Today we travel to Singapore to experience the sounds of Rudra. They formed in 1992 and released their first demo in 1995. Their debut, self titled album was released in 1998. Thanks to Sonic Blast Media, I have their album, ‘Brahmavidya: Immortal I’ for review. As I’ve not heard them before today, I did some research and found them described as ‘epic Vedic metal’ and death metal. What is Vedic? To make this long story short, Vedas is an ancient text from India and Vedic is its language. From this description I'm guessing this will be the Indian version of Bathory even though this band hails from Singapore.
Now Therefore – The album starts out with some old Asian sounds which sound to me like a preparation for war. I am unsure whether the lyrics are sung in English or Malay or what, as I can’t seem to locate their dialect anywhere let alone manually decipher the words being sung. The CD sleeve has some lyrics printed in it though it does note there are quotations too so I’m unsure which is which really. You will see that I have noted some English extracts below each song review. The vocals have a rough, deathly sound to them. The music is intense. The drums are constantly hammering out double kicks and rolls. The guitars maintain a rhythmic flow and tear out a lead at 02:52. It’s a great introduction to the album!
“Now, therefore, the enquiry into Brahman leads to the Immortal Self, It is a reasoning of a different kind not divorced from the Shruti and Anubhava...”
Illusory Enlightenment – This next track starts out with a slower pace as the guitar quietly lures us in. The drums cause an atmospheric build up until 01:04 when the conglomeration begins. The guitar seems to create an effect much like a wasp attacking you. The drums therefore tend to sound like you franticly trying to whoosh it away. There is a change in the tempo at 03:12 where the vocals become chant like yet are also met by blackened vocals. If you were to follow this as my story, you would have the moments leading up to this as finally hitting the wasp to the ground. Then finding yourself stunned as you see the wasp transform into a God-like figure standing before you with the dreaded thought of “I shouldn’t have done that” echoing through your head. The song is well structured and produced for that matter. The music is very easy to fall into.
“A non dual experience is but a sleep in disguise, What can be learned from such a state of ignorance? Stretching your limbs and mind, is karma indeed, Will these actions lead you to freedom...”
Ravenous Theories Of Deception – You will find yourself enthusiastically thrashing out to this next one. The drums are relentless as they hammer away. The vocals relay their deathly verse as the guitars continue their furious, rhythmic feast. They break out a short lead at 02:11. It is something I would like to hear more of throughout their tracks, but overall, I think they have done a good job thus far.
“Perception and inference are your Gods, Observation is your ritual, You are a believer after all with faith in your deductions...”
Vultures Of Slavery – The rhythms amidst this track are fairly standard but the furious nature behind it all is deafening. Most of the songs on this album are fairly long being four to six minutes each. To play at such duration with such intensity proves much stamina within the band. There’s nothing really remarkable about this track, but it is a good track nonetheless. I can imagine the live sets being quite rowdy.
“Not knowing that the way out is not the way in, Thousands of fools worship the feet of the scornful ones...”
Incredulous Void – This song starts out with a small dose of brutality with hollering guitars and battering drums. It’s an interminable effort of speed and determination. I admire anyone that can play double kick drums so well for so long. There are a few stints of lead guitar work in here. The overall pace is consistent and it is all very easy to thrash along to.
“It is a reasoning of a different kind not divorced from Shruti and Anubhava, There is a supposed truth which leads you to nothingness, they whisper mantras but lead you to Shunya, They cry that all is pain...”
Sinister Devotion – The introduction to this next song is comprised of a guitar based atmosphere. This slowly progresses into a controlled frenzy, imbued with an ominous element. The vocals convey their darkened nature as the drums maintain a consistent pace to submit to. This is the longest track on the album at 06:45 but I found it didn’t feel like it went for that long as it was so easy to drift off to. I do like it when music sends your mind adrift!
“The one who sees a worshipful form in the form of a lord without, And he worships, sings and dances to enjoy bliss within...”
