CD REVIEW: DAMNATION (Jogjakarta) - "The Prophet Revenge", by Andrew Sick of Sick Reviews

DAMNATION (Jogjakarta Death Metal) - The Prophet Revenge (Internal Brutality Records)

The Damnation falls on us ready to occur after more than 15 f***ing years of preparation and for the first time invading the shitty world from the f***ing land of Indonesia for the coming of "The Prophet Revenge"! Damnation offers 13 songs of a nameless f***ing savagery including Rotor and Suffocation covers, also containing an instrumental song and we can say in general that this debut album is a total f***ing carnage! The band is playing a twisted Brutal Death F***ing Metal with some technical and old skull elements and "The Prophet Revenge" cannot be really compared with other bands due to their unique f***ing shit but they are influenced from the styles mentioned above with a f***ed up insane brutal f***ing touch! The production is unfortunately not really good being unequal, a mixing a little wasted with a guitar way too far, drums sounding not really good and all this shit seems a little "boosted" but in fact, it's still going very well with them being a twisted f***ing band and having a production one as well! Unfortunately the production is also wasting a little bit the experience, as mentioned above, with a guitar that could be much more present because the riffs are f***ing awesome and some of them really brilliant as f*** but you need to give much listens to dig this f***ing shit and really appreciating the f***ed up riffing! The Damnation is caused by Gruntwind Gurgletation (Vocals), Bonnie (Guitars), Camel Damnation (Bass), Kris J. Philips (Drums) and delivering a complete butchery with a great f***ing composition of the deadly damn macabre f***ing scenes! Gruntwind on vocals is f***ing killer with a good guttural; Bonnie is delivering for the most great f***ing riffs but we can also find some a little boring; Camel on bass is also f***ing good despite the production; and Kris on drums is fucking awesome mixing non stop blast with a more technical drumming! "The Prophet Revenge" is around 34 minutes of pure f***ing killing with maybe some songs a little less enjoyable but in general being a successful f***ing release and original in its sickness making unique this f***ing shit! Damnation just delivered an excellent debut f***ing album having some flaws but still mandatory to all sickos by its high f***ing level of insanity! Insane F***ing Shit of Pure F***ing Twisted Brutality! 8.5/10. [This review was first published by Andrew Sick of Sick Reviews and is used here with his kind permission.]

Info & booking contact:
c/o Camel Damnation 
Krapyak Kulon 138, Yogyakarta - Indonesia 55188
ph: +628174115270

METAL HISTORY: DAMNATION band (Jogjakarta) 1999

NEW INTERVIEW: Our first interview with FLESH DIVINE (Jogjakarta Death Metal) (Indonesian)

FLESH DIVINE band - Progressive Death metal with symphonic influences from Jogjakarta.

Members: Nisia - Guitar (Lead); Mega - Guitar (Rytm); Haris - Vokal; Ridha - Drum; Riyan - Bass.

FLESH DIVINE band released its first promo demo on 29 April 2016 limited to 50 copies. Track listing: 1. Unleash the Fire, 2. Circle of Black Thrones.

Kieran James1: Hai, bisakah kamu menceritakan sejarah awal terbentuknya band kalian hingga sekarang?

Flesh Divine band (Jogjakarta)1. Kita berawal dari teman satu sekolah Sekolah Menengah Atas pada tahun 2010, awal mula dibentuk 3 orang, Fagot pada Bass dan Vokal, Nisia pada gitar, dan Ridha pada Drum dan Backing Vokal, beraliran progressive rock dengan nama Second Voice. selama 4 tahun, kami bermusik banyak mengalami perubahan aliran, awal tahun 2014 kami mengajak Ega(adik laki-laki nisia) untuk mengisi gitar 2, pada bulan Maret 2014, bertemu dengan teman lama kami Haris (Ex-Vokal Rosok Besi), sejak itu nama Flesh Divine lahir dengan aliran Death Metal, Flesh Divine memiliki 2 lagu yang berjudul (unleash the fire dan circle of black throne), karena Nisia mempunyai sebuah grup orkestra, kami memasukkan unsur Symphonic ke dalam musik ke 2 lagu itu. 2 tahun berproses, kami menetapkan aliran Band ini menjadi Progressive Sym. Death Metal. Pada 2016 kami rilis demo.

