*This article was originally published on September 15, 2024 at 1:32pm and has been updated.*
The Post-Punk Bleakness Of "Hanging Truths"
In the shadowy realms of Italy's underground music scene, few projects embody despair and existential chaos like the post-punk band Vasa Kumora. They're known for their bleak lyrics, and the music reflects the darkness lurking within the human psyche of Toby. Take, for instance, the harrowing lyrics of this post-punk band's song Hanging Truths with lyrics that echo themes of torment, inner conflict, and impending doom:
"I am the way to my grave... my storm is coming," and other verses that delve deep into personal anguish.
Vasa Kumora's music often evokes the feel of a storm brewing just beneath the surface, unrelenting and inevitable.
This band’s lyrics reflect the core of post-punk’s ethos—haunted by personal demons and the fragility of existence, they capture the feeling of being lost in a spiraling, inescapable storm. In all of their music, there's a palpable tension between survival and surrender, pulling listeners into a dark yet cathartic soundscape.
One thing that sets this band apart is the visceral connection between their words and music, where lyrics flow like blood through veins, carrying a raw emotional current that feels both deeply personal and universally relatable. Another is that they will never perform live?
Nonetheless It’s post-punk, broad in its purest form—bleak, introspective, and defiant, where every note and every word is a cry for help, waiting to be swept away by the storm.
Lyrics
I am the way to my grave
However hard I try to stay
I am the wake of my distress
The disease of my flesh
The night slips in my breath
My words are blind and mad
They plot against my cry for help
I see in my veins
My storm is coming
It flows In my veins
I am twisted on myself
I am the blade and I am the wound
It is carved in my cells
I am twisted on myself
I am the mist and I am the lost
I can't be undone
I see in my veins
My storm is coming
It flows In my veins
My storm is coming
I will be swept away
I howled a message in a bottle
What I said will fade away
In the shadow of my death rattle
Hanging truths you'll never find out
I see in my veins
My storm is coming
It flows In my veins
My storm is coming
I will be swept away
It flows in my veins
My storm is coming
Speaking with the brains behind Vasa Kumora Ssiv, despite the depressing landscape and character he's worked hard to build, he's actually a pretty pleasant fellow!
First, congratulations on your 11th single release. Hanging Truths sounds great and it's another step in the right direction. This time, rather than John Ghost, Alma Noir is doing vocals. Where did you "dig" her up? That's a cemetery joke, by the way.
Hello everyone! The area where I live is unfortunately underdeveloped musically, so it is full of untapped talent. Alma Noire is one of the many who cannot find her space. When we heard her sing, John and I (Ssiv) offered her a place in Vasa Kumora. She has no musical background in darkwave, but in our opinion she has the right attitude. She will alternate with John in the next songs.
Conceptually, with Alma Noire's involvement, I'm compelled to believe that despite publicly saying that you'd never play live, that playing would be a great way to present the aesthetic of your project. Alma certainly looks the part and people would want to see that presentation. Would the Vasa Kumora's story eventually be, "yeah, we used to commit to not playing live but Zoe Dune suggested... yes, the Zoe Dune. Anyway, he suggested during a interview that we perform live and we've been doing that ever since. yes, The Cure are opening up for us on our world tour..."
Hahaha it would be nice, but unfortunately we will never play live. It's not a philosophy of life, but a precise calculation: small gigs don't pay off, big gigs would cause us problems with the work that feeds us and that we wouldn't leave without concrete guarantees. I only created Vasa Kumora to take the pleasure out of recording my own pieces. Art for art's sake.
You guys would be happy to know that her voice reminds me of that of Gitane Demone of the great goth rock band, Christian Death. Her voice has that kind of presence for me. Given that you've said from the beginning that your character, Toby, is the protagonist of this story for those songs, how does Hanging Truths fit in with his story being that the vocals and likely the character is now female?
We thank you sincerely for the compliment.I am happy with the question you asked me, because it allows me to explain a few things about the concept. Toby's identity is fragile, and in the course of the story he becomes increasingly confused. It's a bit like in Polanski's film "The Tenant of the Third Floor". Without revealing too much, Toby begins to identify with another female character in the concept. Obviously nothing happens by chance, there will be psychological reasons.
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As far as some of the sad music influences, I hear a lot of coldwave style in your songs. What region in the world do you think is producing some of the best from that genre? If it's Italy, what influential artists are coming from there during any time?
I am not a big fan of modern coldwave. I think the scene today is populated by a lot of bands, but it is stale, there is little experimentation. That's also why we decided to go with an alternative rock producer, Garmo. We wanted Kumora to have a different sound and attitude. I can't tell you the country where coldwave is most popular today, but I can tell you my absolute favourite modern goth band: Kaelan Mikla.Those girls have created their own distinctive sound. The scene desperately needs bands like these who don't just imitate the founding fathers of the genre.
Conceptually, what are your thoughts as far as the presentation of Toby's narrative down the line? Are we looking at potentially a full album?
We are releasing the songs in no particular order, but the intention is to put them in order and make a trilogy of albums. The first one will be called 'Fall, Fell, Fallen' and should be released in early 2026. Thanks very much for the interview!
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