NEWS: Bob Rockiller returns to the stage with Turbidity @ Mojokerto Black Conspiracy, 8/8/2017

NEWS: Bob Rockiller (ex-Bleeding Corpse vocalist) returns to the stage with Turbidity @ Mojokerto Black Conspiracy, 8/8/2017. Bobby was vocalist of Bleeding Corpse until 2012-13 when he resigned from the band. Then he joined Hydro which was never an active or successful band, and so people no longer saw him on the stage for several years apart from guest vocal appearances. Then last year, in a surprise move, he joined Bandung slammers Turbidity replacing Andre (vocalist 2012-16). Sometimes, in the past, Bobby had done duets on stage with Turbidity when Dada was the vocalist (see picture below, from a 2011 Turbidity show in Bandung). Bobby is a famous front-man in Indonesia with a huge presence on the stage. However, off the stage, he is a humble and gentle giant. He connects very well with the younger fans and they can sense his kind and humble spirit. He also tries very hard to connect to them. He is dedicated to the scene and the community and he has a high standard of ethics. Best wishes to Bobby. P.S. Bobby was guest vocalist on Demons Damn's album Humiliation (2013) (tracks 4 and 8) and Jasad's album Rebirth of Jatisunda (2013) (track 5) [by Kieran James, 30/08/2017].

NEWS: Bob Rockiller (ex-vokalis Bleeding Corpse) kembali ke panggung dengan Kekompakan @ Mojokerto Black Conspiracy, 8/9/2017. Bobby adalah vokalis Bleeding Corpse sampai 2012-13 saat mengundurkan diri dari band. Lalu ia bergabung dengan Hydro, yang bukan band yang aktif atau sukses. Kemudian tahun lalu, dalam sebuah langkah mengejutkan, ia bergabung dengan Bandung slammers Turbidity menggantikan Andre (vokalis 2012-16). Terkadang, di masa lalu, Bobby telah tampil di panggung dengan kekeruhan saat Dada menjadi vokalis (lihat gambar, dari pertunjukan Turbidity 2011 di Bandung). Bobby adalah frontman terkenal di Indonesia dengan kehadiran yang sangat besar di atas panggung. Namun, di luar panggung, dia adalah raksasa yang rendah hati dan lembut. Dia terhubung ke dunia. Dia juga berusaha sangat keras untuk terhubung dengan mereka. Dia didedikasikan untuk tempat kejadian dan masyarakat dan dia memiliki standar etika yang tinggi. Semoga Bobby. P.S. Bobby was guest vocalist on Demons Damn's album Humiliation (2013) (tracks 4 and 8) and Jasad's album Rebirth of Jatisunda (2013) (track 5) [oleh Kieran James, 30/08/2017].

BACK IN BLACK: Bobby live with Turbidity @ Sukabumi, West Java, August 2017.

BLEEDING CORPSE live @ Cibinong, 8 October 2011. Left to Right: Bob Rockiller (vox), Luk Luk Adrian (bass), Uus Death (guitar), and Ari Bejo (drums) (obscured from view).

Bobby vocal duet with Dada @ Turbidity show, East Bandung, 9 October 2011.

Left to Right: Bobby Bleeding Corpse, Dada Turbidity, Daniel Turbidity, Kieran James, Mamay Turbidity, Casper Hell Turbidity (Manager) @ Bandung, 10 October 2011.

Left to Right: Kieran James and John Yoedi (Busuk Webzine), Iwan D (ESP), and Bob Rockiller, April 2012.

Popo's birthday @ Old Common Room, April 2012. Left to Right: Bob Rockiller, Popo Demons Damn, Butche (The Cruel), and Man Jasad.

BLEEDING CORPSE Resurrection of Murder line-up @ Cibinong, 8 October 2011. Left to Right: Adrian Luk Luk (bass); Ari Bejo (drums); Uus Death (guitar); and Bob Rock (vocals).

NEWS: Bob Rock (ex-BLEEDING CORPSE) joins TURBIDITY as new vocalist for 2016 demo, 20/11/16

New TURBIDITY official band picture November 2016 featuring Bobby Rock on vocals (fourth from left).

