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****