NEW INTERVIEW: My second interview with Samier Tengkorak, Jakarta death metal, 30 May 2025.

My interview with Samier of Tengkorak, Inferno Music Studio & Rock Shop, Surabaya, Friday, 30 May 2025 (corrected by Samier via Instagram on 31 May 2025)

(Note: Samier is based in Surabaya but the other members of Tengkorak are based in Jakarta) 

Samier: Tengkorak disbanded in 2016. We are not active. We do not practice. We do not play the gigs. Last year (about November-December 2024) they want to reform. I told them that I can’t go in like before. But I still join in their management but not as a performer again. 

Kieran James: Why don’t you want to join again?

Samier: I feel I can’t one hundred percent anymore because of my lifestyle now. I’m not sure that I can join this band. In the future I don’t know. Right now I’m not in the band anymore.

KJ: You still play with the band G.A.S.? 

Samier: G.A.S. disbanded in 2017. 

KJ: What other activities do you do? 

Samier: Nothing. I just manage my studio. I have comic book store. I have simple lifestyle with my family. I’m still listening music. I still support new bands in Surabaya. I’m still watching gigs. 

KJ: Do you still follow OFM?

Samier: It’s not active. It’s just a statement. Yes, it’s a movement but it’s more of a statement. We still have our beliefs. We love metal but we stay with our belief. Because, at that time that you came before [January 2014] that statement came because so many young fans thought that if you are metal you should not have the beliefs. But it’s wrong.

KJ: You still contact Ombat [Tengkorak vocalist]?

Samier: Yes, we have WhatsApp group. I went to Jakarta last December and we met.

KJ: What are some of the young bands in Surabaya?

Samier: CPG (grindcore); Daging (death metal); Decrown (death metal); Fordity (death metal); and Gerogot (death metal). 

KJ: What is the size of the scene now?

Samier: I think the scene got bigger. Hardcore gets the young people. There is regeneration in the hardcore scene in Surabaya.

I had a motorbike accident in 2018 and my leg is broken. I need one year to recover my leg.

We had a plan (G.A.S.) to come back in 2019. And then COVID came. We had a break of three years. After that we were so excited to perform again, to come back in the band. I don’t feel so excited anymore. As a player we should practice every day, we should go everywhere for gigs. I feel not comfortable with those circumstances given my age. I don’t want to continue. They ask me to come back but I said to them I can’t do this anymore. 

KJ: How do you feel? Sad? 

Samier: Happy. Because in 1990 I joined a band (no name), a university band; we just play on the campus. We changed the name at every gig (laughs). We just play Metallica or anything we like, it’s not a serious band.

1993 I am the founder of Slowdeath. This is my first serious band. We have three albums. It is deathgrind. We have Napalm Death in Harmony Corruption style. And Slowdeath 1993-2003 (?) Then I joined Tengkorak. 

KJ: Are you the first generation of extreme metal in Surabaya?

Samier: Yes. Nendy is the first and then Edy from Wafat, Yayan from Venduzor, then Jagal. Jagal is a newer band than us. But the players come from the first generation. Endro and Deddy came from Fear Inside.

KJ: Keep going back to when you joined Tengkorak.

Samier: I joined in 2003 and made an album with them, Agenda Suram (2007). This is the fourth album from Tengkorak.

KJ: Did you join Tengkorak because of the beliefs?

Samier: I wanted Slowdeath to be bigger. I wanted Slowdeath to be a national band but to stay in Surabaya. I had a plan to relocate the whole band to Jakarta. It’s crazy at that time. Because Slowdeath when we played gigs in Jakarta we got a good reaction. Jakarta is more simple, it’s the capital, not like Bandung. Bandung community is a very closed community, just like Surabaya. When we play in Bandung we do not have a good impact. It’s possible to move to Jakarta and have an opportunity. But the other members don’t want that. This is why I joined Tengkorak. Suddenly Tengkorak lost their guitarist. I knew them for a long time, we became friends. I called them. I said: If you want a guitarist I want to join you.

KJ: But you still stay in Surabaya? 

Samier: I stay two weeks in Jakarta, two weeks in Surabaya, sometimes by train, sometimes by plane. My sister stays in Jakarta. It depends on Tengkorak activity. When we release my first album with Tengkorak, I stayed in Jakarta or two or three months to rehearse and practice and record the album. Because when we did the record, we changed the drummer two years before, in 2005. We changed the drummer. And I join with Tengkorak until 2016.

KJ: Did the band continue with the younger players? 

Samier: The persons in the first or second line-up joined again. The bass player, the founder, rejoined again. Ombat is still the vocalist. Ombat (vocals), Yoyo (guitar), Danang (bass), Rony (drummer, joined 2005), Donny (second guitar). Donny is actually the drummer from Tengkorak in 1998 and the bass player from 2012. Right now he is the second guitarist. The new line-up has one single just released. 

[Tengkorak--Zionist Downfall (video), featuring Ombat daughter on vocals.]

Samier: Donny is a good songwriter--actually he can play drums, bass, guitar, he is so productive.

Deddy and Sari (G.A.S. vocalist) have a new band Decrown, they just have one single. 

KJ: What is the lyric about in the Tengkorak video? 

Samier: The lyric is similar to the other Tengkorak songs. It’s about Zionist. It’s time for the Zionist downfall.

We in Islam we believe the Zionist downfall is coming. It’s written in Al-Quran how Israel ends. Maybe for some people outside Muslim they can hardly believe what is written in Al-Quran. There is a big war at the end of the days, Israel and Islam. So we know exactly that in the end it will be the end of Israel. Right now we are heading to that event. We know exactly what Israel is. We have a long story about them, from Moses. They betrayed Moses. We know exactly what they are doing in the first Islam era. They always betrayed. If you read the books about Mohammed, it is about what Israel people did in that era--they always betray. 

KJ: Did Tengkorak get any recognition from other countries? 

Samier: Yes, especially from Japan. There is a Japanese label that always support Tengkorak.

KJ: Is there any interest from Muslim countries?

Samier: No (smiles). Tengkorak--we are not good to promote ourselves. I have a family in Bandung. In school they are taught the teacher will support you if you have arts or music talent. The Bandung mentality is special.

[Top picture: Samier (left) with Nendy of Fear Inside, Surabaya death metal.]

*****THE END*****