KJ2: Bagaimana respon orang-orang dengan mini album/album/demo band Kamu? 
2. Respon dari orang-orang sangatlah bagus, terutama dari teman-teman komunitas sangat mendukung perilisan demo kami.

KJ3: Band apa yang paling berpengaruh bagi Kalian dalam bermain musik? 
3. Band yang paling berpengaruh adalah Flesh God Apocalypse, Obscura, Necropaghist, Opeth, Rush, Dream Theater. 

KJ4: Apa rencana kedepan kalian bersama band? 
4. Rencana untuk jangka pendek yaitu menyelesaikan album pertama, untuk jangka panjang kami akan tetap terus berkarya untuk masyarakat luas, terutama di Indonesia.

KJ5: Apakah lagu-lagu yang kalian buat menggunakan Bahasa Inggris dan Indonesia. 
5. Lagu-lagu menggunakan bahasa Inggris.

KJ6: Apa yang kalian ceritakan dalam lirik-lirik yang kalian buat? 
6. Konspirasi, Perang, Filosofi. 

KJ7: Mengapa kalian semua suka memainkan musik death-metal? 
7. Bagi kami musik death metal sangat menyenangkan, menantang, emosional, dan apa yang kita pikirkan dapat tersalurkan di musik ini. 

KJ8: Kapan pertama kali kamu menjadi fans band metal? 
8. Kami menyukai musik Death Metal sejak menginjak Sekolah Menengah Atas. 

KJ9: Apa yang Kamu katakan kepada orang-orang yang bertanya mengapa Kamu memainkan musik bergaya barat? 
9. Kami memainkan musik bergaya barat karena sejak Sekolah atas mempelajari musik barat (musik klasik).

KJ10: Apakah para istri dan kekasih para personil kalian mendukung apa yang kalian kerjakan? 
10. Istri/pacar kami mendukung sepenuhnya. 

KJ11: Apakah hal-hal yang terbaik dan terburuk tentang komunitas di kota kalian? 
11. Hal terbaik dari komunitas di kota kami sangat solid, saling membantu dan memberi masukan, hal terburuk belum ada hal yang menurut kami buruk. 

KJ12: Rencana apa yang kalian buat bersama band untuk kedepannya? 
12. Untuk ke depan kami berencana tour Asia. 

KJ13: Di acara apa kalian merasakan, itu stage yang berkesan? 
13. Acara yang paling berkesan dalam acara Never Ending Nightmare (acara komimitas di kota kami) 

KJ14: Ada pesan untuk kawan kawan? 
14. Dengarkan apresiasi Musik Metal Indonesia.

KJ15: OK, terima kasih banyak.
15. Terimakasih.

Official Band Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/Flesh-Divine-Official-672350499479975/?fref=ts

Free Song Online:

Circle of Black Thrones (instrumental)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRdjlGg9y68 

Total Annihilation (live)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb9QQRXQnuw

CD REVIEW: DEATH VOMIT (Jogja Corpsegrinder) - "Forging a Legacy" CD (2014), by Andrew Sick

Death Vomit (Jogjakarta Corpsegrinder) - Forging a Legacy (Armstretch Records)