NEWS: Bob Rock (ex-BLEEDING CORPSE / HYDRO) joins TURBIDITY as new vocalist for new 2016 demo. The two-track demo Sinis - Promoshit 2016 will be released on 30 November 2016 by Groupies Merch (limited to 500 copies). Bobby previously was vocalist on the debut album by BLEEDING CORPSE Resurrection of Murder issued in 2008. The new TURBIDITY line-up is: Iko Karbon (drums, 2008 - present); Daniel Turbiyem (guitar, 2008 - present); Ferry (bass, 2013 - present); and Bob Rock (vocals, 2016 - present). Busuk Chronicles wishes best wishes and success to Bobby and the band.

Comment by Daniel: "Yeah, with Bobby in turbidity it will bring fresh air for our concept in the next album, which is now under construction for the material ..... initial plan next year we enter the recording studio".

Comment by Dedra Digging (guitarist DIGGING UP / KALUMAN): "I really love it that Bobby can still be playing" [by Facebook message].

Left to Right: Popo Demons Damn; Bob Rock; Kieran James (Busuk Chronicles), Butche (black jacket and Hirax cap); Zemo (red-and-black jacket); and Aries Kaluman @ Bandung.

BLEEDING CORPSE Reusurrection of Murder line-up @ Cibinong, 8 October 2011. Left to Right: Adrian Luk Luk (bass); Ari Bejo (drums); Uus Death (guitar); and Bob Rock (vocals).

BLEEDING CORPSE live @ Cibinong, 8 October 2011. Left to Right: Bob Rock (vocals), Adrian Luk Luk (bass); Uus Death (guitar); and Ari Bejo (drums) (obscured). 

TURBIDITY live @ East Bandung, 9 October 2011. Left to Right: Iko (drums) and Daniel (guitar).

TURBIDITY - Suffering of Human Decapitated full-length album (Extreme Souls Production, 2011)

TURBIDITY - Vomiting the Rotten Maggot EP (Horrible Creation Extreme Musick Media, 2012)

TURBIDITY - Sinis - Promoshit 2016 (Groupies Merch, 30 November 2016, limited to 500 copies).

METAL HISTORY: BLEEDING CORPSE (Bandung DM) live @ Cibinong, West Java, 8 October 2011

BLEEDING CORPSE Resurrection of Murder line-up. Left to Right: Adrian Luk Luk (bass), Ari Bejo (drums), Uus Death (guitar), and Bob Rockiller (vocals) @ Cibinong, 8 October 2011.

BLEEDING CORPSE concert review – Live in Cibinong, 8 October 2011

By Kieran James, 13 March 2012

With it now dark outside and the time past 7.00pm we headed back to the BLEEDING CORPSE tour bus in order to return from the Event Organizer’s house to the concert venue. As expected the bus driver now seemed to realize the impossible task that now confronted him and darkness made it far worse. He realized he could not reverse uphill all the way up the narrow road (around 100 metres to the main road) so he painstakingly reversed out from under the tree and then headed along the road in forward direction, away from the way we had come in. However, eventually he would have to turn around to come back unless the roads ahead were linked up somehow with those behind. There are no street lights on minor roads such as this one and so the driver was going to be confronted with a difficult task. He decided to reverse within a small T-junction which had buildings close in around it on all sides as well as trees and passers-by. It took an eternity to turn the bus around, and small movements in each direction were all halted abruptly by people inside and outside the bus shouting “hoy!” At one point I had given up hope that we would ever get out but, in Indonesia, generally things work out fine in the end especially when a major metal band is due to headline a nearby show!

The tour bus leaves Bandung 5am

The main street was much more crowded than it had been earlier in the day and much of the traffic heading in our direction was clearly made up of metalheads on motorcycles heading for the show. We made slow progress in the traffic but we eventually reached the venue. At the interview members of BLEEDING CORPSE had said that they wanted me to see how crazy their fans were. I would soon find out. We parked at the back of the compound which was then full of expectant metalheads and hundreds of parked motorcycles. The band went upstairs and walked through the crowd to the backstage area. I was invited to go with them but I decided it was time for the band to be preparing alone.

