NEW SAFFAR INTERVIEW: "Religious lyrics will now be mixed with social and historical", 18/7/2016 (Bandung)

SAFFAR band, April 2012. Left to Right: Parjo (vocals), Iyenk (drums), Acil (guitar), and Ramon (drums).

My second interview with SAFFAR (Bandung Brutal Death Metal)

Interpretation by: Popo Demons Damn (vocalist, DEMONS DAMN band) and Butche (vocalist, THE CRUEL band)

Date: 18 July 2016 @ D-Throne Records, Cicaheum, Bandung

SAFFAR is: Gilang Acil Saffar (guitar / vocals), Ramon (bass), Iyenk (drums), and Gabriel (additional vocalist for Bandung gigs only). The band looks for additional bassist until Ramon recovers from sickness.

Kieran James (Busuk Chronicles: What is the situation with the band members now?

Gilang Acil Saffar (guitarist): For now we plan to continue with two persons. We are still waiting for Ramon to recover from sickness.

KJ: Can the band still play on the stage or do you need additional members?

Acil: We are trying to get an additional bass player.

KJ: When is the next show due for Saffar?

Acil: 24 July 2016 in Indramayu.

KJ: Are you playing at Groupies Death Fest on 30 July 2016?

Acil: No.

KJ: So who is doing the vocals?

Acil: Me.

KJ: Is there a plan to get a new vocalist?

Popo Demons Damn: If they have gigs in Bandung they usually ask a friend Gabriel from Zainabur (black / death band) to do the vocals. If they have a gig in other cities they play with only two people as Gabriel has work commitments.

KJ: Do you plan to get a new vocalist for a new album?

Acil: We had a plan but we now focus first on getting the bass player situation resolved. We are collecting the songs for the new album. The material is ready except for the vocals.

BUSUK CHRONICLES' first band interview, April 2012

KJ: How many songs are completed?

Acil: Five songs. We have confusion over whether to make an EP or an album.

KJ: Will Saffar always have religious lyrics?

Acil: I think religious themes will be mixed with social and historical.

KJ: Who will write the lyrics for the new album?

Acil: Only Iyenk and I will write the songs and the lyrics. For the second album Ramon may be involved in the writing process. It will be better if we can finish the [instrumental] song materials first. And maybe Popo can help me to write lyrics too!

Popo: After Demons Damn lyrics are finished, yes? Because I am collecting lyrics for my album right now.

Acil: Yes.

Popo: I think it is a good idea for you to find a new vocalist who can make the lyrics for the next album.

KJ: Why did the original vocalist Parjo leave?

Acil: Parjo left the band because he wanted to work in his family’s doctors’ clinic. He will continue what his parents built. Parjo is still continuing his study in college. He also got married and is more focused on work and family. He had a problem because he lives far from Bandung so it was difficult for him to meet with the other band members.

KJ: Perhaps you could ask Parjo to write the lyrics because his lyrics help to make Saffar unique.

Acil: For the next album I cannot ask Parjo to make lyrics for Saffar because it would be hard for me to explain the meaning of the lyrics to the fans. Only Parjo knows the meaning of his deep lyrics.

Popo: Now the lyrics will undergo a major change to incorporate social and historical themes to add to the religious themes.

KJ: Are you part of One Finger Movement and if not do you support One Finger Movement?

Acil: Personally I try to be natural. I play Death Metal first and foremost and am not oriented towards One Finger Movement.

KJ: What is the meaning of the first album title Mandatory El Arshy?

Acil: “El Arshy” is Arabian, the meaning is “sky”. The meaning is “coming from the sky”.

KJ: Please explain more.

Acil: Coming from the God, you know? The people say: God lives in the sky, God is everywhere. That is why the people say: God is coming from the sky. The sky is the highest place on this planet. We just say “in the sky” meaning God because the sky is the highest place in this planet. [This answer was interpreted into English by Butche.]

KJ: Butche, any questions or comments?

