Blood Brain Barrier makes its first steps with an EP.
Entitled Windows Drenched in Red, it was created by vocalist Isabelle Tazbir and multi-instrumentalist Mrudul Kamble, inspired by Doom, Black, and Sludge Metal.
The ritual begins with Testing the Waters, a fairly short opening track where violence meets heaviness, followed by unhealthy screams and dissonant harmonies that punctuate the progression of this dark mass. A few leads offer an increasingly disturbing touch before a break that calls for the return of furious riffs, slowly leading us to Windows Drenched in Red, which revives more piercing tones and integrates them into its crushing basis. The first part of the song ends with powerful tones, but a silence opens the doors to the second part, which is much more ethereal, almost vaporous at times, even if we can feel the heavier influences in the background as we move on to Seek Nothing Destroy Everything, where the tone becomes more melodious, but also more martial. While the approach is different, its darkness remains very consistent with the previous tracks, offering simpler, more refined passages where only the notes float in the air, waiting for the vocalist to return before giving way to Desire to be Thoughtless, which begins oppressively and never lets up, whether with slow, haunting riffs or more energetic accelerations before a massive final.
For a first EP, Blood Brain Barrier has set the bar high with four compositions with a strong identity that perfectly combine Black Metal and Sludge. Windows Drenched in Red is only a first step, but it allows the band to show us what they are made of.
90/100
A few questions to the band Blood Brain Barrier’s instrumentalist Mrudul Kamble about the release of their debut EP, Windows Drenched In Red.
Hello and first of all, thank you very much for your time! How would you introduce the band Blood Brain Barrier without using the musical labels, such as “Doom”, “Sludge” or “Black Metal”?
Mrudul Kamble: Thanks for having us! This project is essentially my opportunity to experiment with my songwriting within the scope of numerous inspirations that I am grateful for in my musical journey. Essentially I want to be able to write what feels right to me in the context of songwriting. Personally, I don’t necessarily fit in the sub-culture of any metal sub genre. I just appreciate what every sub-genre of music has to offer. I have lived through different stages of “ Metalhead” such as Thrash, Black Metal, Stoner, Death, Doom etc… But I find that is very limiting to my songwriting. And all I can do is not worry too much about the genre or its aesthetics and just let the music flow. Which is one of the main reasons I write/record and produce all the music. As soon as there is a “band”, you are expected to have an identity/aesthetic and that just kills my inspiration to just write good music.
Where does the name Blood Brain Barrier come from and how do you link it to the music you play?
Mrudul: Honestly, we just happened to stumble upon it in a movie or a show or something like that and we thought it sounded really cool for a project that could be dedicated to sonic exploration. Also, the sonic nature of songs in the EP felt like they would work really well under the project name Blood Brain Barrier. Blood – for all the hellish/ violent nature of the EP’s sound. Brain – For all the cerebral aspects of the mix, and the flow of the songs. Barrier for all the direction we chose to take when writing and trying to break any genre defining barriers if necessary to keep the music interesting.
Blood Brain Barrier just released its first EP, Windows Drenched In Red. How do you feel about it? Do you already have any feedback?
Mrudul: We feel very good about it for a couple of reasons. First being that this is me and my partner’s (Isabelle Tazbir) brand new endeavour. Personally, being in a band with her for a couple of years, I already knew, I always wanted to make this happen. So we are very gratified that this has come to life with this EP. We are also very pleased to see how it has been received. I am happy that most reviews about the EP highlight the musical aspect of it being fresh and genre blending ( but not in an obvious way)
How would you sum Windows Drenched In Red’s identity up in only three words?
Mrudul: Explore, suffer, unite.
How did the creation process happen in the band? Did you already have (together or separate) previous experiences creating and recording of musical stuff?
Mrudul: Isabelle and I have shared the stage numerous times with both of our other projects – Ischemic and Mors Verum. So yes, we are very comfortable pursuing the recording process and releasing music together. Watching her perform her vocals I knew deep down I wanted to start a separate project with her that will work in perfect harmony with her vocals and bring out her true power. Fortunately, I also had some riffs that I knew would work to make that happen. And so now, we have this EP.
The band’s sound is a mix of Black, Doom and Sludge, but with a very strong identity, which bands would you quote as your main influences?
