NEW INTERVIEW: "Surabaya Scene Has Too Many Trend-Followers" (DANTE MUST DIE interview)

Our interview with Shave and Marvel of DANTE MUST DIE (Surabaya Melodic Death Metal)

By: Kieran James and Dimas Valerian

Interpretation by: Dimas Valerian

Date: 9 December 2014 @ KFC, Surabaya

DANTE MUST DIE is: Ryan Callisto (vocalist), Shave Valjin (guitar1), Prastia Nanda (Guitar2), Marvel Leo (bass), and Nanda Prayoga (drums).

Band manager: Pisma.

Kieran James (BUSUK WEBZINE): Please tell us the history of the band.

DANTE MUST DIE: We were started by the guitarist Shave and the drummer Nanda. We wanted to make a band so we asked the others to join. The first bassist was not Marvel. The first bassist was Goaq.

Kieran James with DANTE band, mgr Pisma first on right.

KJ: What year was the band formed?

DMD: 2009. The official date is 13 March 2010 for starting the band. Actually it began in 2009.

KJ: What genre?

DMD: Melodic Death Metal.

KJ: What are your influences?

DMD: KREATOR, BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, CARNIFEX, and NECROPHAGHIST. The guitarist Prastia is influenced mostly by YNGWIE MALMSTEEN.

KJ: Most people say Melodic Death Metal came from Sweden. Is this an influence?

Marvel (bassist DMD): The Melodic Death Meta is not only from Sweden.

KJ: Influences from Indonesian bands?

Marvel: The influence for me is not metal bands but a pop band called MAHADEWA. The guitarist’s influence is EDANE.

KJ: Do you know the band NEMESIS from Bandung which plays Melodic Death Metal?

Marvel: We have heard this band from Ujung Berung. The band is nice.

KJ: What do you think of the old-school legendary band in Surabaya called JAGAL?

Marvel: It is the best! JAGAL gave some advice to DANTE.

KJ: How many albums did you have?

Marvel: Just one so far. But we will make another album in the future. We have a cover from BLACK DAHLIA MURDER band.

KJ: Are your fans also young people or also some older people too?

Marvel: The audience is mixed but sometimes the girls can be included.

KJ: What is the meaning of the band name?

DMD: The name came from one of the video-games which is a high level of difficulty of playing. This is why we choose this name. We want to show people we play music with difficulty and skill and maturity.

KJ: What are the lyrics mostly about?

DMD: The lyrical themes are about war. The song “The Great War” tells about the Surabaya war history, 10 November 1945. We had a war at the centre of the city at the hotel called Majapahit. The Dutch people fought against the Surabaya people and the Surabaya people broke the blue colour off the Dutch flag and only left the red and white. Until now that day is called Hero Day (Day of Hero).

KJ: What do you think about the band VALERIAN, Surabaya Power Metal?

Marvel: Very good. [Marvel gives the thumbs up sign.]

KJ: What other cities have you played in Indo?

DMD: Surabaya, Sidoarjo, Gresik, Malang, Solo, Lamongan, Jakarta, and Bali. In February 2015 we will play at Hellprint Bandung.

KJ: How about in Kediri?

DMD: We have had many requests to play in Kediri but the organizers have not yet called.

Dimas (VALERIAN guitarist): Nowadays in Indo the centre of Underground is not East Java. It moved to Jakarta and Bandung. As Surabaya people [we should ask ourselves] why did it happen and how can Surabaya rise up again?

Marvel: We must make many more metal gigs in Surabaya.

KJ: We also need Underground metal music shops here.

Marvel: The shops here are just mainstream shops with mainstream style. We need to make more high-quality gigs. The reason why Surabaya is not centre of Underground scene is that many musicians only play what is the trend. Many musicians became HC musicians because HC is the trend. That is a good example.

KJ: Why do you choose to play American style of Melodic DM and not European style?

Marvel: European melodic DM is more static in music. It has become predictable. American style of song is different. The vocal style is more brutal than the European style of vocal.

KJ: What are your future plans?

DMD: The main point is that we will make a second album. We may also make a music-video.  At the first album we self-released it. For the next album we plan to spread our wings for a worldwide distribution.

KJ: What is your message for the fans of your band?

Pisma (band manager): Show respect to the band by buying our CDs and merchandise.

Marvel: It does not matter your genre. You should support all bands no matter what genre, especially bands from this city [of Surabaya] so we can rise up again.

Shave (guitarist): Never feel that where you are now is enough. Push your capacity.

Dimas Valerian: Sometimes in Surabaya the headliner at the gigs is from outside Surabaya. What is your opinion – is that good or not?

Shave: That is not good because we think the Surabaya bands can play with good performances. The organizers do not have respect for Surabaya bands. They only want to get money. Here the older bands sometimes push down the fast-rising younger bands and don’t give them the chance to rise up. Some bands as organizers here give priority to their friends’ bands and make it harder for outsiders to break through. However, if the band is good in performances they should be able to play.