Butche (vocalist, The Cruel): Saffar is good Death Metal music because it is different from all the others in terms of the sound.

KJ: Have you got any comment about Sickles band from Madura?

Acil: Yes, I know Arie [Hardiyanto] from Sickles. Sickles is a kind of Death Metal band which mixes the local culture with the metal music. It is good collaboration music.

KJ: Do you think that Saffar will always continue?

Acil: Yes, I hope that Saffar will continue to exist. I still hope Saffar can be different from the other bands.

Popo: This is why I do not agree with what they say in other cities that all bands in Bandung follow the style of Jasad. Identity is made through both lyrics and music and Saffar has a unique identity.

KJ: What is the message for the fans of Saffar?

Acil: We still exist and our new songs will be different to other bands. Our style is always different from other bands.

KJ: When will you be able to release the new album?

Acil: Next year 2017.

KJ: Do you know the record label?

Acil: Two or three record labels are trying to make a deal with us but we are still waiting to record the EP material.

KJ: Will you record without a vocalist?

Acil: Yes, just the instrumental. But when we get an additional vocalist and the bassist returns we will record the vocals and the final version.

KJ: Will you get a new bassist or wait for Ramon?

Acil: At the moment we are getting additional bassist only but we do not want to make a permanent change of bassist. We will wait for Ramon to return. 

"Mandatory El Arshy" official videoclip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_BVwHRJ7qQ

Kieran James (third from left, back row) and John Yoedi (fourth from left, back row) from Busuk Chronicles meet Saffar band members @ Ujung Berung, Bandung, April 2012.

NEW HELLBEYOND INTERVIEW: "You are 100 f***ing percent right: Butche" (Bandung Death Metal), 11 December 2014.

Our interview with HELLBEYOND (Bandung Death Metal)

By: Kieran James, Popo Demons Damn, and Ryan Outright

Expert Comments by: Butche (THE CRUEL vocalist)

Date: 11 December 2014 @ Funhouse Studio, Bandung

HELLBEYOND is: Edo aka Edz (guitar), Rory (vocals), and Reza (drums).

[Note that Ryan and Irvan from OUTRIGHT left HELLBEYOND in 2012. Luke’s position in the band is uncertain at the moment.]

Popo Demons Damn and Butche

Popo Demons Damn: Luke’s perception is that people do not invite HELLBEYOND to play at gigs because HELLBEYOND: does not nongkrong [hang-out] with the death-metal scene people. What do you think about this?

Edo (HELLBEYOND guitarist): That is only Luke’s perception about this.

Kieran James (BLACK HAMMER WEBZINE): At the moment is the band still active, it still exists?

Edo: Yes, it still exists.

KJ: When was the band formed?

Edo: 2010.

KJ: Is there just one album The Strongest Stand Last?

Edo: Yes.

Popo: How is the progress for the second album?

Edo: We have just built the structure of the songs. We have seven songs ready.

KJ: Is there any change to the sound?

Edo: We just want to explore more. We are not just a DM band. We incorporate influences from bands going back to the 1970s, not just DM or just metal bands. We want to make the second album different from the first album in terms of sound and composition.

KJ: The album title for the first album The Strongest Stand Last is very HC genre but the band logo is DM style. It is confusing…

Edo: We don’t deny the HC influences. The first album is mostly DM with some strong HC influences. We don’t want to be exactly like other DM bands with hyper-blast, etc. We just choose the groovy side.

KJ: It seems people respect HELLBEYOND but it has a low profile. Why?

Edo: We did many gigs from 2010-12 but most of the gigs were in Central Java and not in our hometown. We are not a low-profile people. “Introvert” is a more fitting word for us.

[All laugh.]

KJ: Do you agree with your band member Lucky Luke that it is hard for you to get gigs in Bandung?

Edo: The truth is we don’t care so much. I think, as you say, maybe the genre of music we play makes us less popular here. Perhaps we [play] too slow [speed] to please the DM people but we don’t care as long as we enjoy playing it and we do great gigs.

