Rudra have been plying their trade for several years, though largely unnoticed by the majority of Metalheads, I’m sure. Their official site states their origin in 1992, a demo in 1995, and their debut in 1998. Here we are in 2005 and “Brahmavidya: Primordial I” is an absolutely killer record. Just like many other Death or Black Metal albums, the vocals are largely indecipherable. This is not a major pediment to the music or its effectiveness as this truly is Death Metal as World Music. Traditional Indian instrumentation (tabla, bhajan, dolki, and sitar [or an effect that emulates it]) and chants are employed along with the standard Death Metal setup yielding a marvelous blend of East and West soundscapes.

Many similarities to Nile appear on this record, including the blazing lead guitar work and the almost overworked drumming, while the majority of the vocals are of the mid-range, guttural Death Metal style with a bit of a rasp. Some of the non-traditional Metal sounds recall Cynic or even Sepultura (think lots of foreign drums) but it all works very well. I could easily see Rudra on a major world tour with Behemoth and Nile. Actually, that tour, perhaps not unlike this record, might prove to be a bit unwieldy if not plainly overpowering. This is a strong record from a band with a great future. But how did these Indians end up in Singapore? Maybe I’ll get the chance to ask ‘em.

written by Tony Belcher

Playing time: 46.12