It’s impossible not to play
Moving forward despite the suffering
I can’t check if it’s night or day
Moving forward despite the triggering
The Death card in traditional tarot, often misunderstood by the uninitiated, represents not the end of life, but the profound transformation that follows the cessation of an old state. It is the herald of change, the severing of attachments that no longer serve the soul’s purpose. To draw this card is to invite the alchemical process of dissolution, wherein the ego must die, shedding outdated beliefs and stagnant patterns. True liberation comes from embracing this necessary destruction, for it paves the way for renewal, rebirth, and a higher state of consciousness. The Death card is the threshold one must cross to step into the unknown, where new possibilities await—bold, unformed, and teeming with potential. Thus, it is a symbol not of doom, but of glorious upheaval, where one’s life is realigned toward deeper truths and higher destinies.
This is tackled in the passionate new single Death Cards, by Lisbon, Portugal’s Uncanny Chamber: Luís Câmara’s haunting vision of darkwave and post-punk, built on years of compositions he had long stashed away. His music pulses with the grit of industrial textures and the cold bite of electronic undertones, a sound that sinks deep into shadowed corners. In 2024, the project took a new turn when Luís invited vocalist Mariana Pinheiro to join, her voice adding a spectral edge that elevated the band into a duet. Her arrival marked a new chapter for Uncanny Chamber, blending eerie harmonies with the dissonant grit of Luís’ compositions.
With Death Cards, Uncanny Chamber seeks to lure listeners into the deeper, shadowed recesses of human emotion, crafting a sound that stirs the soul’s darkest currents. Their music is a slow pull into reflections of absence, longing, and the unspoken spaces between. Luís Câmara and Mariana Pinheiro explore the layers of darkness, suggesting that, like light, shadow is never simple but composed of intricate, shifting shades. Their intention is not just to provoke, but to connect—tugging at the hidden corners of the mind, stirring forgotten feelings. Each chord resonates with electric tension, every lyric hints at the depths of human sorrow and desire. Through their sound, they tap into a primal force
The lyrics read like a slow dance with fate, where the cards are laid out and the stakes are high. Someone stands ready, arms wide open, daring the unknown to play its hand. There’s a head-spinning descent into the inevitable, where suffering and confusion blur night and day. Death looms in every move, and the cards offer no mercy—only the truth.
The video, directed by Jaime Prates, unfolds in stark black and white, a fitting stage for Uncanny Chamber’s haunting performance amidst the wilderness. The setting feels raw, stripped of colour, as the wind seems to carry the heavy weight of the song through the trees. Pinheiro’s vocals cut through like a cold wind, chilling to the bone—her voice rising and falling as if summoning forgotten gods. The rawness of nature, the simplicity of the black and white, and the intensity of Pinheiro’s voice create an atmosphere that crackles with energy, as though the very earth beneath them might respond to the force of the music. Each moment pulses with a kind of primal power, a reminder that sometimes the most stirring forces come from deep within, untouched by time or modern noise.
Watch the video for “Death Cards” below:
Death Cards brings forth a foreboding prelude to their forthcoming album Echoes of Absence.
Listen to the song below and order here.
Death Cards by Uncanny Chamber
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The post Lisbon Darkwavers Uncanny Chamber Dance With Fate in Their Video for “Death Cards” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.
