Rudra was formed in mid-1992 as a trio, then made up of Kathir (bass, vocals), Shiva (drums) and Bala (guitar). It was then known as Rudhra. A fourth member, Selvam, was recruited to supplement Bala on guitar. With this line-up they released a 4-track demo, The Past, in 1994. Prior to this release, Rudhra was also featured in a few underground death metal compilation albums with Singaporean underground metal bands.
In early 1996, the band had a hiatus and the members were involved in separate bands. Towards the end of 1996, Kathir decided to resurrect Rudhra with a slight alteration to its name; thus Rudra (the most common English transliteration for the Sanskrit word) was born. Kathir teamed up with Shiva and started work in the studio, soon to be joined by Bala and Alvin Chua to complete the line up before recording the self-titled debut album in late 1997, which was released in June 1998. The band played a couple of gigs and also starting work on new material. The band replaced its two guitarists with Selvam (ex-member) and Kannan in January 2000.
With that line-up Rudra released its second album, The Aryan Crusade, in September 2001. In January 2002, Big O magazine[1] named this album as one of the top 40 albums of the year. In July 2003, Rudra released a third album, named after the battlefield featured in the Indian epic the Mahabharata, Kurukshetra.
After touring in Singapore, India, Indonesia and Thailand, Rudra released Brahmavidya: Primordial I, in April 2005. Brahmavidya: Primordial I represents a slight shift in the band's sound as it exhibits more black metal influences than the previous albums and presents a denser recording that showcases the band's progressive move into more dynamic leads, complex bass-lines, and tighter, faster drumming with a bigger emphasis on blast beats. With this release, Rudra toured the USA in January 2007.
In 2008, Kannan was replaced by Devan. In 2009, Rudra released Brahmavidya: Transcendental I as the second chapter in the Brahmavidya trilogy. They have collaborated with Singapore director Jacen Tan on the music video for Hymns from the Blazing Chariot. In 2009, the band went through another line up change with Vinod replacing longtime member Selvam.
In August 2010, Rudra headlined the first day of Baybeats, an annual 3-day alternative music festival, held in Singapore. This was probably one of the rarest moments in history where an Extreme Metal band headlines a non-metal music festival. The band has also invited the interest of musicologists and research papers have been published about both Vedic Metal and the band.
In November 2011, Rudra announced that they will be closing the 2011 Brahmavidya Tour by headlining the Strawberry Fields Rock Fest @ Bangalore, India. It has been more than 7 years since the band last played Bangalore.
In July 2011, Devan left the band to focus on his personal life. Subash joined the band officially in January 2012 to replace Devan.
Sad But True
Rudra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is the weight of the world on you?
Constantly seeking to change the world
But never to change yourself
You are a pain here but expecting pleasure hereafter?
You may be blessed but are you a blessing?
Is for the fool and the weak
In the dungeon you have fallen
Now you are blind to reason
Heaven is a promise, so is Hell
An experience is always welcome
Verses distorted, your faith transported
To a realm where perception fails
[chorus]
Can't you see the state you're in?
Desires replaced by the desire for Kingdom come
A comforting transient holy slavery
This is your fate, it is sad but true!
You are the human sheep sent to the slaughterhouse
"Forfeit your sanity to gain the Kingdom"
The clergy is waiting with a book in hand
Speaking in tongues to drown your screams
You're in pain but you are paralyzed
By the dogmas of 2 thousand years
Your right to question raped and gagged
To doubt is to sin and a place in Hades!
[chorus]
Freedom forgotten
Lost in the Herd
Your silent tears are seen
Your soul yearns for relief
[solo - kannan]
Throw away those notions, which were taught
By the heaven mongers and the blind fools
Be like the wise and not otherwise
Let the mission be wisdom!
[chorus]
[solo - selvam]
The lyrics to Rudra's "Sad But True" touch on themes of religion, spirituality, and personal reflection. The opening lines, "You have to die to see the light? / Is the weight of the world on you?" suggest a questioning of religious beliefs and the idea that one must suffer in order to achieve spiritual enlightenment. The lyrics go on to criticize the idea of constantly striving to change the world while neglecting personal growth and character development.
The lyrics also address the concept of salvation and the need for a savior, stating that it is for the "fool and the weak." The song suggests that blind faith and unquestioning adherence to dogma can lead to feelings of pain and suffering, as well as a loss of personal freedom and autonomy.
Ultimately, the song encourages a rejection of traditional religious teachings and the pursuit of personal wisdom and growth. The final line, "Let the mission be wisdom!" suggests an emphasis on critical thinking and introspection rather than blind faith and unquestioning acceptance of religious doctrine.
Line by Line Meaning
You have to die to see the light?
Do you have to go through death to have any kind of spiritual awakening?
Is the weight of the world on you?
Do you feel like you are carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders?
Constantly seeking to change the world
Are you trying to change the world around you?
But never to change yourself
But are you neglecting to change yourself?
You are a pain here but expecting pleasure hereafter?
Are you causing others pain in this life but expecting to go to a place of pleasure in the afterlife?
You may be blessed but are you a blessing?
Are you just blessed in life or are you also a blessing to others?
The desperate need for a savior
Do you feel like you need someone to save you and your soul?
Is for the fool and the weak
Do you feel like only foolish and weak people need a savior?
In the dungeon you have fallen
Do you feel like you are stuck in a dark place or emotional pain?
Now you are blind to reason
Are you unable to see reason or other points of view due to your beliefs?
Heaven is a promise, so is Hell
Do you believe that both heaven and hell are promises for the good and bad?
An experience is always welcome
Are you open to experiencing things and different perspective?
Verses distorted, your faith transported
Are the teachings that you believe in changed, manipulated, or misrepresented?
To a realm where perception fails
Are you believing in something that goes beyond human perception?
Can't you see the state you're in?
Are you aware of the current state of your life?
Desires replaced by the desire for Kingdom come
Are you more concerned about the afterlife Kingdom than living in the present moment?
A comforting transient holy slavery
Do you find comfort in temporary holy beliefs and are accepting of being controlled?
This is your fate, it is sad but true!
Do you believe that your life is predetermined and that it is a sad but true fate?
You are the human sheep sent to the slaughterhouse
Do you feel like you are being led blindly to your own demise?
"Forfeit your sanity to gain the Kingdom"
Are you giving up your sanity for the promise of the Kingdom?
The clergy is waiting with a book in hand
Do you feel like the Church and its leaders are waiting to control and dictate your life?
Speaking in tongues to drown your screams
Do you feel like the Church is using a language you don't understand to suppress and control you?
You're in pain but you are paralyzed
Are you feeling pain but unable to take action or change?
By the dogmas of 2 thousand years
Are you living according to the beliefs of the past without examining them?
Your right to question raped and gagged
Do you feel like you are not allowed to question the teachings and beliefs?
To doubt is to sin and a place in Hades!
Are you taught that doubting is a sin and will lead to eternal punishment in afterlife?
Freedom forgotten
Have you forgotten what true freedom feels like?
Lost in the Herd
Do you feel like you have lost your individuality in a larger group?
Your silent tears are seen
Do you feel like no one acknowledges or understands your emotional pain?
Your soul yearns for relief
Is your soul in need of relief or freedom from oppression?
Throw away those notions, which were taught
Are you willing to discard or re-examine teachings that were instilled in you?
By the heaven mongers and the blind fools
Are you able to identify those who use manipulative tactics in the name of heaven or those who believe blindly?
Be like the wise and not otherwise
Are you willing to seek and follow the path of the wise and not just conform?
Let the mission be wisdom!
Is your mission to seek wisdom and understanding instead of blind beliefs?
Contributed by John P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.