The Indonesian f***ing gods of Death Metal Death Vomit are back after eight f***ing years to dump their second full length album "Forging a Legacy"! The line-up of this f***ing bomb is Sofyan Hadi (Guitar / Vocals), Oki Haribowo (Bass / Guitar / Vocals), Roy Agus (Drums) and the brutal f***ing trio are performing a Death F***ing Metal adding a big Brutal Death Metal touch with a total outstanding Death Metal composition that makes you f***ing addicted! Vocals of this shit are f***ing great, diverse and f***ing powerful, riffs are for the most totally f***ing great and enjoyable as f*** with a present and great job at the bass and finally the drums of this f***ing shit are just damn perfect to all f***ing levels, f***ing tight as shit, varied and f***ing sick with a great performance for the complete trio! "Forging a Legacy" consists of nine songs and lasts about 33 minutes of pure f***ing excellence with a composition almost f***ing perfect sharing a great atmosphere with a knowledge of the true Death Metal without any f***ing doubts! A production f***ing flawless, perfect mixing and sound, f***ing heavy with much depth making this f***ing shit really sounds like a f***ing bomb right in your shitty f***ing ears! Death Vomit have managed to make a triumphant return with this powerful addictive f***ing release with mostly catchy f***ing parts and eargasmic to listen with perhaps the only negative part being having two songs which are a little less dynamic and enjoyable but without removing the brutal momentum of this majestic f***ing shit! "Forging a Legacy" is a f***ing must for all Death Metal / Brutal Death sickos and Death Vomit is touching the perfection and certainly making the history of the extreme musick! F***ing Outstanding Shit! 9/10. [This review was first published by Andrew Sick of Sick Reviews on 1 January 2015 and is used here with his kind permission.]

Oki Haribowo (DEVO bassist), Kieran James (Busuk Chronicles), and Corna Irawan (then DEVO band manager) in Jogja at the monument shown in the intro to the Flames of Hate DVD, October 2011.

Jogjakarta Corpsegrinder Community @ Avila Studio, October 2011. Andria Higa is seated.

Left to Right: Corna Irawan, Corna's sister, Oki Haribowo, Roy Agus (DEVO drummer) when Roy's son Jordy was born, October 2011

Left to Right: Oki Haribowo, Kieran James, Sofyan Hadi (DEVO guitarist / vocalist), and Corna Irawan @ Hard Rock Cafe, Jogja, October 2011.

DEATH VOMIT band 1997

DEATH VOMIT band 1997

CD REVIEW: WARHAMMER (Jogjakarta) - "Visual Antagonism", by Corna Irawan, 25 April 2016.

Artist: Warhammer (Jogjakarta)
Title: Visual Antagonism
Format: CD
Year: 2016
Label: Brutal Infection Records
Review: Corna Irawan
Rating: 8.5 / 10

Warhammer adalah sebuah band Death Metal yang muncul dari komunitas musik extreme metal Yogyakarta, Jogja Corpse Grinder (JCG). Berdiri di tahun 2009 dengan nama Genital Cavity yang kemudian mendeklarasikan diri menjadi Warhammer pada tahun 2011. Tahun 2016 ini adalah tahun yang keramat bagi mereka, tepat tanggal 4 April 2016 yang lalu mereka dengan gagah perkasa merilis debut album mereka “Visual Antagonism”, sementara pesta peluncuran album itu sendiri baru akan dilaksanakan akhir bulan ini (29 April 2016) di Jogja Nasional Museum (JNM) Gampingan Yogyakarta. Maka tepat bagi saya untuk mereview album ini sambil bersiap ikut berpesta dengan mereka tanggal 29 April nanti.

Oke langsung saja kita bedah habis album ini. Dibuka dengan intro yang menggambarkan suasana seram dan kelam, seolah kita hendak dibawa ke situasi mencekam negeri ini beberapa tahun silam ketika semua orang harus menghadapi situasi negara di tahun 1965, tahun yang penuh tragedi di negeri ini. Dalam kisaran semenit intro langsung disambung dengan suara distorsi gitar yang menderu, The Beginning. Setelah jeda satu detik telinga kita langsung dihajar dengan sebuah lagu andalan mereka, Aggresion. Inilah lagu yang menurut saya sangat mewakili karakter musik mereka, oldschool death metal yang mengalir dengan sangat kental. Sound gitar yang kasar (raw) dan deru set drum yang membawa kita ke masa-masa kebangkitan musik death metal di akhir tahun 80an (awal 90an). Aura Bolt Thrower memang terasa di lagu ini, oke ini sah-sah saja mengingat menurut pengakuan personelnya memang mengidolakan band death metal asal negeri Britania Raya itu.

