NEW INTERVIEW: Our first interview with Marsya, VOICE OF BACEPROT (Garut modern rock/ modern metal), featuring Man Jasad, 17 May 2026.

                                 My first interview with Marsya, Voice of Baceprot 

Sunday, 17 May 2026 @ VOB base camp, Garut, West Java, Indonesia 

Interview length: 60 minutes

Sundanese pronunciation: [ba.t͡ʃə.prot]; bah-che-prot, lit. 'loudness/noise'

Q1: Kieran James: Please tell me the history of the band.

Marsya (vocalist/guitarist, Voice of Baceprot): Everything started in 2014. At that time, we are in junior high-school. So, actually, me and the drummer Siti we were already friends since elementary school. And then we met Widi, our bass player, in junior high-school.  At that time, we are in the same theatre community. We have very bad acting so our teacher, Abah, told us to be the production team.

Actually, the students that learnt there was 15 students. Our parents didn’t give us permission, so the members became seven and finally only three of us. 

Q2: KJ: How did you create the song ‘School Revolution’? 

Marsya: We created the song together. It’s the first time I wrote lyrics. And Abah helped me to write lyrics. It is about the education system. I’m bored at school [laughs]. I almost didn’t continue my school.  I learnt English by myself, TV, lyrics.

KJ. In ‘School Revolution’, I hear AC/DC influence, Twisted Sister, Anthrax, nu-metal too. 

Marsya: I love AC/DC. Those are our influences. I use Gibson SG due to Angus Young.

KJ: The guitar solo is impressive. 

Marsya: I’m not really confident on my solo. I say it’s so bad. After releasing the album, I think that’s my best solo. I did the musical video about 2017, 2018. Actually, we just go with the flow, with our feelings, we are angry girls, I think. Music is the only medium to convey all our anger at the time until now. 

Q3: KJ: Are you surprised that you have so much success in England? 

Marsya: It’s too far. It’s still like a dream.

Q4: KJ: Tell me about the experience in Glastonbury. 

Marsya: Everything was amazing, the crowds; onstage except the toilet, including the people from there. After the show, we can do the massage. That’s the first place I saw the massage in the backstage, that was amazing. 

Q5: KJ: Where did the band vision come from? 

Marsya: The vision at first came from Abah. At the beginning, we did not know anything except to play music. But we were happy with that.

Now, we have a clear vision for the future, we can be ourselves, to say ‘no’ to everything our parents say- have to get married at an early age; have to stay at home; cook something for the family and take care of the family until they get old. 

Q6: KJ: What do you think about the West’s attitude about you wearing hijabs? 

Marsya: I’m a bit surprised by the way they see it as normal. We wear it every day. Many people in Western [countries] trying to understand about hijab and Islam and metal music itself. It’s new for them, I think.   

KJ: Possibly because in the UK the largest Muslim group is Pakistani and they are more severe about the religion than Indonesians. 

Marsya: Nobody there knows about Indonesia, they think it’s like Afghanistan. I have to explain to the media we are not like Afghanistan. 

KJ: There’s more freedom here [Indonesia] now than in the West.

Marsya: Yeah.

Q7: KJ: When I heard about your band, I remembered that Man from Jasad is originally from Garut. I wondered whether he had some association with you early on. Did you know him from the beginning?

Marsya:  We know him since we started the band. He is a big influence on the sound. The first time I met him personally was in Wacken [in 2022].

[Note: While his band Jasad did not perform that year, Man was at the festival serving as an official International Judge for the Wacken Metal Battle 2022. He was there to support and judge the Indonesian representatives (the Balinese metal band Ludicia.)]

Q8: KJ: How do the Indonesians react to your band? 

Marsya: At first, the reaction was not good at all. Because they think we are bad influence to other Muslims. They think that metal music is Satanic music, they think it is wrong for Muslims like us.

Q9: KJ: What are your future plans?

Marsya: We are planning to release second album; we hope it will be released next year. We want to do a second tour, and an Indonesian tour; that will be our first Indonesian tour. It really makes me sad [that we never did a full Indonesian tour before]. Now, we are in the middle of the process to release a new single.

Q10: KJ: What is your comment about the metal scene in Garut?

Marsya: I don’t really know, because we are [only] involved in the local scene in our early days. After finishing high-school, we moved off to Jakarta. Because the three of us, we were moved to Jakarta by our label, 2020-2023. 

Q11: KJ: What is the philosophy of the lyrics? 

Marsya: We just write about what is happening in our lives. That’s why we talk about environmental issues, humanity, women’s issues.

Q12: KJ: Are the lyrics from a social or religious perspective? 

