OPINION: Black is Metal is Black, by Daniel Natjaard (Valerian keyboardist) (includes new NATJAARD video)

JIKA ANDA MASIH BERPIKIR BAHWA MENJADI MUSISI BLACK METAL SAMA DENGAN ARTINYA MENJADI PENGANUT SATANIS, BACA DULU TUNTAS ARTIKEL INI. DAN MARI MENERTAWAKAN KENAIFAN PEMIKIRAN YG SELAMA INI TERLANJUR BERKEMBANG.

Daniel Natjaard

Satanisme dan perilaku yang tercakup didalamnya, adalah hal yang selalu dikaitkan dengan musik Black Metal hingga saat ini. Entah siapa yang memulai, namun masyarakat bawah tanah seolah percaya saja tentang pengultusan itu. Seolah terjadi penyeragaman ide, bahwa menjadi musisi Black Metal itu haruslah seseorang yang Anti Tuhan.

Ujung-ujungnya, banyak masyarakat awam mencibir dan menganak-tirikan musik Black Metal hingga seolah tidak layak di dengar dan di kemukakan pada khalayak. Singkatnya, apakah semua musisi Black Metal haruslah manusia yang satanis, atau haruskah semua penganut satanis memainkan musik Black Metal?

Bagaimana bila ada seorang dukun santet yang kerap mengandalkan bantuan dari makhluk supranatural dan menggemari musik Campursari, apakah dukun tersebut juga bisa disebut musisi ataupun penggemar Black Metal?

Atau misalnya, ada seorang musisi Black Metal lokal yang memilih untuk tidak beragama namun percaya akan adanya Sang Pencipta, apa orang tersebut bisa dikatakan sebagai seorang satanis?

Di sini kami mencoba untuk mengupas tentang Black Metal secara singkat, dengan beberapa referensi yang dapat kami percaya, walaupun di sertai dengan segala keterbatasan yang kami miliki.

Tujuannya tak lain adalah mengklarifikasi estetika dan esensi Black Metal itu sendiri, mencoba perlahan-lahan meralat dikotomi tentang Black Metal adalah Satanis yang tercipta selama ini, khususnya di Indonesia. Lebih dari itu, kami ‘menuntut’ para musisi yang mengibarkan bendera Black Metal, agar dapat memberikan pertanggungjawaban atas genre yang dipilih itu.

Keberadaan Black Metal (sebagai genre) tak lepas dari nama VENOM, band Heavy Metal yang berdiri di Newcastle Inggris pada awal tahun 80. Awalnya band ini banyak terpengaruh oleh konsep musik band-band macam LED ZEPPELIN, BLACK SABBATH dan DEEP PURPLE.

IMMORTAL RITES (Kediri)

Seiring perjalanan waktu, merekapun melakukan pendewasaan dalam konsep musiknya melalui penambahan tempo yang lebih cepat, distorsi gitar yang lebih bising dan perubahan pada karakter vokal.

Band yang digawangi Cronos, Mantas dan Abaddon inilah, yang nantinya dipercaya oleh kebanyakan musisi Black Metal maupun musisi Non Metal, sebagai band New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. Melalui album Black Metal yang dirilis pada tahun 1982, mereka diamini sebagai gelombang pertama dari lahirnya genre Black Metal.

Pada saat yang hampir bersamaan, para kampiun Metal di tempat lain juga mulai bermunculan. Sebut saja BATHORY dari Swedia yang memulai debut albumnya di tahun 1984, HELLHAMMER dan CELTIC FROST dari Switzerland, MERCYFUL FATE dari Denmark, SODOM dari Jerman dan banyak lagi.

Kelak bergemanya Black Metal ditandai pula dengan lahirnya band-band Black Metal di Norwegia seperti MAYHEM, BURZUM, DARK THRONE, IMMORTAL dan EMPEROR. Mereka juga kerap disebut sebagai band Black Metal gelombang kedua.

