Rudra - The Aryan Crusade
2001 - Thrishful Records
By Philip Whitehouse
Avaliable through Plastic Head Music Distribution - Click Here
Was anyone else aware that there was a Malaysian black metal scene? Nope, me neither. But if the bands being produced there are possessed of the same song-writing ability and sense of innovation as Rudra, then I'll be amongst the first to proclaim it the new Norway, bizarre as that concept may sound.
Rudra meld traditional Western black metal ferocity to even more traditional, Asian cultural melodies to create a sort of Easter version of Satariel's folk-metal - but instead of making what I like to term 'hey-nonny-nonny metal' by messing up the songs with the constant inclusion of 'traditional' instruments, the cultural rhythms are simply written into the songs so seamlessly that it seems as though they should always have been there, with the occasional acoustic passage making the point that little bit more definitely.
'Malevolent Creed', for instance, is a rampaging feast of black metal that segues perfectly into an acoustic passage that is so Malaysian sounding that, except for the still-metallic-sounding drumming, it could be used as the soundtrack to a television travelogue about the country. And the best thing is, it takes the listener some time to even notice that this has happened. Then, when 'Burnt At The Stake' begins with a bludgeoning riff and then a short lead break, the contrast is particularly effective in retaining the listener's interest in the album.
The only thing that lets this album down is the sadly poor production, which leaves the bass guitar practically inaudible and even tends to leave the lead guitar buried somewhere beneath the cymbals. Which is a terrible shame, since some of the solos in the album sound quite impressive, once you can train your ear to pick them out of the percussive storm.
Well worth checking out if you're looking for something a little different from black metal, if you can put up with the poor production. Looking forward to hearing more from this bunch.
7.5/10
2001 - Thrishful Records
By Philip Whitehouse
Avaliable through Plastic Head Music Distribution - Click Here
Was anyone else aware that there was a Malaysian black metal scene? Nope, me neither. But if the bands being produced there are possessed of the same song-writing ability and sense of innovation as Rudra, then I'll be amongst the first to proclaim it the new Norway, bizarre as that concept may sound.
Rudra meld traditional Western black metal ferocity to even more traditional, Asian cultural melodies to create a sort of Easter version of Satariel's folk-metal - but instead of making what I like to term 'hey-nonny-nonny metal' by messing up the songs with the constant inclusion of 'traditional' instruments, the cultural rhythms are simply written into the songs so seamlessly that it seems as though they should always have been there, with the occasional acoustic passage making the point that little bit more definitely.
'Malevolent Creed', for instance, is a rampaging feast of black metal that segues perfectly into an acoustic passage that is so Malaysian sounding that, except for the still-metallic-sounding drumming, it could be used as the soundtrack to a television travelogue about the country. And the best thing is, it takes the listener some time to even notice that this has happened. Then, when 'Burnt At The Stake' begins with a bludgeoning riff and then a short lead break, the contrast is particularly effective in retaining the listener's interest in the album.
The only thing that lets this album down is the sadly poor production, which leaves the bass guitar practically inaudible and even tends to leave the lead guitar buried somewhere beneath the cymbals. Which is a terrible shame, since some of the solos in the album sound quite impressive, once you can train your ear to pick them out of the percussive storm.
Well worth checking out if you're looking for something a little different from black metal, if you can put up with the poor production. Looking forward to hearing more from this bunch.
7.5/10