Marsya: We are not religious persons really [laughs].

Q13: KJ: What are your favourite bands from Indonesia? 

Marsya: I think Seringai, Burgerkill, Navicula (Bali). 

Q14: KJ: When will the Indonesian tour take place?

Marsya: I hope it is next year and I hope I can go on tour with other female bands. 

Q15: KJ: Will you change the music style? 

Marsya: I don’t know yet; we will try a combination.  We want to collaborate with bands from other genres; everything is still possible.

Q16: KJ: Do you think the three members will stay together?

Marsya: Yes, of course. We feel like as long as we can play the instrument we will keep the band. Me and Widi start farming together.

Man from Jasad [in writing]: Membangun Ketahanan Pangan Secara Kekal [Building permanent food security].

Marsya: You know the economy in Indo; we cannot just live from the music now. So, we have to find another way., be a farmer- if you need vegetables, you can take it from the garden. It’s as simple as that. 

Q17: KJ: Will you still be playing metal at age 57?

Marsya: I don’t know; I can’t wait that long [laughs].

Q18: KJ: I think that you have a beautiful voice on ‘[NOT] Public Property’.

Marsya: I change the lyrics on that song many times. I was told that it was too bold. They say it will put me in the danger, but I don’t care. 

Q19: KJ: If one of you leaves the band, would you replace with woman or man?

Marsya: We would just finish everything.

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

NEW INTERVIEW: Our first interview with Aditya Prakoso of GEROGOT (Surabaya Brutal Death Metal), 30 May 2025.

        Our first interview with Gerogot (Surabaya brutal death metal)

Friday, 30 May 2025 @ Inferno Studio, Surabaya

Kieran James (Busuk Chronicles): Tell me the history.

Aditya: My band was born in 2013 maybe.  It’s not a good story, but I started a two-man band, I’m the vocalist and guitarist. I’m releasing a single in 2025. We have two albums. Current line-up: Aditya Prakoso (guitar and vocals); Krisna (vocals); Aminullah Ibrahim (Amin) (bass); Yogi from Viscral, Bekasi (drums- additional, live); and Raka (second guitar). Rama is not my member.

The single “Presage” is released by Comatose Music (USA). A full album may be released early in 2026, also with Comatose. The band name is Indonesian for “gnaw”. 

KJ: What are your main influences? 

Aditya: Deeds of Flesh, Disgorge USA, Defeated Sanity.

KJ: Indonesian bands, influence?

Aditya: Asphyxiate (Bekasi), Bloody Gore (Jakarta).

KJ: What do you think of Surabaya scene for DM?

Aditya: Surabaya is getting better with some new regeneration, and I hope it will strengthen the death metal scene in this city [via Google Translate]. 

KJ: Tell me about the picture of you in Ujung Berung in 2014?

Aditya: This is the first time in Bandung and made connections with other labels and bands. I signed with Groupies Merch label for the first album. Gerogot is the first band with Daemorph Art and mastering by Imperial Mastering, Colin Davis (Vile guitarist).

KJ: Any more comment about Bandung death metal?

Aditya: Bandung has a large city and solid scale from the past until now. I think they also manage and create a savage regeneration [via Google Translate]. I try hard to make a connection with Bandung bands. 

KJ: What’s your future plan for the band? 

Adiya: I’m more focused on making albums and albums. Because for life there are many obstacles. Some personnel are out of town for work. That’s the hard part of this band. So, I’ll just focus on the album. My vocalist is in Palembang for working. The drummer Yogi is in Bekasi. I’m in Tulungagung and my bassist is in Surabaya [via Google Translate].

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

NEW INTERVIEW: Our first interview with FEAR INSIDE (Surabaya Death Metal), with Samier, 30 May 2025.

Our first interview with Fear Inside (Surabaya death metal),

Friday, 30 May 2025 @ Inferno Studio, Surabaya

Interpretation by: Samier

Kieran James: History of the band…

Nendy Rizkyant (vocalist): We started in 1997. We released an EP Mindestruction (cassette format). Before Fear Inside, I had a band Individual Scum (death metal). The members were: Nendy (vocals), Arief (guitars), Pur (drums), Nanang (bass)- now he is coming back into this lineup now. The second album was Human Disgust (1998), Nendy (vocals), Bonny (guitars), Yamin (bass), Didy (drums). The third album was The Glorious of My War (2012), No Label Records, Nendy (vocals), Damar (guitar/bass).

KJ: What happened with Endro and Deddy? 

Nendy: Endro and Deddy, they only had four years with me and made one demo. 

KJ: Was there conflict in the band? 