Lagu berikutnya adalah lagu yang sempat mereka pamerkan ke kita beberapa bulan silam dengan demo album Warhammer, jadi mungkin sebagian kalian sudah mengenal lagu ini, Living Chaos langsung menderu merobek-robek jantung kita. Konsep lagu yang asik, Bara sang gitaris nampaknya seolah tak kenal lelah menjelajahi setiap bagian lagu ini. Lagu ini terdengar dengan semacam perpaduan Vader dan Entombed namun dengan cara lebih agresif versi Warhammer. Disusul berikutnya Morbid Illussion yang juga ada di demo mereka, bercerita tentang bagaimana kematian menjemput kita, terutama oleh kejamnya keadaan yang ada disekeliling kita, semakin membawa album ini semakin agresif dan mengerikan.

Satu hal yang menarik perhatian saya adalah bagaimana mereka justru "sengaja" membiarkan setiap part lead gitar (melodi), dengan justru ritem gitar ikut "menghilang" (atau terdengar samar-samar). Ibarat sedang live (konser) dengan formasi satu gitar. Padahal jika mereka mau, bisa saja saat proses penggarapan album mereka menebalkan part ritem mereka, well ini oldschool men. Fine!

Enslaving Mankind menjadi sajian berikutnya, dengan drum beat grinding yang cepat menjadi menu lagu ini, lalu seperti rentetan senjata otomatis yang disemburkan untuk menghantam rakyat jelata yang menjadi budak kekuasaan. Album ini memang sengaja membawa tema masa kelam negeri ini di tahun 1965, dimana terjadi tragedi nasional dengan adanya peristiwa G30S/PKI. Ini bisa dilihat dari artwork cover album Visual Antgonism ini yang digarap oleh Rio Oscaryzm. Mereka ingin membawa kita ke suasana dan situasi kala itu, dimana ribuan rakyat indonesia menjadi korban karena ulah sekelompok yang berkepentingan dalam usahanya menguasai negeri yang kaya raya ini. Yang kemudian sejarah telah ditekuk dan diaransemen sesuai "seniman" mana yang membuat, dan kita sebagai rakyat biasa hanya bisa menerima dan mengikuti saja tanpa tahu apa dan bagaimana yang sebenarnya terjadi.

Kembali kita dibawa ke suasana kelam dan mencekam saat lagu Dimension of Sorrow mulai dikumandangkan, sebuah lagu intrumentalia. Diawali dengan petikan gitar dan sayatan melodi yang membawa kita pada suasana pagi buta ketika datang manusia pembantai kesunyian. Sajian melody apik ini dibantu oleh Ardian N Anwar. Kelar kemudian kembali dihentak dengan lagu Burning Death.

Kemudian lagu Ruins to the Past mulai mengalir dengan tempo sedang namun terasa berat. Begitupun Damned Souls yang masih menceritakan tentang kengerian masa pembataian masal yang pernah menjadi sejarah brutal negeri ini. Yang akhirnya dijawab para arwah yang dipaksa mati oleh situasi politik yang tak dimengerti oleh mereka yang menjadi korban dengan Voice of Burial Ground, sebuah puisi dari alam kubur.

Akhirnya rangkaian “pembantaian” dalam album Visual Antagonism ini ditutup dengan sempurna dengan lagu The Last Revenge. Begitu terasa bagaimana penderitaan rakyat (tak bersalah) yang dipaksa harus menerima situasi yang terjadi. Album ini telah sukses membawa kita dalam lembah penuh darah sebagai salah satu proses yang harus dialami dan dilalui negeri ini. Album ini digarap pada akhir tahun 2015 yang lalu di Rockstar Studio Yogyakarta, dengan tangan dingin Donny Wagna sebagai music enginered, orang yang sama dengan saat penggarapan album Forging A Legacy milik Death Vomit. Silakan berburu album ini sebelum kehabisan atau kamu akan menyesal dalam penderitaan kuburmu [by Corna Irawan and used here with his kind permission.]

