Agni - Mrityunjaya [2003]

All i can say is that these guys beat Rudra (Singaporean band consisting of PIOs) when it came to the use of Vedic elements in their music :). Too lazy to write a review , and besides this article does a better job anyway. Long out of print, and the band's best IMHO. I'll put up their debut album later. I'm not too sure about the year though, if somebody could clarify that would be great.

[Article originally published in The Hindu, May 17th 2003, Metro Plus B'lore :)]

Mrityunjaya

Kosmic Music, Rs.65

ONE THING about the rock band Agni's latest album, Mrityunjaya:
it takes recourse to the Hindu religion to give expression to a host of
emotions, two of which stand out — immortality, and that very nebulous
emotion, love. While much of rock music in the west has love, minus
religion, as its anchor, the Indian touch to western rock is likely to
draw on images religion gives you, to understand immortality and love. Mrityunjaya does
a good drawing on these religious images, except that the album and the
title song is a dedication to bassist Juggie and Manager Mandy, whom
Agni lost in a tragic accident in 1995.

The album begins with a humble invocation to
Lord Shiva, symbolising the mortality of man: "Talk to me, my Shankara,
Chanting Your name, Moksha I can find, Slays all evil, gaze of your
third eye... " and then moves on to an empathetic note for all those
who have lost a love... ."Memories that you have left, haunt me now,
Shattered my world lies... " and then again shifting back to the fire
god Agni, symbolising the flame of life... ."His touch can singe, even
burn 'n' heal, he's the God who's all flame. The there is the sudden
shift again to the sensual nature of love... when we were runnin' free,
let me touch you, touch you, oh... can't you see, let me hold you just
this once, It'll set us free... " The song Desh also celebrates love
describing what the sentiment is like, in experience. This has lyrics
like, "It's like walking on thin ice, being in love with you, But I
keep falling back, deeper than before... "

Mrityunjaya is literally the victor over death... "There are
those who walk the edge in life, Mocking all with every breath they
take... teasing death with every chasm, leaped, flying where eagles
don't dare... " The songs "Kinara" and "Maya" talk about love from very
opposite standpoints. "Kinara" is about the illusive nature of romance
and the futility of a lifelong wait... "Beh gaya woh kinara beh gaya,
kho gaya, Bujh gaya woh sitara, bujh gaya, kho gaya... "

"Maya," ironically, is not about illusion, but
the certainty about the woman a man had always thought was made for
him... "Haar ke mai chala tha, duniya se muh modh ke, jab kisi ka saath
chootaa, tujh ko hi paya saamne... "

Mrityunjaya, which took four years to evolve, has lyrics both in
English and Hindi. While Uday Iyer's voice carries the pitch
appropriate for a rock genre, the electric guitars set a good pace for
each song.

But the guitars and the drums, as it happens
in many Indi-rock albums, seemed to drown the vocals, and at times,
seemed a bit isolated from the rhythm of the songs.

The lyrics are rather appealing, even if one
considers that most songs on love say nothing memorable. Uday Iyer is
the lead vocalist, while Pravin Bell takes care of the bass. The drums
are by Rustom Kayani and guitars by Kaustubh Dhavale. Priced at Rs. 65,
the album has been recorded at Kosmic Studios.

PRASHANTH G.N. 

Agni