Popo (vocalist of DEMONS DAMN) and I stood at the back of the crowd next to someone connected to the organization of the show or who was high up in the metal hierarchy in Cibinong. We watched the last three of the support acts. All bands on the bill were death-metal and only BLEEDING CORPSE were from outside the city. There was a blackened thrash band and a band with female vocals. The aggression, speed, and enthusiasm of the music were exactly what the crowd wanted. Popo later estimated the crowd at around 500 inside the building and another 500 outside. Given that this was a death-metal only event in a provincial city, the size of the crowd will give a clear indication of the rising popularity of the death-metal sub-genre in Indonesia. As expected from a death-metal show, as opposed to just a metal show or just a rock show, the entire crowd wore the black death-metal tee-shirts. The vast majority of the crowd were teenagers. Some looked very young, from the westerner’s perspective, but were probably of junior high-school age. As some of the Bandung metalheads pointed out in interviews, death-metal is a trend, in certain circles and up to a certain point, in Bandung to the extent that many high-schoolers are in bands while primary-school children know what death-metal is (see my interview with Glenn of BLOODGUSH, Bandung, 10 October 2011). Glenn of BLOODGUSH says:

“Bandung death-metal is the biggest death-metal scene in Indonesia ... and in the world [laughs]. Now in Bandung the kids in junior high play death-metal and in primary school the kids will know about death-metal. It is most people [who] like death-metal here in Bandung; it’s bigger than in the other cities. Bandung has a slogan ‘Flower City’; we can change it to ‘Bandung Death Metal City’”.

This night in Cibinong girls made up around 5% or 10% of the crowd which is more than might be expected at a western death-metal show. Some of them clearly attended in small groups of girls rather than following a boyfriend as is the standard practice in the west. The girls seem to go because they enjoy the moshpit slamming and dancing. At the BLEEDING CORPSE show I managed to edge my way to close to the stage and took pictures whilst around one point five to two metres from the stage. The moshpit area at front and centre of stage stops and breaks up at the end of songs, allowing people to retreat away to the cooler areas near the open windows and other people to go forward to take their place. As such it is possible to edge closer and closer to the stage. The moshpit is made up of a circle pit and people frantically headbanging at the edges of the pit. All of these, apart from me of course, were very young fans. A practice which the Yogyakarta metalheads say is unique to Bandung is groups of young people standing in a semi-circle and raising their bodies up and down in unison; at the top of the cycle they raise their arms and wiggle the fingers like a primary-school child doing the stereotypical impression of a ghost or like someone manipulating hand puppets.

The announcer verbally baited and cajoled the crowd. He was speaking in either Indonesian or Sundanese but I did hear the frequent mention of the band name “BLEEDING CORPSE” so clearly he was aiming to excite the crowd further before BLEEDING CORPSE started playing. The room was around 80-90% at capacity so that in the front half people were quite close together while, in the back half, there was room to stand feet apart with arms folded and even to sit down between bands. With such a large number of people outside I was hoping the organizers were monitoring how many people were inside the hall at any one time as we did not want a repeat of the BESIDE show in Bandung where seven people were crushed to death. The people at the front were clearly the fanatical BLEEDING CORPSE contingent.

BLEEDING CORPSE @ Cibinong, Bobby (v), Luk (b), Uus (g), Ari (d).

For those who do not know Bobby Rock personally, he is a tall, gentle, charming, and peaceable Javanese man (considered an ethnic minority in Bandung) who has recently married the local Sundanese beauty and metal queen Popo. Bobby is gentle off-stage but a ball of aggression and energy on-stage. The BLEEDING CORPSE guitarists attract little attention and Bobby dominates people’s focus with his long hair, bare chest, and forearm spikes. BLEEDING CORPSE plays brutal and fast death-metal of the traditional type which is guaranteed to please a death-metal crowd. However, in all honesty, the songs all begin to sound the same with minimal variation in the vocals. I personally prefer the two faster songs at the end of BLEEDING CORPSE’s debut album Resurrection of Murder where Amenk of DISINFECTED and Man of JASAD do guest vocals on one song each. Popo later told me that the set included a mix of songs from the debut album and from the as yet unreleased second album. The headbanging was frantic and Bobby did a carefully managed stage dive. There is clearly personal rapport and mutual appreciation between Bobby and his fans which clearly extends geographically to Cibinong, three hours out of Bandung. The BLEEDING CORPSE show was a relentless wave of fury and energy, finished with an encore where the band began by standing with their backs to the audience. Bobby’s height is important for BLEEDING CORPSE’s visual image and it allows him to project his energy and will over a greater distance. It appeared to be an easy show for the band to the extent that the fans upfront were all clearly BLEEDING CORPSE devotees and Bobby did not have to win them over to his side during the course of the set as, for example, DEATH VOMIT had to do during that band’s Australian shows. Bobby is a classic front man who reminds me of the best front men from traditional 1980s metal where the front man’s personality, charisma, and showmanship were vital to the band’s whole sound and stage-show. Obvious examples are Udo Dirkschneider from ACCEPT; the late Ronnie James Dio from BLACK SABBATH, DIO, and RAINBOW; Bruce Dickinson from IRON MAIDEN; Rob Halford from JUDAS PRIEST; Biff Byford from SAXON; Klaus Mein from SCORPIONS; and the incomparable and brilliant Dee Snider from TWISTED SISTER. In more recent years I think of Justin Fleming from the Melbourne, Australia power-metal band PEGAZUS. It is impossible to imagine BLEEDING CORPSE without Bobby Rock.

