Photo: Monika Deviat
Arjuna, a central figure in the Hindu epic, The Mahabharata, embodies a complex journey of duty, morality, and self-discovery. As a skilled archer and warrior prince, he grapples with his moral conscience on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Guided by his charioteer, Lord Krishna, Arjuna navigates dilemmas of righteousness and loyalty, ultimately finding clarity in fulfilling his divine duty, or dharma, as a warrior and protector of righteousness in the cosmic order.
This ancient tale inspired the new single from Vancouver psychedelic doom grunge duo Post Death Soundtrack, taken from their album Veil Lifter.
In the single Arjuna’s Hunting Hand, themes of betrayal and disillusionment take centre stage as the protagonist faces off against a deceitful authority figure. Rejecting manipulation and empty promises, they assert their identity and agency amidst the turmoil. With imagery of a screeching wheel and a forgotten beat, the song captures a sense of chaos and uncertainty, while references to Arjuna’s hunting hand evoke a relentless quest for truth and justice.
In this intriguing track that moves from gentle soundscape to brain-melting metal, Post Death Soundtrack blends heathen guitars, brazen bass, and a cacophony of raw sounds that mirror the untamed depths of the subconscious. The band’s ability to seamlessly navigate between ferocity and serenity, surrealism and familiarity, challenges the boundaries of conventional music. Front and center is the inimitable Steve Moore, whose vocal performance adds an unparalleled intensity in the retelling of this tale.
Listen to “Arjuna’s Hunting Hand” below, and order Veil Lifter here:
From the gritty depths of Calgary, Canada, Post Death Soundtrack emerged, drawing inspiration from the defiance of bands in cities like DC, Austin, and Detroit, amidst the dissonance between town and life’s forces. Founding duo Kenneth Buck and Steve Moore aimed their fury and sarcasm at government, religion, and mainstream ideology in their 2008 debut, Music as Weaponry. Infusing industrial with trip-hop, they challenged Western culture. Jon Ireson’s addition brought psychedelic flair, while Colin Everall’s haunting piano and Moore’s vocals delved deeper into the psyche. Their 2016 LP, The Unlearning Curve, explored introspection with a new “psychedelic industrial” sound.
In 2019, It Will Come Out of Nowhere built upon their signature sound by incorporating sludge metal elements for added weight. With the group streamlined back to a duo, Ireson helms the expansive production while Moore guides listeners through his turbulent psyche. The 11 tracks delve into unexpected calamity, inspired by themes of betrayal, divorce, and personal loss. Drawing from doom, hip-hop, and Indian raga, the album achieves unparalleled sonic depth.
In their fourth full-length release, Veil Lifter, the band unleashes a tempestuous 10-track tornado of doom, grunge, hardcore, and thrash. The title itself draws inspiration from Eastern philosophy, symbolizing the act of “lifting the veil of ignorance” to reveal deeper truths. Veil Lifter serves as a powerful exploration of existential themes, urging listeners to look beyond the surface and embrace the journey towards enlightenment and self-discovery.
“Steve had amassed a treasure trove of guitar parts that he would send me daily,” recounts Jon Ireson. “A lot of slow dirges with some faster hardcore-inspired stuff mixed in. That inspired the new direction for this record…The bones of the songs came together very quickly, arranging all the drums, rhythm guitars and some of the bass in two crazy week-long bursts. The album really came to life once we started adding Steve’s great vocal layers, added some fuzzy melodic bass lines to move the plot along, and the icing on the cake was bringing in Casey Lewis. He had worked with Steve on several projects before and his intensity, personality, and feel make the record really punch.”
With sludgy riffs, hardcore fury, hypnotic grooves, and ethereal ambience merging seamlessly, presents a captivating and singular vision. The album charges forward relentlessly, embodying the defiant spirit of an unwelcome outsider confronted by a menacing pack of hyenas.
Veil Lifter is very much the album I’ve always wanted to make,” muses Steve Moore, who dedicated the album to the memory of his father. “The album is intended, as all my work is, to be completely uncensored, unashamedly dark, raw emotionally, and therefore, cathartic and freeing. It was literally written from deep within the shadow during nearly impossible times. Isolation, depression, addiction, chaos, burned bridges, health failures, and strangely, perseverance and the resilience of the inner witness. So in many ways, it’s an invocation of protection and spiritual weaponry at a time when it was greatly needed….Much of it is written in heavy metaphor and dream language, as I’ve always felt it’s more powerful to paint a picture rather than be overly direct. Ideas from Advaita, the Gita, Zen and philosopher’s like Krishnamurti find their way into the concepts and lyricism here and there, but for the most part, this is a purely raw album intended to evoke deeply personal emotion, as it was written from a truly dangerous place.”
Veil Lifter is out on all digital platforms on April 16th. A limited edition vinyl run is also expected at a slightly later date.
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