Tracklist:
01 The Beginning
02 Aggression
03 Living Chaos
04 Morbid Illussion
05 Enslaving Mankind
06 Dimension of Sorrow
07 Burning Death
08 Ruins to the Past
09 Damned Souls
10 Voice of Burial Ground
11 The Last Revenge
Credits:
Adin Ahmad Ramadhani - Vocals
Bara Lintang Swastika - Guitars
Bayu Setiawan - Bass
Husein Khaidhor Musa - Drums

NEW INTERVIEW: 13TH STEP TO SOFYAN HADI's WORLD (DEATH VOMIT), by Jason Xenophobic

We often know very little about the musicians that make up the metal scene. So think of these questions as taking you 13 Steps closer to knowing the heart and soul of metal musicians - what’s inside their head and what makes them tick. Enjoy \m/

Jason H: Hi how are you, any chance I can throw a few small questions at you if it's no inconvenience?

1 Which do you prefer - whiskey or beer? Beer.

2 What's your view on marijuana? Should it be legalised or not? I don t know, no big deal if it is or not.

3. What is the reasoning behind your opinion? Because I am not a connoisseur of marijuana.

4 Favourite metal show you attend? Virtually all musical events I attended are memorable. It’s difficult to choose which is the most memorable.

5 Who is your favourite non Metal singer? Iwan Fals.

6 And who is your favourite non Metal Band? Pink Floyd.

7 If you could perform anywhere in the world where would it be? In addition to Japan, I love America, Germany and some European countries.

8 If it's not too personal for me to ask, are you religious? Yes.

9 What do you think of the metal situation ATM? Metal now, I think, is in a good place, although I think it did flatline at the end of the '90s. This is what I felt anyway in my city of Yogyakarta.

10 Do you believe anyone can ever be too old to play metal? Will you ever be too old for metal? Until now I had never felt old in this music. There are some people who may feel they are too old and legitimately so. I believe this because some of those people are around me.

11 Have you ever hooked up with your fans? Not fans, rather a friend. I am happy and they often meet for a chat or a cup of coffee.

12 If you could be reincarnated what or who would you like to come back as? Nothing, I don’t believe in reincarnation.

13 Would you like to come back at all? I am quite happy to be myself like this.

@SOFYAN HADI/ Xenophobic Entertainment/ Xenophobic Records Australia 2016

[By Jason Xenophobic and used here with his kind written permission.]

NEW INTERVIEW / VIDEO: DEVOURED band talks about Bandung / Jogja scenes (Jogjakarta Corpse Grinder), 7/9/2015 (Bahasa Indonesian)

Kieran James1: Hai, bisakah kamu menceritakan sejarah awal  terbentuknya band kalian hingga sekarang?

Devoured1: Hai mr. Kieran, Sastrawan disini menjawab  interview anda. Devoured terbentuk tahun 1998 bulan  januari di Jogjakarta, mengusung genre death metal seperti Deicide, Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation, Deeds of Flesh, etc. Dari dahulu hingga sekarang, perubahan personel ada 25 kali, itu yang menyebabkan tersendatnya album kami. Tercatat beberapa musisi ternama jogja yang sempat mengisi Devoured, seperti Roy (Death Vomit), beliau mengganti Topaz di tahun 2008 hingga tahun 2010, dan perubahan musik sangat drastis kami alami... Saat ini kami sudah mempunyai personel yang pas dan telah merekam materi album full yang akan dirilis tanggal 17 agustus 2012 via indogrind. Mudahan album ini akan menjadi album yang menarik dari sekian lama penantian panjang kami dan harus bersabar.

KJ2: Bagaimana respon orang-orang dengan mini album/album/demo band Kamu?

Devoured2:Kami sempat merilis EP di tahun 2004 yang kemudian dijadikan sebuah split tape dengan Despondecy dan Infested (band Jerman). Respone kaset ini luar biasa buat kami, publik mulai mengenal kami dan karya-karya kami. Disusul kemudian dengan 5 ways split CD rilisan label Tasmania, Life of Fluid Production di tahun 2006. Semoga album kami "The Lost Kingdom" ini akan lebih baik.

