Vajra – Pleroma (2012)

If you were thinking how a melange of Dead Can Dance with Tool would sound like, don’t dig further, Vajra is the most perfect possible match for it. Singer, composer, producer, writer, and keyboard player Annamaria Pinna formed Vajra during her self-imposed exile in India and “Pleroma” is kind of a collection of 10 “sonic postcards” which painting up by sounds this mystic journey to self-conscience filled with hypnotic mysticism and some explosive sonic hurricanes.
The opening “Inside The Flame” have that ancient driven power which made magic the debut Tool album and it’s a perfect attention grabber. “Almost One” have the touch of Godsmack, it’s a mixture of gloom and groove with Rock strength, hypnotic, but simultaneously kicking. “India” is a meditation/reflection, a subtle cinematic prayer which lead us directly into “Blind”, another Post-Grunge and Dark Rock filled anthem with pulsing guitar riffs and pounding drums, evoking Godsmack’s “Voodoo”, but adding a further Oriental and mystic tone, color to it. “Intuition” it’s like shattered from a dream, a slippery trip down to labyrinth of subconscious where shadows and lights are dancing together and melting into one.

“Erode The Will” reminds me of Joy Division, but also have the touch and spirit of the 1984’s Dead Can Dance debut album, pretty gloomy, still magnetic, lead us into temptation.
“3.14” – it’s an obvious reference to Pi, also known as π and having the value of 3.14(159). This is a crack of light in a dark room filled with unknown shadows and the fear of the unknown. “See Through You” is build upon bitterness and disappointment and it’s heave a dark, heavy groove.
“Akkord Pleromy” – in music, the mystic chord or Prometheus chord is a six-note synthetic chord and its associated scale, or pitch collection; which loosely serves as the harmonic and melodic basis for some of the later pieces by Russian composer Alexander Scriabin. It consists of the pitch classes: C, F♯, B♭, E, A, D. This is often interpreted as a quartal hexachord consisting of an augmented fourth, diminished fourth, augmented fourth, and two perfect fourths. The term “mystic chord”, appears to derive from Scriabin’s intense interest in Theosophy, and the chord is imagined to reflect this mysticism. So, we’ve got a ticket to a 3:58 minutes experimental ride.
“The Apple”, an over 8 minute epic journey close the album in the same dark, but groovy, mystic, but rocking manner which seems to be the trademark of Vajra from now on.

“Pleroma” was written, arranged and produced by Annamaria Pinna. Music and Lyrics by Annamaria Pinna.
Vocal Production by Annamaria Pinna & Sylvia Massy Shivy.
Engineered at Vacation Island Recording by Matt Boynton and at Radiostar Studios by Sylvia Massy Shivy & Ian Rickard.
Mixed at Radiostar Studios by Sylvia Massy Shivy & Rich Veltrop.
Mastered at Precision Audio by Tom Baker.
Art Direction/Design:/Layout Annamaria Pinna
Vocals, Midi, Keys: Annamaria Pinna, Drums, Percussion: Blake Fleming, Bass: Doug Wright, Guitar: Will Dahl, Tabla: Tabla Jon

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Annamaria Pinna is the child of a former monk and school teacher, Annamaria was encouraged to learn about the world around her and to question her assumptions. She believes there is divinity in creativity. Annamaria has a neurological condition called synesthesia, where she attaches color and shapes to sound.
The debut album “Pleroma” was released on the Summer Solstice, 2012 (6.21.12). Pleroma is an exploration in paradox (east vs west, soft vs pummelling, female vs male) and includes appearances by Blake Fleming (ex-The Mars Volta) on drums, Doug Wright (The Dirty Pearls) on bass and Will Dahl (ex-Harley’s War) on guitar.
Vajra’s music is hauntingly dark and hypnotic weaving Eastern Indian themes with melodic, progressive rock creating foreboding and mysterious lullabies. Sylvia Massy (Tool, System of A Down, Prince, Johnny Cash) co-produced the vocals and mixed. Tom Baker (NIN, Foo Fighters, Ministry, Prince) mastered.
The band is quickly generating a buzz after selling-out their first show in November, 2011 (at The Bowery Electric in NYC). Virgin America selected Vajra’s single “Erode The Will” for their In-Flight Entertainment Series in December, 2011, and Vajra’s music is currently being played at over 200 radio stations nationwide, syndicated radio shows, podcasts, and music websites. The band just performed two shows at SXSW and recently played to sold-out audiences at The Bowery Ballroom, The Mercury Lounge and The Bowery Electric in NYC. The band recently signed licending deals with The Discovery Network, MTV, Showtime and Bravo.

Vajra – Official Site
Vajra – Official YouTube Channel
Vajra @ Bandcamp
Vajra @ Facebook
Vajra @ Twitter
Buy Vajra “Pleroma” on iTunes

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Also read: Vajra Is Building the Temple and You Are Witness To Its Foundation

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