Vedic rock is a term which used to synonymous with a certain brand
of music but isn’t heard much nowadays. However, it is making a
noisy comeback in the form of AGNI Webbed – the new project
started by Bharat Swamy, one of the founding members of the
legendary hard rock band Agni, which took the Indian independent
scene by storm way back in the ’90s.

The song ‘Tears of Fire’ is as rousing as it sounds. Conceptualized around the principle of karma, or paying for one’s misdeeds, the hair- raising music is bolstered by power chords on distorted guitars and double-pedal drumming. It hovers between heavy metal and hard rock. The Indian elements bring about the old brooding atmosphere found in the songs of Agni’s old lineup.

The riff sounds like an ancient musical motif that could have been played while calling spirits. The sound of the acoustic guitar has been tweaked to give it an ominous ring which perfectly complements the eerie singing style as it calls for the destruction of evil people.

The unearthly vocal calls in the bridge takes the song to a whole
different level. It is distinctly Indian as is the chanting of the Maha
Mrityunjaya mantra, which calls upon Lord Shiva, the Hindu god who
destroys evil.

The beautifully animated video is a bit unsettling too. The colour scheme feeds heavily into the hues of fire – red, orange and yellow. Evil deeds like violence, domestic abuse and racism are shown through the eyes of a young boy who gets disturbed and angered by all this negativity around him. The video takes a political turn when a figure closely resembling US President Donald Trump is shown on the TV, laughing, while the world is plagued with injustices.

Finally, all the perpetrators are killed by the elements of fire, water
and wind and the boy walks out of the screen victorious. Only his
shadow takes the form of Lord Shiva.

Overall, the sound is not exactly new but it has an edge which is
certainly attractive. The harsh delivery of the English vocals in a
typical metal style seems forced however and does not always go with
the feel of the song.

But the emotion of rage is perfectly embodied in all the elements from
the voice to the distorted power chords and the double stops on the
bass. Whether one likes it or not, it will be extremely difficult to
ignore the hard-hitting impact that ‘Tears of Fire’ has on the listener.

Verdict: Karma served in a fiery dish of Vedic rock.