Harrowing Carrions Of Syllogism – Straight into this next track and we find ourselves amidst a battleground of hammering drums and doom-like, rhythmic guitars. Rudra tend to use their drums as the key to speed and seem to always keep their guitars at a laid back and merely directional level. It tends to create a more haunting atmosphere and one which you will find yourself captivated by. There are stints of lead guitar work which is played at a more furious pace than the rhythm guitars. Overall, it is rather hypnotic.
“Mind creates a subjective notional world, Limited by knowledge we see what we want to see, The mind can’t see beyond its thought constructs, The lack of a valid pramana leads to self deception...”
Embryonic Theologies – There is no release from the hypnosis that Rudra has created! The music acts like lowering walls of imprisonment that finally close in all around, unbeknownst to the listener. The music is enjoyable, but so much so that time will evade you and you may only realise after it has all stopped that you had actually drifted off into another realm.
“Where is your saviour now? Is he up in the skies? Are you a seeker? Are you a believer? Seeking salvation when you are already free is like a wave wanting to be water...”
Supposed Sages Of Sensuality – A bass line guides us into this track only to be confronted by a chant and then the subtle, hypnotic imprisonment begins. At times, the drums pick up their pace and let loose on the machine gun like snare. At other times, the drums thrash out the double kicks as if it were a quiet stroll through the park. It seems so effortless for them.
“Naham deha, You see divinity in the other but not seeing it within oneself, The art of love deceives the heart which knows no reason...”
Hymns Of The Immortal Self – With a title like this, I am not expecting to be released from this musical captivity anytime soon. I can actually hear English lyrics in beginning of this one. That soon fades away though as I am again thrown into enchantment mode. The guitars project a slow paced, atmosphere as the drums slow the heart rate just enough to enrapture you. Once imprisoned, the pace picks up as if it’s toying with you. It is much like a ritual preparation, perhaps preparing you for this next, final track.
“Why do you enslave yourself, They have made you a pauper by making you lose what has been always yours, Can’t you see that there are many who want you on your knees...”
Advaita Samrejya – Straight into this track with hammering drums as Rudra present their finale. If you haven’t been able to resist the hypnosis thus far, here is your chance. You can easily break free and get your limbs thrashing about again. At some point I expect the drummer’s arm to go flying or the whole drum kit just fall through the floor. He really has brutalised his way through this album! The end to this track is very sudden and unexpected and in such a way you’re left thinking, “What the hell just happened? Where am I?”
“There is no other, no second thing when I am the only reality, The universe, known and unknown, is a manifestation of Brahman, That reality revealed by the Shruti and echoed by the Smrti, Confirmed by myself experience, beyond disputations...”
In essence, Rudra have a created a hypnotic yet deathly album. The drummer just goes ballistic throughout this album yet it all sounds so perfectly well controlled. In some respects it is like a black metal album in its structure yet it is more on the death metal side as an end result. The best of both worlds! The CD I received is the in-store version and the cover bears a picture of what looks to me like an ancient structure. On the first, inner page of this booklet is a brief explanation about the band name and the musical and lyrical origins. On each following page are lyrical extracts in both English and what I am only guessing is Vedic. There are also extracts taken from what I think is the Brahma Sutra. On the last two inner pages are all the thanks, contact and recording information. On the back of the booklet is the other half of the front cover’s picture. On the inner part of the back of the CD sleeve is yet another quote of wisdom. On the back cover is the track listing, though unnumbered. The CD itself has a graphic design upon it which could possibly be a historical, symbolic extract. Basically, if you can appreciate both death and black metal genres, then you should give this a go.
Check them out for yourself on one of the links below.
LINKS
Rudra Website
Rudra Facebook
Rudra Myspace
Sonic Blast Media
Review by Déa di Morté © 10 October 2011
All pictures and lyrical extracts courtesy of Rudra and Sonic Blast Media