GRIM INFERNUS (Gresik)

Namun, perlu dicatat, mereka (grup band di atas), pada dasarnya menganut paham Satanisme sebagai ideologi dalam bermusik. Tidak salah jika akhirnya muncul stigma sempit bahwa musik Black Metal identik dengan Satanisme, atau perlawanan terhadap kepercayaan tertentu.

Mari bergeser ke Swedia. Di Negara ini, tidak sedikit grup band terinspirasi scenes di Norwegia macam MARDUK, DISSECTION, DARK FUNERAL, LORD BELIAL, NIFELHEIM dan ABRUPTUM yang memiliki kharakter dan konsep bermusik yang sedikit berbeda satu sama lain. Tak jauh berbeda kondisinya di Finlandia, banyak bermunculan pula band-band yang mengusung Black Metal seperti BEHERIT dan IMPALED NAZARENE.

Jika diperhatikan, para musisi dari negara-negara yang berlainan tersebut memiliki ideologi berbeda satu sama lain. Kecuali Mayhem dan Marduk yang menancapkan satanisme sebagai ideologi bermusik, ternyata banyak group band Black Metal yang tidak melulu berkutat di satanisme.

Ideologi Nihilisme, Paganisme, Nasional Sosialis dan pemujaan terhadap dewa-dewa ala bangsa Viking juga mewarnai kancah musik Black Metal sepanjang perjalanannya. Hal inilah yang menjadi salah satu faktor referensi yang cukup kuat yang membuktikan bahwa Tidak Semua Musisi Black Metal menganut paham maupun gaya hidup Satanisme ataupun sebaliknya.

Sampai di sini, dapat kita tarik sebuah kesimpulan awal, bahwa sebenarnya genre adalah satu hal yang terpisah dari ideologi. Artinya, konsep musik sebuah band itu tidak mesti sama dengan konsep yang dipunyai band lain.

Sederhananya, Satanisme dan Black Metal adalah satu kesatuan terpisah yang berdiri sendiri-sendiri. Musisi Black Metal tidak secara keseluruhan mengusung konsep satanisme seperti yang acap kali kita dengar dalam pembicaraan masyarakat umum di warung-warung kopi, toserba, restoran, kios majalah, yang menganggap bahwa Black Metal adalah musik sesat, asal bunyi, tak layak dengar dan setumpuk cibiran bahkan cacian dan hujatan keras lainnya terhadap musik ini.

Ambil contoh band yang mengusung konsep Pagan Black Metal. Bisa dikatakan bahwa band tersebut adalah orang-orang penganut Paganisme yang memainkan musik Black Metal, atau bisa juga dikatakan sebagai musisi Black Metal yang membawakan ideologi Paganisme. Sangat jelas bukan, bahwa tidak ada kaitan dengan Satanisme sama sekali di sini.

Di lain pihak, apa pernah ada yang bisa membuktikan para penganut paham satanis macam Ku-Klux-Klan maupun sekte-sekte sesat lainnya, adalah penggemar musik Black Metal, ataupun sebaliknya?

Khusus di Indonesia, tahun 1995 menjadi cikal bakal berkembangnya Black Metal, yang dipioniri MAKAM, RITUAL ORCHESTRA, DRY dan HELLGODS. Patut diingat, mereka masih exist dalam karya dan jalurnya hingga saat ini.

Berkembangnya Black Metal sempat dibumbui dengan hal-hal ‘lucu’ dan kontroversial yang membuat musik Black Metal malah di vonis sebagai musik sesat. Misal, penyembelihan kelinci diatas panggung, pembakaran dupa dan kemenyan, dan hal-hal lain yang cukup mengundang sensasi juga membuat bulu kuduk bergidik.

Djiva Ratriarkha dan Julius Kamadathu dari band MAKAM pernah mengomentari hal ini dan menyikapinya dengan sangat bijak. Menurut mereka, dupa, kemenyan, setanggi dan ratus plus make up horor memang fenomenal dalam sejarah BM di tanah air. Ini baik, jika memang euforia hingar-bingar penampilan itu dilanjutkan dalam pola pikir dan attitude para pelakunya untuk mau belajar dan memahami philosofi tentang menjadi seorang Pribadi Black Metal.