Nendy: Actually, Endro and Deddy wanted to stay in the band. But I, at that time, wanted to focus on my family. I wanted to stop but Endro and Deddy wanted to keep going. I wanted to focus on my family at that time. I need more money; I need a job. I wanted to sell the band equipment. It belongs to me, actually- the guitars, the effects. I needed the money to start the family. Endro did not agree with that.

Samier: Nendy has a strong personality and Endro has a strong personality.

Nendy: The last word from me to Endro is that you will never get the best vocalist apart from me. This is the last word to Endro [laughs]. You will never get the best vocalist in death metal but me. I think the music and production for Dangerous Toys [Jagal album] is good, but the vocals do not match with the music. If I see Endro now, I just say “hello, hello”. He works for installation of studio. Honestly, Endro is a good guitarist. 

Samier: Metallik Klinik was a compilation that contained a lot of Indo underground bands, 1997. They had nine volumes. Nendy with Fear Inside appeared in Volume 9. Metallik Klinik was important to the underground scene in the whole of Indonesia. More people got to know Fear Inside and other bands in the Metallik Klinik Volumes 1-9.  This compilation had Jasad in Volume 1, Death Vomit in Volume 1, Trauma, Betrayer, Tengkorak in Volume 1 and Volume 2. This compilation is the idea of Ifan from Rotor. Rotor opened for Metallica in 1993. Ifan had the idea to make this compilation. He gathered all the bands he knows from Indo to record and participate in Metallik Klinik.

Nendy: The title of the song for the Volume 9 was “Mencengkram Dendam”.  The next single is “Putrid stench of hate”, 2016. (The picture of this lineup is the Fear Inside picture on Metal Archives.)

Nendy: The next planning is with new lineup: Nendy (vocals), Benk (bass), Biyik (guitars), Joko (drums), Nanang (guitar).

Samier: He finds it easy to recruit new persons. 

Nendy: Nanang was the founder of Fear Inside in 1997. First, he was bassist. Now he is coming back as a guitarist. 

KJ: What do you think about the young bands in the scene?

Nendy: They have a good talent, for example, Gerogot.

KJ: Your main influence is Cannibal Corpse?

Nendy: My main idol band. I’m a big fan of Cannibal Corpse, Chris Barnes era, CC is the pioneer of the genre concept.

KJ:  What are your favourite albums from Cannibal Corpse?

Nendy: The Bleeding and the song “Hammer Smashed Face”.  After The Bleeding, there is a different style.

KJ: What do you think about Bandung bands headlining here but East Java bands not headlining in Bandung? 

Samier: A lot of bands in East Java are influenced by Bandung bands in the underground movement. We know Jasad as maybe Jasad is the first band to release an EP [C’est La Vie, 1996- Yuli (b), Dani (d), Yagi (v), Yayat (g)]. A lot of bands and fans in East Java love that album- it influenced the guitar sound, the drum, the style. 

Nendy: The Bandung bands have good production in records and on live.  The propaganda is good [laughs]. They have the good monetary. 

Samier: In East Java, especially in Surabaya, the fans love the brutal death metal and Bandung has a lot of brutal death metal bands from Jasad to Turbidity …

Nendy: Disinfected.

Samier: The new school bands always produce the brutality. Surabaya bands make the headlines in the small towns in East Java outside of Surabaya, maybe in Sidoarjo, Mojokerto, Banyuwangi. And Bandung bands are more entertaining, I think, and more confident as a band.

Samier: I talked to Daging to be a headliner, Resick Fest 2025, and Turbidity and Digging Up played before them. They were guests. It is different, guest and headliner. I met Daging at Surabaya Death Fest a couple of months before (November-December 2024), I told them that they should play as a headline if we play a DM fest in Surabaya. They should have a dignity. I saw that Daging is a strong and very popular band now in Surabaya. They have many fans. I told them not to worry about people walking out. I told them that they are a great band and that they should headline Resick Fest 2025, and they did it (resick means: clean).

KJ: Endro said we should not have allowed this to happen in the beginning but it’s too late now. But now you are changing it.   

Samier: I tried years ago, James, and people walk out when my band plays.

*****THE END****

NEW INTERVIEW: Our new interview with SAFFAR (Bandung Death Metal), with Ibon and Iyenk Saffar, 20 May 2025.

Our new interview with Saffar (Bandung death metal)

Tuesday, 20 May 2025

At: Papap’s house, Pieces Records, Ujung Berung

(interpretation by Popo) 

Kieran James: What is the present situation with Saffar and what are the plans?

Acil (Saffar guitarist):  Complicated. 