Mrudul: When we want to write parts that need to take a listener into a hypnotic trance, we are usually influenced and inspired by bands like Wolves in the Throne Room, The Ruins of Beverast, Krallice, Yellow Eyes, etc… When we feel like dumping a whole bunch of heaviness and weight in the song, we are inspired by the following bands – Kawthra, Thou, Insect Ark, Sub Rosa, Isis etc. When we have parts that require an uplifting feel but still need to preserve their demise and sorrow, we are inspired by bands like Katatonia, Swallow the Sun, My Dying Bride, Opeth, etc. We also have inspirations outside the metal genre such as Emancipator, Blockhead and Nujabes. I would highly recommend these artists/bands to musicians trying to find some inspiration.
Do you have a favorite song on Windows Drenched In Red? Or maybe the hardest one to achieve for the EP.
Mrudul: Each song has its own place I think, and they serve a unique purpose of their own. So it depends on the mood and the moment. If I wanna feel uplifted I usually listen to Seek Nothing, Destroy Everything. If I feel the crushing weight of existence, I go for Desire to Be Thoughtless. If I just want a simple Black Metal song, It would be Testing the Waters. And If I want all the feels in one song, It would be the title track Windows Drenched in Red.
Where do you find your inspiration to create music?
Mrudul: I always have drum grooves and song arrangements in my head going on. It’s like a puzzle I like to solve and let it reveal itself in the process. That in itself inspires me to write and realize an idea into its full form.
Do you think you improved yourself as a musician/songwriter with this new record?
Mrudul: When it comes to more cohesive compositions and songwriting, I would say yes, for sure I have taken a huge step forward. All my past releases with other projects were good but I surely feel very different with this EP.
Blood Brain Barrier is a duo, but do you plan to play live? Or to expand the band to other musicians?
Mrudul: Yes, we would absolutely love to play live. As much as we would love to have a full band, It’s hard to find people interested in a project that’s managed and composed by one person. And even if we did find someone who is willing to play and enjoy these songs live, co-ordinating their schedules and ours would be a nightmare usually. So, as of now, we are looking into Re-amping guitars and bass live on stage. So that way, the pre recorded DI guitar tracks will still play through real guitar tube amps and feel the room with sonic heaviness.
Are you open to collaborations on just a song, or an album? Are there any musicians you would like to create music with?
Mrudul: There are musicians I would love to hang out, talk philosophy and life stuff and collaborate with, here’s the wish list: Rebecca Vernon (Sub Rosa), Colin Marston (Krallice), Kelly and Jordan (Dreadnought, Denver), Steven Wilson and Mikael Akerfeldt, Zachary Ezrin (Imperial Triumphant), Luc Lemay (Gorguts), Topon and Mel (Fuck the Facts).
Have you ever heard of the French Metal scene? Are there any bands you know and like?
Mrudul: We have been really enjoying listening to the band Viande from France. We don’t know much about the scene there but I am sure there are some amazing underground bands out there we would love to check out if we had the opportunity.
How is the Metal scene in Ontario? Are there any bands you’d like to give a shoutout?
Mrudul: Its ok. Everyone is very supportive of each other when it comes to playing live and local shows. Quick Shouout: Fuck the Facts, A Flock Named Murder, Hell is Other People, Eclipser, Kawthra, Greber, Drofnosura, Nepenthe. Musically however, it is stuck in the 80s Thrash/Classic Rock era. No particular scene for Black Metal or any sub-genres. Even if there is, people seem to like gimmicky aspects of the bands more than the music itself. So you may see a venue packed when a band like Behemoth plays. But don’t expect much when playing shows with local bands. Especially if you are trying to push musical boundaries, only a handful are going to be interested (and we are grateful for them). That being said, I feel that this is the case pretty much anywhere in the world and everyone I have talked to from different countries. So no surprises there. Just the current state of the music industry as a whole and that in itself is a whole other can of worms.
If I ask you to create a poster with Blood Brain Barrier as headliner and three other bands for the release of Windows Drenched In Red, which bands would you like to play with? Even unrealistic answers are accepted.
Mrudul: Here’s what our CD release show would look like. Realistically with local scene: Hell is Other People, Kawthra, Thantifaxath. Unrealistically : The Ruins of Beverast, Wolves in the Throne Room, Triptykon.
Last and funny question: which dish would you compare Blood Brain Barrier’s music with?
Mrudul: Escargot. It has enough sludge/slime with all the beauty bursting in flavour. And always feel like you want more.
That was the last question for me, so thank you very much for your time and your music, last words are yours!
Mrudul: Thanks for giving our music a spin! We appreciate yours and our music listener’s time reading through all the answers and getting to know us better. Grateful for the opportunity from Acta Infernalis to have this chat! Cheers!