Kesepakatan senada tentang fenomena itu juga datang dari Throne ‘RITUAL ORCHESTRA’, Lord Morgan ‘DRY’, Vaar Mossath ‘IMMORTAL RITES’, juga Van Dark ‘THIRSTY BLOOD’. Mereka meyakini bahwa adanya ritual itu tidak selalu berkaitan dengan apa yang ingin disampaikan dalam musik Black Metal.

Gresik Congegational Command

Sudah saatnya, para penggiat Black Metal membekali diri dengan kematangan konsep dan keluasan wawasan sebagai bentuk pertanggungjawaban dalam menyampaikan visi dan misinya.

Proses pembelajaran dan pendewasaan dalam konteks Black Metal sangat perlu dilakukan dengan berkesinambungan, sehingga nantinya akan mengikis pemikiran tidak penting yang menempel lekat dibalik jubah besar Black Metal.

[Daniel Natjaard plays for Valerian, Hailsail, Natjaard, Nevertale, Thirst of Blood, ex-Faktorial, ex-Thirsty Blood, Somberfrost, ex-Dry, ex-Dead Core, ex-Severity. He is a legend in the Surabaya metal scene. This year Daniel played on the following new studio albums: Stardust Revelation (Valerian band - Power Metal) and Autumn Obscursia (Natjaard band - Black Metal).]

Video-clip: NATJAARD featuring Daniel Natjaard: "Ashes Through Centenary" (highly recommended by Busuk Chronicles):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W64AH5WZT4&feature=youtu.be

Comment from Daniel Natjaard: "But in Natjaard's material, there is a mix of influences from several places, like Alastis, Dismal Euphony, Vaakevandring, and in a few parts I also referenced bands who are not Black Metal at all such as Europe & Dokken" [Facebook comment, 16 December 2016].

From Left to Right: Doni Wicaksonojati of IMMORTAL RITES; Yudiagusta of SEREIGNOS & EMPTYS; Daniel Natjaard of NATJAARD & HORDAVINTHRA; Weaponized of DIABOLICAL; & Hernandes Saranela of ANATHEMA DISMORPHEUS, he's also the director of the movie named "WHERE DO WE GO", a Black Metal Documentary Movie [names supplied by Hendra Yuwono].

Dimas Valerian (VALERIAN guitarist) with Yudiagusta (vocalist SEREIGNOS / EMPTYS)

DIABOLICAL band (Gresik, East Java)

Andi (BLASPHEMER vocalist, Surabaya Black Metal) with Kieran James (Busuk Chronicles).

From Left To Right: Unknown; Weaponized of DIABOLICAL (I don't know the name of man behind him either hahaha); Yudiagusta of SEREIGNOS & EMPTYS; Cumik of DILAPIDATED; & Unrighteous of TRIUMPHATOR [names supplied by Hendra Yuwono].

NEW ANUBIS INTERVIEW: "It's a trap question James!" (Gresik Power Metal) (with Daniel Valerian)

Left to Right: Disto Anubis (drummer), Daniel Valerian, and Dimas Valerian

Our interview with Yudha and Disto of ANUBIS (Gresik Power Metal)

By: Kieran James, Dimas Valerian, and Daniel Valerian

Interpretation by: Dimas Valerian

Expert comments by: Dimas Valerian and Daniel Valerian

Date: 6 December 2014 @ Daniel Valerian’s house, Jemursari, Surabaya

ANUBIS is: Fahmi (vocals), Adit (guitarist), Disto (drummer), and Yudha (bassist).

Kieran James (Busuk Webzine): Please tell us the history of the band. I know you contributed your song to the Indonesian Power Metal Compilation CD which we have just heard.

Yudha (bassist ANUBIS): The guitar player made the band not us. He made the band with the drummer. They are the origin. The vocalist and guitarist have now left the band. The vocalist and guitarist have now left the band. The vocalist and guitarist were replaced.