KJ: Who are the members now?

Acil: Acil on guitar, Ibon on vocals, Ale on bass, and Indra (ex-Cannabies), additional drummer. 

KJ: What are the plans for new recording? 

Acil: I have a plan to record two songs for demo track. We are still writing the songs. We are not finished. We are still waiting to finish the lyrics. It is still progressing. We are preparing.

KJ: Will the band still keep up the religious style? 

Acil: I will talk about the spiritual but possibly a little bit differently. We will talk about the antagonistic characters in Muslim history, as in bad guys or bad people.

KJ: How did you meet the vocalist?

Acil: He was a close friend, for nongkrong. 

Popo (vokalis Jasad and Demons Damn): Ibon said to me that he refused three times to Acil to be Saffar vocalist. But Acil still pushed him to join with Saffar. Acil loves to drink, go to the bar, get drunk. It was a band image not a personal image. Acil is a good person, but he loves drunk. Acil and Ibon are like double trouble. We are always doing dark jokes together; it is only for fun. He only loves to bring Muslim stories into the lyrics, but he is not in One Finger Movement. As you know, you must know, not all Muslims are in One Finger Movement. 

Popo: Acil asked Ibon to join because he found it hard to be vocalist and guitar. He thought that Ibon should join because they are close to each other. Then he can only focus on the guitar parts. Ibon has played with other bands before, vocalist with one band and drummer with another. Before, Ibon worked as a technician with Turbidity, he is a friend in the circle, he is not a new guy in the DM community.

KJ: Do you feel you need to change your image now you play in Saffar?

Ibon (new vokalis): Maybe it is just organic. When we play in Jakarta, someone gave me a bottle of alcohol. It gives Saffar a different image.

Popo: Ibon will change the image, yes? 

KJ: What happened to Ramon? 

Acil: He is good, he works now, he is married. I still keep contact with Ramon. 

KJ: Do you think the original four can ever have a reunion? 

Acil: Maybe if myself and Ramon can still happen but it’s hard for Parjo because Parjo was too different. And Iyenk is different from before too. He can still play the drums, but the quality dropped, it’s not like before. 

Bobby (vokalis Turbidity): Do you have plan to sign for any record label?

Acil: Many record labels are asking me, from East Java- Oath Artifacts. 

[Iyenk, ex-Saffar drummer, joins the interview.] 

Popo: Why don’t you play with Saffar anymore?

Iyenk: For now, I don’t have a drum set to play drums again, so I feel it is hard if I must borrow another set of drum tools.

Acil: I asked Iyenk to rest for a while.

Papap: It’s good for Iyenk to go back to Saffar.

Iyenk: I’m ready! 

Papap: When will you practice with Saffar, Iyenk? 

Iyenk: Yesterday! 

Ibon: Spotify took down all the Saffar songs. 

KJ: What is your feeling about joining Saffar?

Ibon: I have a new trouble. 

Papap: A new problem! 

KJ: Do you think you will reissue Mandatory El Arshy with bonus tracks or live tracks?

Acil: It will never happen. 

KJ: Why? 

Acil: Because I want to give a new image for the new lineup and the new album. 

KJ: Do you feel proud about the album Mandatory El Arshy?

Iyenk: I feel nothing because I want to make some fresh music with more aggression than before. 

[Sethos is: Acil, Teguh, Glenn, Andri for second guitar, Wawan on drums from Gore Infamous.] 

KJ: If you have a superband from BDG Death Metal, who will you pick for each position?

Papap: Iyenk (drums), Acil (guitar1), Uus (guitar2), Yuli (bass), Agus (vox) (Anorgasm). 

Bobby: Papap (drums), Ferly (guitar1), Adyth (guitar2), Ramon (bass). Glenn (vox).

Popo: Papap (drums), Redu (guitar1) (Jasad), Uus (guitar2), Ferry (bass), Adam (vox) (Humiliation). 

Ibon: Jalu (drums) (Forgotten), Ferly (guitar1) (Jasad), Hinhin (guitar2) (Humiliation/ Forgotten), Rendy (bass) (Pourriture), Bobby (vox) (Turbidity). 

Acil: Papap (drums), Bintang (guitar1) (Guttural Disease/ Digging Up), Uus (guitar2), Teguh (bass), Popo (vox).

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

NEW INTERVIEW: Our new interview with Nenx from GIRLZEROTH (Cimahi/Bandung Death Metal), 20 May 2025.

                  

Our new interview with GIRLZEROTH (Cimahi/Bandung Death Metal)

Tuesday, 20 May 2025

At: Papap’s house/Pieces Records, Ujung Berung

(Interpretation by Popo, vokalis Jasad and Demons Damn) 

Kieran James: Tell me about the new album. What’s the progress?