One interesting point to note is that both shows I witnessed this weekend had security teams of ten or twelve people who stood on the stage looking out towards the crowd. They unobtrusively policed the crowds and stopped the crowds from moving on to the stage. They looked serious all the time and did not headbang or join in at all with the music. This alone demonstrates to attendees their official status. However, they wore black metal tee-shirts (plain shirts, not band shirts) rather than security guard uniforms and this was obviously a factor which made them less offensive and irritating to the two crowds. They appeared as “one of us” or as self-policers of the metal scene from within it rather than as outside labourers hired by a faceless corporation.

At the end of the set, I rejoined Popo who had remained standing with friends in the middle section of the crowd. We headed down the stairs and out to a quieter area to the right of the stairs and away from the front gates of the compound. Soon after Bobby joined us and his transformation from Superman back to mild-mannered Clarke Kent was as complete as it was astonishing. He was now the same gentle, soft-spoken, and charming man as before he had gone on to the stage. Daniel of TURBIDITY was with us none of the young concertgoers even recognized who Bobby and Daniel were or even looked in our direction. We waited a long time until Bobby had completely calmed down from the adrenaline high of being onstage. As we waited, much of the crowd dispersed into the night, tee-shirted slim youngsters on motorcycles heading, satisfied and happy, back to the roads, homes, and cafes out of which they had come a few hours before. This night BLEEDING CORPSE ruled in Cibinong!

[This review is published in my book called Struggle Anger Hate in the Indonesian Underground by Jack Frost which you can buy from Sofyan Hadi in Jogjakarta.]

BLEEDING CORPSE tour bus leaves Bandung for Cibinong 5am              

Roadside stop on the way leaving Bandung as the sun rises, 6.30am

Roadside stop on the way leaving Bandung as the sun rises, 6.30am. (That is Daniel Turbidity on the right side.)

BLEEDING CORPSE vokalis Bob Rockiller stops for food @ 8am

Soundcheck @ Cibinong, 11am - 12 noon

At Event Organiser's house before going to the venue, 6pm

BLEEDING CORPSE tour bus stops for KFC on the way back to Bandung after the show, 3am.

DEATH WOMB EXISTENCE (BDG.) INTERVIEW: "They are crazy drunken masters", 23/1/2014

My interview with Death Womb Existence (Bandung Grindcore)

Interpretation by: Popo (Vocalist Demons Damn)

Expert Comments & Questions by: Popo and Bobby Rockiller (Vocalist Hydro)

Date: 23 January 2014 @ Chinook’s Bandung.

Death Womb Existence is a grindcore side-project band made up of Bandung death-metal legends as follows: Abbang (Vocalist - from Dismurder); Ferry (Guitar1 - from Deceit); Uus Death (Guitar2 - from Bleeding Corpse); Acil (bassist - plays guitar in Saffar); Iyenk (Drums - from Saffar)

Jack Frost: This is an interesting side-project band made up of so many legendary figures of Bandung death-metal. Please tell us the history of this band.

Abbang (Vokalis): The band started together when we hanged out at the Funhouse Studio in Cicaheum [Bandung] in 2013.

Ferry (Guitar1): It started from chit-chat. I asked Abbang and Uus and last Acil to make this band. It was just to play for fun originally. We wanted to rehearse to make one song then we produced more songs. Then we all decided to make this band serious.

Acil Saffar (second left) listens while Uus (third left) talks.

JF: Why did you decide to make this band?