Yudha Anubis (bassist) and Dimas Valerian

KJ: Dimas, what is your comment about this band?

Dimas Valerian (VALERIAN guitarist): I think ANUBIS is a new and young band. They are amazing, James, because they remember me and VALERIAN right from the beginning. It is not easy for young people to love PM and HM music in the midst of DM, hardcore and extreme-metal genres. I hope that they don’t give up.

KJ: Yudha, you are the bassist not only for ANUBIS but also for DM band OSIRIS from Sidoarjo. Which do you love to play most – DM or PM?

Yudha: It is complicated. I like both genres equally. Before I played DM I played prog-metal since junior high-school and DM since senior high-school.

KJ: Which genre is most difficult to play as bassist?

Yudha: They have different difficulties but I find technical DM is most challenging for me personally. I play in OSIRIS, tech DM. My drummer also played prog-metal since elementary school. He played IRON MAIDEN, DEEP PURPLE, and GUNS’N’ROSES.

KJ: What is your experience contributing to Indonesian Power Metal Compilation CD?

Yudha: It is difficult to find PM genre nowadays. Most people choose BM and hardcore. I found it amazing and exciting. I thought it was gone but no it exists.

KJ: Did you choose the song for the compilation album?

Yudha: We gave one song, we chose the song. That is the only song which has been recorded.  We have three songs but at that time only one had been recorded.

KJ: Are you happy with that song?

Yudha: Yes. It was the first song that we recorded. We have to learn everything about prog-metal genre as it is not simple. We play all time signatures; it is not simple.

Disto (drummer ANUBIS): That song is difficult to play.

Yudha: It is really challenging for him especially for the tempo.

Dimas Valerian, DIsto Anubis, Daniel Valerian

KJ: What is the meaning of the lyric?

Yudha: It is about a fantasy or philosophy about someone that has a mind who thinks about everything that needs to be done. It is about a man who thinks about the world.

KJ: What are your favourite PM bands from Indonesia?

Yudha: We have VALERIAN, they are senior, and they have great musical concept.

Disto: They really inspire us.

Yudha: They inspire us to make songs for the mini-album; and we really like DEVAROCK from Sidoarjo.

KJ: How many shows did you play so far?

Disto: Once every two months.

Yudha: Once every three months. This month we play two gigs, tomorrow in Jombang [Jombang Metal Blast, 7 December 2014 feat JAGAL and DEVAROCK] and one more in Gresik.

KJ: What is the reaction of the crowd to your band?

Yudha: Most people who heard ANUBIS songs really like it but most people don’t understand about the PM music. They really like the songs. We play in inixed-genre shows usually. For me I find every genre as equal to the others.

KJ: What are your favourite foreign PM bands?

Yudha: SYMPHONY X [USA].

Disto: ANGRA [Brazil].

Yudha: HANGAR [Brazil] and also SONATA ARTICA.

KJ: Are there any keyboards in your sound?

Yudha: Yes, but he departed in middle of 2012. That song you heard was not the original. We edited some keyboard solos. Before we recorded this time the keyboardist had already left.

KJ: In PM it is unusual to have only one guitar player. Do you want another guitarist?

Yudha: We had a plan but now we think it’s enough to have one guitar player only. We realize that if we don’t use another guitar player it’s hard to play in the show. On the recording side it’s not really a problem but in the show it is rather complicated. If you watch NECROPHAGIST [Germany] with only one guitar player it’s going to be awkward.

Dimas Valerian: Nowadays in the metal industry in Indonesia the trend is not going to PM and HM. Do you think you can compete and what is your strategy?

Dimas Valerian and Yudha Anubis

Disto: We should keep moving and playing the shows. We need to make songs. I think “to compete” may be the wrong word. We just enjoy what we play. We at ANUBIS do not really take the minority status of the genre seriously. We only play what we like. If we don’t like the music we play it will just be terrible.

Yudha: Don’t ever play in the show to make money. Don’t make the band as your primary job [laughs].

