic roots in the genre black metal.
Notable representatives
*Funeral in Heaven
Cultural Influences
To the world, Sri Lanka was known as 'Heladiva' before the arrival of the aryan prince 'Vijaya'. 'Heladiva' simply translates to 'the land of the Sinhalese'. 'Sinhala' is derived from four tribes which existed BEFORE the invasion of Vijaya. Naga (serpent worshipers), Raaksha (demon worshipers), Deva (tribes who worshiped godly deities) and Yaksha (demon worshipers). The term Hela in Sinhala - the native Sri Lankan language - refers to the nationality of the majority of Sri Lankans. Now this word literally means "Lions' blood".
Hela metal speaks of a lost generation of self sufficient, noble yet fierce humanitarian race that ruled Sri Lanka during medieval ages. It focuses more on their rituals, dark arts, scarification, demonology, ancestor worshiping, patriotism and the suffering of the people during the colonial days and mainly almighty based religions.

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