Indian classical metal two-piece SOARA have released a video for their new single ‘Tezaab’. The track is taken from the band’s recently released EP Dharm. 

The themes within Dharm explore gender and colour biases, and social injustice prevalent in Asia, Africa and even in developed nations like the UK. ‘Tezaab’ in particular highlights acid attacks, which are prevalent in several Asian and African countries, often used as a form of revenge. Over 80% of the recorded cases are women and children, often perpetrated by immediate family members, neighbours or other people known to the victim. 

Watch the video for ‘Tezaab’, alongside an interview with acid attack victor Anu Mukherjee, here:

The COVID-19 pandemic has starved the Acid Survivor Saahas Foundation (ASSF) of funding sources. SOARA are asking fans to make donations where possible, with funds going directly to the charity foundation:  https://milaap.org/fundraisers/support-daulat-bi-khan

SOARA is a two-man project comprised of Akhilesh Rao and Karthik Ramasubramanian, originally from Mumbai and Chennai, India and currently residing in the San Francisco Bay Area. SOARA was formed by Rao in Brooklyn, NY in 2015 as a one-man instrumental project, inspired by his need to make a difference to society using lustrous art, intense imagery and most importantly, decisive action. This was centrefold to the creation of SOARA. 

In Rao‘s quest to meet this vision, he invited drummer Hannes Grossmann (Blotted Science, Alkaloid, Triptykon, ex-Necrophagist, ex-Obscura) to join the project as a session musician. In 2018, SOARA was armed with ten demos and went into the studio, combining intense, polyrhythmic drumming with ambient, distorted guitars. 

In an effort to deliver an impactful message, national award-winning talent Karthik Ramasubramanian joined in 2019 as the final piece of the SOARA puzzle. With 15-years of training under Carnatic masters, Karthik a.k.a Rkay has collaborated with South Indian Film legends such as Ghibran, and earned praise from Sangeetha Kalanidhi Sudha Raghunathan & S.Sowmya, and the legendary Guitar Prasanna. His idiosyncratic approach of mixing powerful, yet melodic, traditional Indian classical vocals with metal redefined the band’s sound, creating a Carnatic metal powerhouse.

SOARA are inspired by the aggression and technical finesse of the likes of Fallujah, Skyharbor, Dream Theater and Megadeth, alongside the complex, melodic nature of Indian Classical music displayed by heavyweights such as Prasanna, Zakir Hussain andA.R Rahman. 

Combining ethereal soundscapes with dense drumming and soulful Carnatic vocals, SOARA‘s music
seeks to address deep systemic issues prevalent in Eastern cultures, and portray the resilience not often eschewed by the oppressed.

Every vocal harmony, guitar melody, and chaotic drum fill is stylistically chosen with the intention to make the listener experience a range of emotions as the song progresses. ‘Tezaab’ and EP track ‘Niram’ were written to reflect the impact of social hierarchy, malicious advertisements, vanity and misplaced egos.

The artwork for SOARA‘s Dharm EP combines the artwork of ‘Tezaab’ and ‘Niram’, which represent a particular mood or emotion. Elements of these covers will also appear in the artwork for the band’s upcoming album (due for release in early 2021). 

Dharm is available to stream/purchase here: https://linktr.ee/soaratheband