Dimas Valerian: I will add, James, that we must stay humble.

Yudha: Yes, that’s right. We must stay humble and keep a low profile.

KJ: Did you think of combining PM and DM musically like Ralph Santolla when he played PM-style guitar solos in OBITUARY and DEICIDE music?

Yudha: For me personally I wrote that ANUBIS song. I made the bass solo as inspired by NECROPHAGIST and OBSCURA [Germany]. When we hear the lead guitar solo my guitarist is inspired by Jeff Loomis from NEVERMORE [USA].

KJ: What about in OSIRIS? Will you incorporate PM aspects in the music of OSIRIS?

Yudha: No, they are tech-DM only. Playing in ANUBIS and OSIRIS are two different things. They each play their own style so I just adapt.

Dimas Valerian: If you must choose ANUBIS or OSIRIS which one will you choose? Each musician must have a primary band. Say for JASAD the primary band for these band members is JASAD.

Yudha: It’s a trap question, James! Off the record, please [laughs]. If you ask me which band I’m going to choose I’m not going to choose.

Dimas Valerian: It’s like you can’t choose two wives. It’s the same. Yudha is crying, James [all laugh].

Yudha: I don’t know!

KJ: What is your plan for the future?

Yudha: We plan to record an EP with five or six songs. It is completely far from finished. We have one song which has been recorded. We have two songs which are not recorded.

KJ: Tomorrow?

Yudha: Our own song, one from DREAM THEATER, and one from SYMPHONY X. Each song has a long duration of 8-11 minutes. The SYMPHONY X song is the longest.

Yudha, Disto, Daniel, and Dimas

KJ: Will the two cover songs be part of the EP?

Yudha: No, no.

Dimas Valerian: Ballad song?

Yudha: No, we don’t have one.

KJ: Do you hope to have a ballad song in the future?

Disto: We think so but it is a new experience.

Yudha: It is not an easy thing. It’s about the feel. That is the hardest part.

KJ: Do you like to have any guest vocalist, such as Ridwan Valerian, for the album?

Yudha: We hope so. We want to have a feature with VALERIAN, such as guest musicians. They are inspiring us.

KJ: Can you cover one VALERIAN song?

Yudha: Yes, we want to cover one song from Dawn of New Hope EP [2009]. We want to cover “Arise”, the first song from Dawn of New Hope.

Daniel Valerian (VALERIAN keyboardist): When will the album be released?

Yudha: It’s going to take time, James.

Dimas Valerian: You must have a target, 2015.

Yudha: No, that’s too short. It will really take some time. That question is a trap too [laughs]. You trap me a lot this time.

KJ: Daniel, what is your comment about ANUBIS?

Daniel Valerian: I like the music. It has powerful and good quality but I don’t think so about the vocalist.

Yudha: We have to learn a lot more.

Daniel Valerian: The vocalist has a lot of homework to do.

Yudha: The vocalist was nervous. It is the first time he recorded. It’s normal I guess.

Dimas Valerian: VALERIAN did it too. ANUBIS has a unique style of PM. It is different from VALERIAN and DEVAROCK. That’s the good thing.

Yudha: VALERIAN is completely melodic PM.

KJ: What is the language of the lyrics? I have to ask because I couldn’t understand a word.

Yudha: The language is English but the pronunciation needs some improvement. It is not easy to practice English if we do not practise it every day.

KJ: Do you think the vocalist should be louder or is that part of his style?

Yudha: I understand why he is nervous. It is the first time he recorded that. He has potential. He is getting better every day. He is not as bad as what everyone thinks.

Dimas Valerian: I saw ANUBIS last year and he is getting better.  He is getting more confident I think he can get better and better. At one last show Ridwan [VALERIAN vocalist] gave advice to the vocalist and this is one reason why he gets better and better. It’s alright; everyone makes mistakes the first time. He has quite a potential.

KJ: What are the two cover songs that you play?

