(Andy Synn meditates upon the new album from Rudra)
There’s been a lot of talk recently about the role of so-called “AI” is going to play in our lives going forwards, particularly in regards to algorithmically-generated “art”.
And while a lot of the discussion has – understandably and correctly – focussed on the fact that, by their very nature, these generative learning models are incapable of producing anything truly original (with equally valid questions remaining about just how much of what they’re fed on is plagiarised from actual, existing artists), I think a deeper, but no less salient, point tends to be overlooked.
After all, “originality” is not the sole arbiter of great art (we are all the sum of our influences, after all) and there’s a reason that entire movements – genres of music, schools of painting, styles of literature, etc – have taken shape over the years, as the purpose of these “forms” is to allow the artists to express themselves.
That, my friends, is what’s really missing from the debate… an acknowledgement that the purpose of art is not simply to create a “thing” but to communicate, to share something of the artist that can’t be expressed any other way, and that without that soul, that self, on the other end there’s nothing beneath it all. It’s inherently hollow.
And while Rudra‘s eleventh(!) album, Antithesis, certainly doesn’t attempt to break the mould or reinvent the wheel, there’s no doubt that they’ve poured their hearts and souls, and every ounce of their passion, into it.
Of course, even if Antithesis isn’t wholly original, Rudra themselves have always possessed a distinctive take on Black/Death Metal – not just when it comes to their lyrical and conceptual exploration of Vedic culture, but also in their incorporation of both South Asian instruments and regional folk melodies as well – and this album is no different in that regard.
At the same time, the band’s decision to lean away from the more epic compositions which characterised their last couple of albums in favour of a leaner, meaner approach – frequently reminiscent, to my ears, of 1349‘s more stripped-down and streamlined approach on Massive Cauldron of Chaos – means that while Antithesis is a more than faithful addition to their legacy, it’s also more than just a rote repetition of what’s gone before.
The likes of “Annihilate Diversity” and “Persecute Identities” (which are not, to be clear, anything to do with modern culture wars but instead deal with the concept of the self, divided, and all that entails) quickly showcase this more focussed and ferocious version of the band, ratcheting up the intensity and tightening up the grooves while still maintaining that recognisable distinctiveness – manifested through specific chord shapes and uncommon note choices – which remains the band’s collective calling card.
The melodic touches of the latter, in particular, serve as a welcome reminder that Rudra‘s sound continues to be informed by a series of cultural and historical references drawn from outside the Western canon, with the likes of “Reject the Untenable”, “Surrender the Search” and “Abandon Dependence” all subtly reinforcing this impression of the band as one who are more than fluent in the languages of Black and Death Metal but who – through the use of certain scales, ululating chants, and catchy rhythmic hooks (with the drumming being particularly praiseworthy) – continue to retain, and refine, their own unmistakable voice.
It’s not a perfect album by any means – there’s a noticeable mid-album lull during the back-to-back pairing of “Obliterate the Blinding Forms” and “Kill the Coloured Projections”, both of which tend to drag after multiple listens – but fans of the likes of Dark Funeral, God Dethroned, and the aforementioned 1349, and anyone who’s been following the band for any significant amount of time, will all find a lot to love here, of that I’m certain.