What is the sound of the next generation of Buddhist music? Part Two: Deadly Light

We recently shared with you three tracks from the new CD Dhamma Gita, as a way of answering the question, “What is the sound of the next generation of Buddhist music?” While those three songs (you can hear them here) were all different from each other, it’s safe to say that, likewise, what you’re about to hear is quite unlike them — or, really, just about any other Buddhism-inspired music you’ve heard.

Seattle-based Deadly Light is Max Neal (guitar, backing vocals), Don Baumer (drums, backing vocals), and Dave Vitello (vocals, electronics). The music on their new CD Six Walls is, as Don says, “fairly heavy rock/metal, with a bit of an ambient/tribal feel as well.” (Fairly heavy might be a bit of an understatement, Don.)

And there’s a Buddhist connection. More on that, and a track you can listen to (and read along with) right now, after the jump.

Regarding the band’s connection to the dharma, Don Baumer tells me: “As practicing Buddhists, we have written lyrical content that deals with consciousness, the trials and triumphs of working with meditation and the path, and the difficulties of bringing that path into a society that often fosters materialism and alienation.” Okay — I’m sold on the concept. But how’s the music? Well, I’m sold on that too, but here’s “Red as Blood,”  a sample track from Six Walls for you to check out, including lyrics:

Red as Blood

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Your skin is red as blood
And your eyes, three eyes, empty as the sky
I watch you dancing on the sun
I through myself under
Empty goddess
Make me surrender
Your skin is red with love
And your smile, sharp as a knife
What’s in your hand – a secret gift for me?
Skull cup to drink
Purify me
In emptiness

(…Don explains the song a bit: “‘Red as Blood’ deals with the process of surrendering to love and the passion for life. It’s about relenting to the surging sense of eros driving the universe and experiencing a consuming, raging love and compassion for all its manifestations. The song describes the dance between the individual ego and an archetypal figure that embodies transcendental love.”)

For more from Deadly Light:

You can hear a second track (also with lyrics), “Black Electric” over at The Worst Horse.

Or, follow Deadly Light on their website.

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6 Comments

  1. Vajrayogini
    Posted May 18, 2010 at 4:17 pm | Permalink

    Wow!!!! These guys rock! Hello American Buddhist Metal! I've been waiting for you.

  2. Posted May 18, 2010 at 5:33 pm | Permalink

    I'm listening the full "Six Walls" CD. I'm not historically a metallic musical organism, but I am enjoying these sounds. :)

  3. Posted May 18, 2010 at 5:46 pm | Permalink

    Awesome. I don't think that Buddhism is well represented in the Metal scene and I would hate to see Buddhist themed or inspired music go in the direction of Christian "rock" or worship music.

    Something along the lines of what KrishnaCore is would be simply amazing. Damn, I used to love the Cro-Mags.

    Cheers,

    John http://www.zendirtzendust.com

  4. Posted May 19, 2010 at 12:52 am | Permalink

    awesome that DL is getting some time here… have talked to Max a bit about a q&a as well… great bands like this need to get more exposure..

    and zdzd… search dosa jhana and the firstborn, noth Buddhist influenced metal acts!

  5. Well Hum
    Posted August 13, 2010 at 2:50 am | Permalink

    Totally Free has a song called "Nature of Mind" and "As It Is" that are definitely about Dzogchen. I think more than a few songs are about Buddhism, actually, but perhaps very subtly. Heck, the name itself "Totally Free" is Dzogchen all over.

    The CD itself shows a double vajra and the last track is a 13 minute zone out track chanting OM MANI PADMA HUM. The CD was going for like $40, but you can get it on iTunes or Emusic for cheap. Here's emusic: http://www.emusic.com/album/Totally-Free-Totally-...

  6. Well Hum
    Posted August 13, 2010 at 2:57 am | Permalink

    Actually, Amazon has an mp3 version of Totally Free, too: http://www.amazon.com/Totally-Free/dp/B001AM965C/...

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