Nenx (Girlzeroth guitarist): The progress in Girlzeroth I will release second album on 16 Januari 2026.

KJ: What’s the title?

Nenx: The Fight Against Stigma. The stigma is for the social issue, about the life every day in here.

Dani Papap: The real life in here. 

Nenx: All songs are with English language. 

KJ: Why did Gina leave the band?

Nenx: She talked to me as she wanted just to be a housewife and focus on her children. And then I prepare for the second album, a six-song list, all of them in English title.

KJ: Do you have English lyrics to get sales overseas?

Nenx: Because I want to explain an explore my music in a universal context and go international maybe. As I want to start to spread our music to abroad.

KJ: Did you look for woman vocalist first to replace Gina? 

Nenx: I was hunting for female vocalist. I wanted to ask Popo to join Girlzeroth before she joined Jasad. I asked Auryn but she was busy because her new band are in the process of recording. When I asked Auryn she was in the middle of the process of recording her new album for the band. 

KJ: Why you don’t ask Wong to come back?

Nenx: Yes, but she never answered.

Popo (Jasad and Demons Damn vocalist): We had a plan to have a girl band, with the drummer from Soul of Slamming (Fifi) but it never happened because we had many miscommunications. It’s hard as we talked in many WhatsApp group chats.

KJ: What is the style of music hfor the new album? Any change?

Nenx: Yes, the material in music—we don’t just stay with death metal. I will mix so many subgenres—groovy DM and technical DM. I try to mix various kinds of subgenres of death metal. So now I try to adapt to the male vocalist. It will have a little change.

Popo: How does it change to play music after married life?

Nenx: First I had to have adaptations in terms of the time. I needed to take more time because he [Ades, husband of Nenx] is my tutor when I learn to play guitar. He is just on the back of the stage to help me. 

Popo: He had a famous band Kotak; it was a popular band in Indonesian rock. 

Nenx: I have to experience so many new techniques playing guitar. I learnt something new from my husband. I got the new skills that I did not know before. We have signed up with the label Underground Syndicate from France/Bali. The founder’s name is David. He is the guitarist of Enmity band. He is the ex-sound engineer of Nile, Cryptopsy, Behemoth and many other bands.

Popo: Before she started marriage, she was afraid that her husband would refuse for her to play music. Nenx never asked but she thought that he would refuse. She felt a little bored when not playing guitar. Her husband asked her why she never played guitar again. I asked her: “Why you don’t ask your husband first?” To me this is a funny story. 

KJ: Do you think that Popo is more feminist than you in outlook? 

Nenx: Finally, I choose that way. I don’t think about the gender whether it is woman or man. The first time Girlzeroth had a male vocalist, so it does not matter for now. So now it is Girlzeroth with only one girl. It’s not about the gender, I am thinking about the music.

Popo: In the past I had a little bit of discrimination. I don’t know about Nenx. I started playing DM before Nenx. The whole of the audience in the underground music scene think sometimes that we are second-rate population.  “We are not good at playing music, it’s just a trend,” some people think. Nenx and I try to prove that we are serious to play DM. We are girls not only following the man. We focus on the music and try to prove that we have a talent for playing DM. We are not followers; we are not posers. In the old times, such as when I started music when I was still at school, people did not know whether I had a talent in the music. They might think because I’m a girl that I’m not good at playing music. I had discrimination when I was younger. 

KJ: Did Nenx experience any discrimination?

Nenx: Yes, I feel the same. I had more discrimination after I had family and husband. 

Popo: People think that if she is a mother she should stay at home and be a housewife. 

KJ: What’s the future plan for Girlzeroth? 

Nenx: Maybe other releasing the second album we want to tour and promote, we will make the music video. 

KJ: Can the record label help you to tour Europe?

Nenx: He is only releasing CDs in Indonesia. If he can bring Girlzeroth to Europe it is very expensive.

KJ: What do you think about Bandung DM scene compared to before?

Nenx: For the musicians in the DM, now it is harder to get connections to the right people who can help us to promote the music. It can be a reason--that we do not nongkrong as often now. It can be harder to get connection. 

KJ: Because the original people got older?

Popo: Yeah.

Nenx: I think that many bands in BDG have the same quality of sound in the music. There is no difference between one and the other. The sound quality is the same across many bands. I think it is the quality of the sounds [not of the music] that are the same.

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

NEW INTERVIEW: My second interview with Samier Tengkorak (Jakarta Death Metal), @ Surabaya, 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*****