The brainchild of Savannah, Georgia’s own Ed Silva, and formed in 2007, Cries of Redemption can hardly be considered a band in the traditional sense. Rather, it is the tangible embodiment of Silva’s unquenchable creative spirit. Now approaching its two-decade mark, Silva has served as an audio engineer, stripping away the boundaries of musical genre to craft a fusion of the raw intensity of NuMetal, the mesmerizing beats of Classic Trance, and the deep sounds of Romanian Deep House. Ever since my initial encounter with their album Patterns, I’ve been hooked; it was a shocking yet utterly beautiful experience that turned one listen into full-blown addiction. But it took until March 22nd for this journey to culminate in a collaboration with the otherworldly Martina Questa on the “What Lies Beneath” music video. It is a distinct honor for me to lift the veil on this stunning film.
The video begins with a dark and moody ambiance. It is a close-up shot of the artist, Martina Questa, who is in a vulnerable position. There is a tight minimal light and lots of darkness within the shot, making everything look grim as she begins to perform. With the progression of the scene, there is an improvement in fluidity of the filming, but still, the feeling of claustrophobia persists. Movements of Martina are calculated, indicating the internal conflict of dealing with a “shadowed thought.” With the transition of the mood from fragile to intense, we witness the onset of the operatic nature within Martina’s voice. There is a sudden burst of energy that marks the chorus section. In terms of lighting, it will usually become warm or intense at this point because of the line, “Beneath the surface / The fire runs deep.” Martina’s performance is now authoritative, transitioning from whispers into a full-blown opera. The music video uses the camera lens flare to illustrate the “dance of stars” metaphor. The last scene of the music video still focuses on Martina but, she’s no longer singing. Instead, she acts out the primal scream in Cries Of Redemption’s vocal performance. There’s a soft breeze that blows her hair backwards so that we can clearly see her face emoting that part of the song. Martina begins to sing yet again. Here, we see a shift in the video from one that is raw and grungy due to the production gradually slowing itself down as Martin’s delivers the line “Colors bloom where there once were none.” Soon afterwards, the video ends.
The central idea behind the work of art “What Lies Beneath” is “Architecture of Kinetic Honesty,” which entails the “breaking down” of the “Surface Ice” of the “cold and polished persona,” with the help of the “Subterranean Fire” of one’s high voltage truths. The structure of this story is an Entropy of the Mask. The first phase involves the “necessary collapse” from Silence to Loud Vulnerability and this collapse serves as a confirmation that what we keep hidden within ourselves is not our burden but our strength. As a result of such an outburst comes Collective Redemption, which occurs with the handing off of pain, thus sharing the “fire.
Cries of Redemption is not only upping its game, but crossing borders to call upon the grandeur of Argentina’s Gothic Metal queen herself, Martina Questa. In this interpretation of “What Lies Beneath,” Martina’s voice takes on the role of an unadulterated and harsh truth created specifically for those cast aside and marginalized members of the group. This is a collaboration that does not cater to anyone other than itself. By integrating her technical skills and haunting presence into the composition of the track, Ed guarantees that the message is conveyed through more than just listening, but through touch. The creation of a cinematic connection for the tribe of forgotten souls shows that even the most painful of scars can be turned into a collective and powerful song of identity.
Redemption Cries is not hunting for some distant fan base or some artificial glow of fame. No, they seek communion on a deeper level — with a tribe of best friends who Ed has not encountered yet. The project is made of the same rough material as that of the misfits and the beautiful freaks. This is an invitation to everyone, who sees his/her own face reflected in the dark and powerful tones of the sound. The idolization pedestal is broken and the bare truth about the sound reveals itself. Having listened to the music of this band twice already, I see how the vision becomes more precise and impactful every single note at a time. And there is so much brilliance that makes me feel uneasy until I discover everything else that these talented musicians have created.
Stream the “What Lies Beneath” on Spotify and watch the video above.
Follow Cries of Redemption here and their socials: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Bandcamp
