When I saw Singaporean band Rudra play live last month, it was a magnificent experience. I had heard only a few snippets of their work previously, and their live performance brought home the sophistication and quality of their music. This is the band’s 6th album release. Having looked into it further, I now know that their professed style is “Vedic Metal”. This is a form of music with strong connections to India, revolving around Hindu themes and fusing Metal with traditional musical forms. It is clear from the lyrics of “Brahmavidya: Immortal I”, which are in English and Indian, that there are many spiritual and cultural allusions. If I understand it correctly, Brahmavidya itself is an ancient teaching which through meditation gives access to the subconscious mind and leads to knowledge of the Supreme Being. Because of my ignorance on this subject I will limit this review to the context of the music I hear. That’s no bad thing, I think. This is after all a musical project. As well as being exponents of Vedic Metal, I also know that Rudra have strong roots in their local community, their recent diary featuring participation in a charity concert and an event at the Singapore College of the Arts.
Epic and dark would be the first words I would use to describe “Brahmyavista: Immortal I”. This album comes from a higher plane. It’s not the faint-hearted, nor with the exception of the occasional mystic chants, similar to mantras, is there any sense of peace. I do not sense anger either but Blackened Death Metal dominates the album to such an extent that the experience is of a relentlessly dark and atmospheric journey.
“Brahmavidya: Immortal I” starts with mystic Eastern tones but it’s not long before the ominous build-up of the drums suggest that we are going to war. Kathir’s razor-blade vocals cut in. The ambiance is that of Enslaved, although we are course in an entirely different spiritual and philosophical sphere. Kathir tells a terrible tale, supported by the intensity of the instrumentals. The guitars are like whistling winds in this dark scene. The atmosphere is one of foreboding. Flourishing guitars merely heighten the tension. After more exhortations from Kathir, the first track “Now, Therefore” fades but the tension doesn’t. The second part of this story is “Illusory Enlightenment”. It is fast and dramatic. It’s not clear where we’re heading, but then Kathir cuts in. We’re on a knife edge. Mystic chanting interrupts the Death Metal violence but the fast and furious drum beat remains. Blastbeating drums are a feature of this work and are the foil to bouts of controlled fury. Kathir’s vocals come from the world of Black Metal. The instrumentals are imperious and seem to be designed to strike fear into us, yet it’s all well-balanced and indeed it’s melodic. The musical strength lies in the structures and consistency. There’s no respite as we work through the tracks, each one blending naturally into the next, like the chapters of a book. In the swirling darkness we hear Kathir’s dark messages. There is a slight pause as we move to “Sinister Devotion”. Starting more slowly, this track takes a different angle. We’re then taken away by the fast and exciting drum blasts. It’s not clean, but it’s less murky than what we have experienced so far. With each track there is an accompanying spiritual teaching to support the lyrics. In the case of “Sinister Devotion”, it is: “There is no difference between the love for the mundane and the divine, and some shudder to think that there is a possibility that the seeker and the sought could be one and the same. This non-difference is Supreme Devotion”.
Triggering drums lead the way as we launch into “Harrowing Carrions of Syllogism”. The riff is at the forefront too, creating an irresistible force. I had the vision of Kathir peering through the smoke and the gloom preaching dark and maybe unwanted truths to us. There is no sign of any progression into karma. The storm is always upon us, but there is momentary calm from the chanting. It is fleeting however and within no time we are back in the fire. “Embyonic Theologies” is deeper and slower but still firmly embedded in all-embracing black clouds and a prevailing sense of chaos. The guitars strike a fearsome note and meander menacingly as Kathir issues what sound like dire warnings on “Hymns of the Immortal Self”, continuing on the majestic final track “Advaita Samrajya”.
I was a bit surprised that there was so little Eastern influence in the guitar work, although some of the structures, particularly towards the latter end of the album, are heading that way. This complex and predominantly Black/Death Metal album is noteworthy for the depth of its atmosphere, which takes us beyond normal parameters. “Brahmavidya: Immortal I”, the third of a trilogy, is a mature work. Having been in existence for 19 years and remaining mostly stable as a line-up, there’s a great deal of experience and continuity of thought with the band to draw upon. There is such plenitude about “Brahmavidya: Immortal I”, which is refreshingly different and invigorating like an Indian sweet tea. But brace yourself for the torrid journey when you listen to this spiritually-based, lofty and intensely dark work.
http://www.rudraonline.com
http://www.myspace.com/vedicmetal
Andrew Doherty
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