KJ3: Band apa yang paling berpengaruh bagi Kalian dalam bermain musik?

Devoured3:Deeds of Flesh dan beberapa death metal daratan amerika.

KJ4: Apa rencana kedepan kalian bersama band?

Devoured4: Setelah perilisan album ini, kami berencana melanjutkan tour kami keliling indonesia dan apabila ada kesempatan kami juga ingin bermain di negara tetangga seperti Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philipina, Australia... Kemudian tour ke Eropa dan Amerika hahahaha

KJ5: Apakah lagu-lagu yang kalian buat menggunakan Bahasa Inggris dan Indonesia.

Bahasa inggris, dan ada juga berbahasa indonesia dan sedikit bahasa jawa

KJ6: Apa yang kalian ceritakan dalam lirik-lirik yang kalian buat?

Kami menceritakan sebuah kerajaan megah nan masyur Majapahit di abad 15, yang menguasai Nusantara, disana ada cerita tentang perang saudara, perebutan kekuasaan, ilmu hitam, zombie, dan sebuah kutukan, serta runtuhnya kerajaan tersebut. Sebuah kisah nyata...kami ambil dari beberapa literatur kuno yang tak pernah terungkap keberadaannya.

KJ7: Mengapa kalian semua suka memainkan musik death-metal?

Karena musik death metal musik yang nyaman buat kami mainkan smile emoticon

KJ8: Kapan pertama kali kamu menjadi fans band metal?

Saya suka death metal di tahun 1993, serang teman meminjamkan saya sebuah kaset tape Morbid Angel "altars of madness"...Gila, musik apa ini? karena saya sering putar berulang-ulang akhirnya saya menemukan sebuah titik bagaimana saya harus meresapi musik tersebut, saya enjoy dengan musik ini, impian saya bisa bermain musik ini akhirnya terwujud haha LOL

KJ9: Apa yang Kamu katakan kepada orang-orang yang bertanya mengapa Kamu memainkan musik bergaya barat?

Tak ada yang menanyakan hal tersebut kepada saya selama ini, yang mereka tanyakan hanya, "kamu itu nyanyi apa?" Saya jawab: saya tidak nyanyi tapi berkumur hahahahaha LOL

KJ10: Apakah para istri dan kekasih para personil kalian mendukung apa yang kalian kerjakan?

Sejauh ini sangat mendukung kegiatan kami, jika mereka protes maka jatah bulanan saya stop hahahaha... Mau tidak mau mendukung penuh :)))

KJ11: Apakah hal-hal yang terbaik dan terburuk tentang komunitas di kota kalian?

Terbaik: kita jadi kenal satu dengan lain semakin dekat layaknya saudara, saling bantu, komunitas juga sebagai penghubung antara fans dengan band, band dan band Terburuk: Saling tidak percaya satu sama lain yang mengakibatkan perpecahan komunitas itu.

KJ12: Kebanyakan sekitar 80%-90% band-band terbesar dan tertua adalah masih berasal dari Kota Bandung?

Yup, memang benar...Bandung industri musik sangat bagus apalagi dengan di dukung oleh pemerintahan setempat, Beda di Jogja yang merupakan kota transit...kota pelajar, mereka tujuan ke jogja bersekolah dan di batasi waktu paling maksimal 4-6 tahun. akibatnya banyak band-band jogja yang hanya berumur

4th-6th lalu bubar... Namun meski demikian ada juga yang tetap eksis seperti Devoured ini, kami mengalami

25x perombakan personel itu karena orang-orangnya tak kekal di jogja, termasuk saya saat ini yang berdomisili di Bali hahahaha...tapi tak jarak tak menjadi masalah untuk bermain musik, toh kami bisa tetap eksis, bisa menggelar rangkaian tour :))

KJ13: Rencana apa yang kalian buat bersama band untuk kedepannya?