KJ: Do you want to find a new bass player?

Edo: For the last gig the bass player was Dimas Damn, the guitarist for DEMONS DAMN.

KJ: Do you think Dimas will join permanently?

Edo: No, I don’t think so.

KJ: Why did Luke leave the band?

Edo: He officially did not sign out from the band but now he likes to play different styles of music with the other bands.

Ryan (OUTRIGHT drummer): What is the plan to start to record the new album?

Edo: The problem is me and Rory (vocalist) feel that we have not yet found the new formula for the second album. We keep changing the riffs and lyrics. But it’s good for us and we make progress. We don’t yet have a schedule for the second album; we just flow.

KJ: And you need to get a bass player before you can record?

Edo: Perhaps we can ask Irvan (OUTRIGHT bassist) to play on the new album.

Edo: We think the new material is very different from the first album. We explore a lot of European influence such as MESHUGGAH and GOJIRA and lyric influence from THE CLASH and BOB MARLEY. We will make the lyrics more cynical.

KJ: From The Strongest Stand Last to The Strongest Can’t Stand…

[Edo laughs.]

Edo: We are influenced by KREATOR lyrics but we want to make the lyrics more straight and direct. We have a new single “Arrogance is Futile”. It is a prototype for the new album. It is available on YouTube.

KJ: Have you any touring plans?

Edo: In February [2015] we play at Sukabumi Death Fest but it is not yet confirmed.

KJ: Will the OUTRIGHT bassist Irvan tour with HELLBEYOND?

Edo: Yes, why not?

KJ: Can he fit it into his schedule?

Edo: I will ask him later.

KJ: Who wrote the lyrics to the new single “Arrogance is Futile”?

Edo: Rory.

KJ: Is it about any person in particular?

Edo: No, there are many people like that [please read the song lyrics to understand]. Our influences for the single are ANTHRAX and DECAPITATED.

Butche, Kieran James, Nenx Girlzeroth, Wong Die

KJ: Are there any influences from Indonesian bands?

Edo: We are not very much influenced by local bands.

KJ: Butche, what is your comment to HELBEYOND?

Butche (THE CRUEL vocalist): Stay true and stay brutal!

KJ: Do you have any record label for the new album or will it be self-released?

Edo: We may self-release but we don’t know yet.

KJ: Do you want to use a guest vocal or any other guest musician?

Edo: I don’t know yet but I don’t think so.

KJ: Have you toured in East Java?

Edo: Yes, we played in Surabaya and Malang.

Popo: Do you have any plan or formula to promote the next album?

Edo: We just want to focus on the music. A lot of bands now focus on the marketing perspective.

Butche: One hundred f****ing percent you are absolutely right, mother****er!

Popo: Do you think it is important to have a band manager?

Edo: The manager is important as long as the band needs a manager. If the job is well done by the band itself I think the answer is “maybe yes and maybe not”.

Popo: A lot of bands in Bandung do not have managers because the bands can organize their own affairs.

KJ: On metal-archives.com it says on your band page that the band’s status is “unknown” instead of “active”? Do you think you need to improve the marketing of the band and update your band profile more often?

Edo: No, we just want to improve the music of the band. The goal is music.

KJ: Butche, do you want to release the album on your DA-THRONE RECORDS label?

Popo Demons Damn and Bobby Hydro

Butche: My label collapsed because I release underdog bands. I just wanted to give the underdog bands a chance. Most record labels are money-oriented and money-talks. It should not be all about the money. In 2015 we will start again. I will release an album from a new band on cassette [only]. The band name is DISAX. The CD format is too expensive.

KJ: Is your vocalist the same vocalist as on the first album?

Edo: Yes, same singer but with a different style.

KJ: Do you want to say any words to the fans of HELLBEYOND?

Edo: The Strongest Stand Last!

KJ: Of course!

*****