Yudha: DREAM THEATER, “Panic Attack”. It is really difficult; it is eight minutes long. It’s from the Octavarium album [2005]. The other song is SYMPHONY X, “Iconoclast” [from the 2011 album Iconoclast]. It is ten minutes long and nearly eleven minutes.

KJ: Have you got any other original songs you can play?

Yudha: No, only one. Our progress is quite slow I guess.

KJ: Because you have two bands?

Yudha: No, because we don’t just want to make a simple song. It is not about the difficulties. If one of us feels it is not their style then we change everything.

KJ: Is there any message for your supporters?

Yudha: No. But I have a message for Busuk Webzine: Stay humble, stay crazy, and keep supporting every genre in the Underground. I know Busukwebzine.net is new and it is fresh [because before you just had the blogspot].

KJ: Did you ever think to get woman vocalist?

Yudha: It is hard to get female vocalist in Gresik; it may be possible in Surabaya. We don’t want to just get hot chick vocalist to become famous. That is not the way we are. Not many chicks like PM music or EM music.

Daniel Valerian: Just because they like it does not mean they know the song or they know the band.

Yudha: That’s right. Not many people really understand what PM is; and it has a long and complicated history.

NEW INTERVIEW: Our first interview with BLASPHEMER (Surabaya Black Metal)

Daniel Valerian and Andi Blasphemer (vocalist)

Our interview with vocalist of BLASPHEMER (Surabaya Black Metal)

By: Kieran James and Dimas Valerian

Interpretation by: Dimas Valerian

Extra Comments By; Dimas, Daniel, and Verrel Valerian

Date: 5 December 2014 @ Daniel Valerian’s house, Jemursari, Surabaya

Kieran James (Busuk Webzine): Please tell us the history of the band.

Andi BLASPHEMER: We were formed in 1998 with minimal knowledge about Black Metal. We just had a spirit to learn more and more about Black Metal. In the first year of our journey we had a single titled “Question”. The second song was “Kuasa Setan” (Setan Throne). After 2000 the band did not exist for ten years because we had no players and some of us had to work. We started again in 2010 with many changes in the line-up. Now we have a fixed line-up with a spirit to build again the band. We just released a single “Dust from the Dark Past” and then we released the EP with the same title as the single.

Dimas and Verrel Valerian

KJ: What are your main musical influences?

B: The one and only MARDUK.

KJ: This EP sounds like NIFELHEIM, Heavy Metal with Black Metal vocals. MARDUK is usually fast and this band is sometimes slow to grinding.

Daniel Valerian (VALERIAN keyboardist): MARDUK has one or two slow songs but the others are fast.

KJ: Why do you like to play Black Metal instead of Death Metal or Power Metal?

B: First, because it matched with my soul. Every human has a dark side of himself. For example, drunk, sex, violence, evil deeds, passion to kill or rape someone. This is the side of Satan. It did not come from human beings. I want to show to the people that we have the energy like that, the dark energy (to show to all people). Some people did not show the energy like that. But I do not want to be a hypocrite. I want to show what I want and what I can do.

KJ: What do you think of Black Metal scene in Surabaya?

B: In the past the BM scene in Surabaya was awful because there was minimal knowledge about BM. But now most of the people in the BM scene here use it as a style and a fashion. They do not have a real vision or a real ideology. The people just use BM shirts and accessories but when their girlfriend left they cry and say blah, blah, blah on social media, etc.

KJ: What do you think about CRADLE OF FILTH and DUMMY BURGER?

B: I think that DB is great but I think that CRADLE is trendy music with mystic. They try to look Satanic but they play trend. Europe does not admit that there is a scene in Asia.

KJ: What is your favourite Indo BM band?

B: RITUAL ORCHESTRA (Malang) and DRY (Surabaya).

KJ: What is your comment about WARKVLT [Bandung]?

B: They have same influences as us. We have not heard WARKVLT songs but we know about WARKVLT.

KJ: What is your comment about SEREIGNOS [Kediri]?

B: Nice and evil music.