Buat album dan tour keliling dunia :))

KJ14: Di acara apa kalian merasakan, itu stage yang berkesan?

Semua stage yang kami pernah mainkan sangat berkesan, kami baru saja bermain di empat kota guna mendukung album kami, respon luar biasa dari kawan-kawan daerah...mereka menyambut kami luar biasa meski kami sudah sekian lama tidak bermain dan beredar di perhelatan metal ini.

KJ15: Ada pesan untuk kawan kawan?

Tetap semangat, sehat selalu...METAL SAK MODARE!

KJ16: OK, terima kasih banyak

Sama sama mr. Keiran, see you.

DEVOURED www.facebook.com/devoureddeath www.myspace.com/devouredband

contact: sastro_ug@yahoo.com 0818 256725

OFFICIAL VIDEO 2016, Sabda XIII: Gemuruh Air Puluhan Ribu Dosa

https://youtu.be/iLeSnzRYMMA

NEWS: WARHAMMER (Jogjakarta Death Metal) releases debut album "Visual Antagonism" (Brutal Infection Rec)

WARHAMMER @ Avila Studio, Jogjakarta, October 2011

Coming soon..
next release from Jogjakarta Corpse GrinderWARHAMMER (band) debut album "Visual Antagonism"

Bandpage :...
https://www.facebook.com/WarhammerJogja/?fref=ts

Lost in chaos Mediazine review :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aOv4RlGvR8

soundcloud :https://soundcloud.com/warhammer_death

instagram :brutalinfection_records
twitter : brutalinf_recs
line : brutalinfectionrecs

www.brutalinfectionrecords.com

CLASSIC INTERVIEW: Oki Death Vomit talks about the Australian tour 2010

Oki Haribowo (bass/ vocals) of DEATH VOMIT talks about AUSTRALIAN TOUR (Yogyakarta brutal death-metal)

By Dr Kieran James 

Interview at: Yogya train station, 12 October 2011

Kieran James: Oki, do you want to do some interview now because I think we must wait here 30 minutes to collect the train ticket?

Oki Haribowo: Yes, sure, mate.

KJ: What were your goals for the Australian Death Vomit tour?

Oki: We went to Australia not to make money but to make the link so that other bands can go to Australia. We had two aims: to play all the shows and to see the [Sydney] Opera House!

KJ: And you really achieved those two things! I saw your picture at Opera House on Jason’s Facebook. Do you know Metallica had a band pic taken at exactly the same place? It’s on their website, in the 1988-91 pictures section.

Oki: With Jason Newstead?

KJ: Yes.

KJ: Tell me more of your experiences of the Australian tour.

Oki: In Perth [first show] it was a good crowd, in Amplifier Bar, about 300 to 400 people. The other show had around 30-40. In Amplifier Bar we played with Napalm Death and Dying Fetus. We also played at Civic Hotel [Inglewood, Perth northern suburbs]. The next show was in Geelong then in Melbourne.

Oki, Kieran (BUSUK) & Corna (DEVO manager) 

KJ: Where did you get the most excited crowds?

Oki: For me the most excited crowds were when we played in Perth, Geelong, and Brisbane. All the cities we played were excited.

KJ: What were the supporting bands like?

Oki: In Perth, Geelong, and Brisbane we played with death-metal bands. In the other cities [Melbourne and Sydney] we played with metalcore bands.

KJ: Here is a question I think many Indonesian metalheads want to know about: What were the fans like there compared to Indonesian shows?

Oki: I met some people over there and they wanted to buy our merchandise but they wanted to see us play first on the stage. If they like our music they will buy our merchandise. I like that, it’s different from here. Here they buy the CDs for their collections. Us three guys we were very nervous, we play [to] a different culture, a different people. In 1994-95 death-metal was born in Yogya, we use the name Jogjakarta Corpse Grinder for the community like Bandung Death Metal Syndicate. We knew each other from the tee-shirts. If I was using the Suffocation tee-shirt [in the early days] but I had not heard Suffocation people would tell me not to wear the shirt until I had heard Suffocation. It’s different from now; young people [now] will wear every tee-shirt even if they have not heard the music. We call the posers “abal-abal”, it means same as posers.

