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| Left to Right: Arie Sickles (guitar), Jack Frost (Busuk Chronicle), Rony Sickles (Bass), and Haidir Sickles (Drums) @ Bangkalan, 27/1/2014. Irsyad (Vokalis) could not join us on this day. |
My interview with Arie and Haidir of Sickles (Madura
Pride Death Metal), Bangkalan, Madura Island, 27 January 2014
Interpretation Bahasa Indonesian / Bahasa Inggris by:
Dwi Yudha (bassist of Osiris, Sidoarjo death-metal)
Extra Comments and Extra Questions by: Niza
(Vocalist Climaxeth / Osiris) & Dwi Yudha (Osiris)
Band line-up 2012: Arie (Guitar); Irsyad (Vocals);
Anton (Bass); Bayu (Drums)
Band line-up 2013-14: Arie (Guitar); Irsyad
(Vocals); Rony (Bass); Haidir (Drums)
Jack
Frost: Please give us the history of the band.
Arie
(Guitarist Sickles): In 2012 I departed from the band called Bumi Berputar
(grindcore). After I departed from Bumi I made Sickles. I made Sickles with the
2012 line-up of: Arie (Guitar); Irsyad (Vocals); Anton (Bass); and Bayu (Drums).
This 2012 line-up changed again in 2013. The Sickles’ name has a meaning.
Sickles is a traditional sacred weapon from Madura.
JF:
How many songs have you recorded?
A:
We have two demo songs: 1 “Serangan Fajar” (with video-clip on YouTube) and 2
“Amarah Bumi”.
[At
this point in the interview we all went to another room to watch the YouTube
video-clip for “Serangan Fajar” and I must say it is excellent – Jack Frost].
JF:
Tell us more about the making of the video-clip.
A:
The video tells us about rebellion between son and father. The son is Ke’lesar.
The son rebels against his own father. The father is a king in Madura. This is
a legend of Madura. The father does not recognize his own son as his son. Ke’lesar
rebels against his father for this reason. He has a rebellion movement which
fights his own father’s government. Ke’lesar has revenge upon his father.
JF:
What is the killing at the end of the video?
A:
At the last moment of the video the warrior of the father kills Ke’lesar. He
was fighting alone and in the end he dies. So he is a hero here. This is a true
story.
JF:
Jasad tries to promote Sundanese culture. Has your band got the same purpose
for Madura culture?
A:
Sickles has a meaning – the symbol of rebellion. There was rebellion against
Netherlands here in Madura. There is a man called Sakera; he is from Madura.
Basically he fought against Netherlands; Netherlands exploited him to fight
against Madura.
JF:
What are your influences for the band?
A:
Siksa Kubur, Behemoth, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Hour of Penance, and Deicide.
JF:
What are the future plans for this band?
A:
We are preparing for EP album launch. We have the EP album already. After this
we will prepare for the full album.
JF:
How many songs are there for the EP?
A:
We have seven songs for the EP.
JF:
Where have you played shows so far?
A:
Surabaya, Malang, Sidoarjo, Madura – in East Java only.
JF:
Where would you like to play the shows?
A:
We really want to play in every show but the Sickles’ drummer is still in
high-school. This is why we choose to play only East Java first.
JF:
Would you like to play in Bandung?
A:
We would like to play in Bandung Berisik and Bandung Open Air. The drummer is
still in school but if he has a holiday we will go.
JF:
What is the reaction of the fans to the EP?
A:
The metalheads really are interested in the Sickles’ EP album. Many people
think because Sickles is from Madura and this is a small island they are
surprised that Madura even has a metal band like Sickles.
JF:
Tell us about the community of metalheads in Madura.
A:
Madura has the community only in Bangkalan.
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| Warung Metal: Drummer Haidir with SICKLES' EP |
JF:
How many people are in the community?
A:
I am the leader of this community. We were formed in 2010 and we have 20 bands;
metal mixed with hardcore and punk are in the same underground community.
JF:
What are the main festivals or shows you have here?
A:
1 Madura Glory Day; 2 Free Your Voice; 3 Bersama Tak Harus Sama.
JF:
What is your favourite band from Madura?
A:
The most iconic band is still Rajam. It is the oldest black-metal band in
Madura.
JF:
Are there any other good bands from here you can recommend?
A:
There are only five bands now which are still active: 1 Sickles – death-metal;
2 Rajam – war-metal; 3 Bull Race – hardcore; 4 Kremasi – metalcore; and 5 Dark
Side – black-metal.
JF:
What is the relationship like between Surabaya and Madura metal scenes?
A:
We visit each other and play on the stages in the other city. We meet together
and play gigs together. If there is a gig in Surabaya we will come and join. Also
the Surabaya metalheads will come to shows here. There is reciprocity between
Surabaya and Madura metalheads.
JF:
Niza, what is your comment about this band?
Niza
(Vocalist Climaxeth / Osiris): Sickles is a great band because they have unique
characteristics and a good concept especially in Madura. Sickles and Climaxeth
sometimes play on the same stage and also Valerian.
JF:
What do you think of women singers in metal?
A:
I think Niza is the best using hijab. She has a famous metal band.
JF:
What are the jobs of the band members apart from the drummer here whom we know
is still in high-school?
A:
The drummer is a part of the band. The band is our own family. We will not play
in Bandung or Jakarta now because the drummer is our own family. Jobs outside
metal are: 1 Ari – clothing distro shop; 2 Irsyad – videographer; and 3 Roni –
operator of internet cafe.
JF:
Is the metal popular among the high-school crowd in Madura?
A:
The metal scene is really popular here but not the old-school. The most popular
are Outright from Bandung; Hatebreed; and Devadata from Surabaya.
JF:
What are the biggest bands to ever play here in Madura?
A:
1 Valerian from Surabaya; 2 Brain Damage from Surabaya; 3 Divine Hatred from
Banyuwangi; 4 Diabolical from Gresik; and 5 Kuret from Gresik.
JF:
Which foreign and local bands would you like most to see play here?
A:
Siksa Kubur, death-metal legends.
Dwi
Yudha (Bassist Osiris): What is the perspective of the society towards metal
bands in Madura?
A:
The society still thinks that the metalheads here are bad guys. Madura is an
island with a good religion of Islam. The people here are devoted to Islam so
they still do not have a favourable perspective towards metal.
JF:
Is it easy to find the venues to play here?
A:
It is still really difficult to make a show here because the metalheads need permission
from the Government. It is still from a Kingdom perspective.
JF:
Did you ever have problems with the police?
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| Andi BULLRACE with SICKLES' EP |
A:
Yes, we had a problem when we made a show. The spectators got drunk and the
police closed the show.
JF:
Why do you choose to play death-metal?
A:
We will not play any other genre. We still think metal chose us not we chose
metal.
JF:
OK, what is your message for your fans?
A:
We hope that the Sickles’ album can be heard by everyone and will be pleasing
to the ears of the listeners. Be different and be yourselves!
JF:
I see your mother in the house today along with your little brother. Does your
mother support what you do?
A:
At first my mother did not support me. But day by day year by year finally she
supports me to be in a metal band. My mother says I’m crazy about metal but now
she supports me.
JF:
Your mother’s comment about the video-clip?
A:
She says I’m crazy! My mother did not believe you will come here to interview
me!
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| SICKLES (MADURA) and OVERFLOW REVENGE (JOMBANG) @ Tuban Death Fest 2015 |
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