Verrel and RIdwan Valerian

KJ: Willy Damien (UMBRA MORTIS) says Indonesian BM is mostly fake people because the band members are Muslims but use satanic imagery. Then you have TENGKORAK on the other side of the spectrum. What do you think about this?

B: In BLASPHEMER there is no religion. When you come and join BLASPHEMER you must leave all but it is only onstage and when we gather as BLASPHEMER. But when we are back to our real-life we are just common people also.

KJ: Oki of DEATH VOMIT says it is stupid for Indo BM bands to write anti-Christian lyrics when Indonesia is not a Christian country. What do you think?

B: Most of the people that abuse Christianity that claim that they are a BM person are f***ing trendy people that know nothing about BM. Another reason is that they are afraid of FPI. In Surabaya there were lots of BM bands. But since they learnt more and knew that BM is hard to learn many left BM. The essence or ideology of BM is very hard to do.

KJ: Is it possible to have Islamic BM such as TENGKORAK ideology mixed with BM?

B: It is impossible but there are many bands that claim they are BM but they bring Islamic lyrics into the music. They didn’t understand anything about BM. They are just posers and trendy people. To combine Islam and BM is a very, very impossible thing.

KJ: What is your plan for the future for the band?

B: The first thing is we want to stay as one band from Surabaya, East Java that is committed to play BM with maximum brutality, maximum energy, and maximum spirit, and to keep on creating in the BM scene. We also hope to let people know that there is a BM band in Indo which plays hard and fast like BLSPHEMER.

KJ: Do you think the current band line-up can be stable?

B: I believe so. It should be stable until the end hopefully.

KJ: Some of the songs on your EP sound like traditional Heavy Metal with BM vocals. Is this on purpose or just by accident?

B: It is already organized. As soon as people hear at first they can accept it. If it is played at a slower tempo then they can accept it more easily.

Daniel and Andi

Dimas Valerian (VALERIAN guitarist): In the metal scene in Indo DM in my opinion is Number One for commercial and some (not all) bands can get popularity and money from DM. Do you think BM can or cannot become successful?

B: It can become successful with consistency. My strategy is just to be fully committed and dedicated to my music.

Dimas Valerian: With music like BM or PM it is hard to get total dedication because it is hard to get continuity. Many bands play BM for just one or two years. Then they think they can compete with DM. Then they very quickly give up.

KJ: On the opening song on your EP why do you use the sound effect of the rain and the marching?

B: The rain comes from the past and the marching walk is a mass of people that come from the past. It is a symbol of the past that there were people now and then. It is a symbol to describe marching footsteps. It is a symbol of what the dust means and of what people did in the past. It is also just an aural effect.

KJ: In Bandung, Abah of WARKVLT says there is discrimination against BM bands because the gigs are controlled by DM people. Does that happen in Surabaya?

B: We don’t get discrimination from DM in Surabaya but one time we got discrimination in Sidoarjo from hardcore. There was sabotage. The HC people sabotaged the sound on the stage. At the stage the guitar sound had distortion. Off-stage for the audience it sounded clean (without any distortion). It may have been a discrimination against us.

Dimas Valerian: I’m really sure it would not happen in Surabaya. Surabaya is a mix of genres without discrimination but...

Verrel Valerian (VALERIAN drummer): The audience is still different. The BM audience of course they will go to the front of the stage for the BM bands. But when DEVAROCK plays PM they might go away from the stage because they do not understand.

Andi and Kieran James

KJ: What do you think of Indo BM people putting Norway flags on their jackets or walls?

B: It makes sense because most people think BM came from Norway.

Daniel Valerian: BM is a genre; Norway is a country. The two things are really different.

KJ: Where would you like to play a show where you have not played before?

B: Everywhere and anywhere with good quality of sound and equipment and welcoming and supportive audience.

KJ: Because we are here in Daniel’s house and some members of VALERIAN are here so I must ask you: What is your comment about VALERIAN [Surabaya Power Metal]?

B: Good band with good quality.

KJ: Have you got any message for the supporters of the band?

B: Be yourself, don’t be hypocritical, and don’t lie to yourself. Stay away from trends!