KJ: Did you meet any of the other bands?

Oki: Yes. I met Grotesque from Perth; they are nice people, in Sydney Daemonfetalharvest.

KJ: Did you notice with some of the crowds there, because it is in a bar, some people headbang up the front then at the back others just stand still watching you holding their beer glasses?

Oki: Over there the people show their respect in a different way. In Australia they stand up with a glass of beer. You cannot smoke over there in the pub, it’s different here. Three of us got the flu in Melbourne. When we played in Sydney our vocalist [Sofyan] wanted to say the title of the song, he coughed, and the crowd were laughing.

KJ: Did you see any Indonesians in the crowds at any shows?

Oki: I saw some Indonesians in the crowd in Melbourne; rich people came to the show.

KJ: How did you first meet Jason [Hutagalung of Xenophobic Records who organized the tour]?

Oki: We met Jason in Solo in Rock in Solo [when we were] supporting Psycroptic [Australia], Burgerkill and [playing with] other Solo bands, in 2009 maybe.

KJ: Did you ask Jason or he asked you to do the Australian tour?

Oki: Jason asked us to play there in Australia, [for] all the cities we played in Australia Jason arranged all.

KJ: Have you got any other special experiences in the tour to share with us?

Oki: I remember in Melbourne it was five degrees, it was really fucking, fucking cold, I never experienced such cold [KJ: and this was spring not winter!] I went walking in a shirt to buy Smirnoff with no shoes, it was really cold.

Oki, Kieran, Corna, Japang, 13 Oct 11

KJ: Were you surprised by Australia?

Oki: It’s all a surprise. We could not think everything before we went there.When we were still here we wondered what was going to happen there. What would the crowd be like? Are they happy with our race, Asian?

KJ: What bands are most influential for you?

Oki: Malevolent Creation, Deicide, most of the old-school stuff, Exodus, thrash-metal, and other genres such as Janis Joplin playing jazz music. My favourite Malevolent Creation albums are Ten Commandments, Retribution, and Stillborn.

KJ: I have Retribution, most of the songs are slow or medium but the few fast ones are excellent.

KJ: Is there any new song you want to talk about?

Oki: We have a new song “Dark Ancients” about the glorious darkness, [and] everything about the hell, everything in the era of the prophets like Mohammed and Jesus.

KJ: What do you think about the black-metal scene in Indonesia?

Oki: All the black-metal people in the bands here, their religion is Islam. I don’t say all the bands but most of them their lyrics are against Christianity, for me it is ridiculous. Like with Glen Benton [Deicide vocalist] he had the real experience with Christianity because his father was a pastor...

KJ: I don’t think his father was a pastor. I think his parents just took him to the Sunday school. His aunt was a witch and that led him in that direction.

Oki: Yes!

KJ: Jason always talks about Funeral Inception; they were strong in opposing the Islamic fundamentalist scene in Jakarta, right?

Oki: Yes. My opinion is [musically] Funeral Inception is like Suffocation from era ofEffigy of the Forgotten to Pierced from Within.

[At this time the interview ends because my number was called so I had to collect my train ticket]

The following conversation was when I was riding on the back of Oki’s motorcycle on the same day, 12 October 2011, also in Yogya:

KJ: What are some problems playing death-metal here in Yogya?

Oki: The problem with death-metal in Indo is money. The people need jobs and it is hard to manage both work and band. Two years ago it was hard for me to leave my job to play [shows] outside Yogya. Now I have a sandwich shop franchise with my girlfriend. I quit the job just before the Australian tour.

Oki at hospital where Roy's baby born, 12 Oct 11

KJ: So you are college graduate? What did you study?

Oki: Yes. I studied in management. After I graduated my parents required me to get a job. They did not understand death-metal! It’s a conservative culture. They will not accept a baby before marriage.

[More Death Vomit interviews are on BUSUK CHRONICLE WEBZINE including “Oki talks about Agung”].