Uus Death (Guitar2): We have the same vision. I hope this band can be successful with the same [united] vision and mission and with the same direction.

Ferry: I wanted to make a different way, different from other grindcore.

JF: What are the lyrical themes for the band?

Abbang: War, genocide...

JF: What are your favourite grindcore bands in Indonesia?

Uus: Local?

Popo: Indonesia! [All laugh]   

Ferry: The Cruel, Mesin Tempur, Extreme Decay, and Error Brain.

Uus: Deadly Weapon [Yogyakarta] and Dead Vertical.

Iyenk Saffar (Drummer): Deth Krokodil.

Popo (Vokalis Demons Damn): Why do you make the new band as you are already part of other good bands?

Ferry: We wanted a new atmosphere.

Uus: I want to make a unique band.

JF: Will you invite Daniel to join the band?

[Jack Frost note: This question was joke because it was Uus Death who invited Daniel to join Bleeding Corpse but he later left the band.]

Abbang: It’s impossible for us to have three guitarists?

Ferry: No, I don’t want [smiles].

Bobby Hydro and Uus Death

JF: How many songs do you have now?

Uus: Twelve songs but we have a plan to have 20 songs.

JF: Did any record label agree to release the record?

Ferry: Many, but we’re still thinking about that.

Popo: Ferry, why did you ask these people to join the band? Why not ask other guys like Daniel and Abaz?

[Jack Frost note: This question is another Bandung death-metal scene joke because Daniel and Abaz are in so many bands in Bandung.]

Ferry: Iyenk has a good skill; Abbang is very grindcore; Uus comes from the grindcore background; and Acil because we hang out together many times; we have same hobby: to get drunk!

JF: Do you want to tour to other cities?

Ferry: After we finish all the songs we will do the touring. We must find the right days to do the tour because Abbang has a job in the mayor’s office. Ferry must work in Chronic Metal Shop. The other guys must arrange the right time so that they can tour. Butche is our producer.

JF: Popo, what is your comment about this band?

Popo: For this band the first words are “crazy” and “drunken master”. The third word is “a lot of eat”; the fourth word is “always searching for the girl”. They have good material of music. They have brutal grindcore. I think they all have a good connection with each other and to people in Indonesia. They are all active in the scene. I think they will be [successful] to introduce this band to many people.

Bobby Hydro, Ari Bejo, Uus Death.

Bobby (Vokalis Hydro / ex-Bleeding Corpse): Every member is funny, crazy...

Ferry: Stupid!

Popo: My first word is “crazy”!

Uus: F****ing stupid!

Bobby: They are best friends; their music is brutal and fast.

JF: Your message for the fans?

Abbang: Always exist; believe in our music; believe in our gene and our skill.

Uus: Support our genre music; don’t be racist. Support underground music of all types, just support! Panceg!!

Acil Saffar: Don’t give up; keep up the spirit; always support us and love our music!

Iyenk Saffar: Keep the spirit to reach the dream!

Uus: Stay green!

Ferry: Stay young, green, and punk! Weed and green! Smoke your weed and green in soul!

[Jack Frost note: They all wanted to keep on talking but we decided we should end the interview there!]

THE ORIGINAL BLEEDING CORPSE LINEUP REUNITED: Left to Right: Bob Rockiller (vocals), Ari Bejo (drums), and Uus Death (guitar - also DEATH WOMB EXISTENCE guitarist) @ Chinook's bar, Bandung, 23/1/2014.

THE ORIGINAL BLEEDING CORPSE LINEUP REUNITED: Left to Right: Bob Rockiller (vocals) and Uus Death (guitar - also DEATH WOMB EXISTENCE guitarist) @ Chinook's bar, Bandung, 23/1/2014.

THE ORIGINAL BLEEDING CORPSE LINEUP REUNITED: Left to Right: Bob Rockiller (vocals), Uus Death (guitar), Adrian Luk Luk (bass), and Ari Bejo (drums) @ Chinook's bar, Bandung, 23/1/2014.

UJUNG BERUNG DEATH METAL COMMUNITY @ Chinook's Bar, Bandung, 23/1/2014 for NEMESIS / AMORA SAVAGE show.

UJUNG BERUNG DEATH METAL COMMUNITY @ Chinook's Bar, Bandung, 23/1/2014 for NEMESIS / AMORA SAVAGE show.