I had the fortunate opportunity of meeting the guitarist of this band once, not at a gig but at a book signing of his (KL Noir). Again, like explained in my post about Ataraxique, I was too busy with other things to attend gigs like I did in my teens. So when I finally caught a short break, I just went to the small gigs around town and book signings.
Back to the book signing; the Penang-nite of Italian origin, Marco Ferrarese seems to be a representation of what the band means. While he was not born locally, just the Hardcore Punk this band plays, he proudly wears the Malaysian influence on his sleeve. He wrote a book called NAZI Goreng, about Malaysian skin heads, being misguided into the tenets of National Socialism. Unfortunately, that is the sad truth also about quite a number of misled skin heads in this Malaysia.
They want to follow their favorite white power bands and translate it to the utterly ironic brown power, which coincidentally sounds like a super spicy Nasi Kandar ingredient. Marco, never did hold back from his love of Penang and the local flavors it carries. Like Marco, the band uses Malaysian centric social issues. From doing a critique on Mat Rempits (illegal motorcycle racing, without the cool factor of Japanese bike gangs) to the exploitative Malaysian media, trying to use subcultures like Punk or Metal as scapegoats.
It is an unfortunate thing too in Malaysia that many bands try to copy too much their brethren in Western countries that they seem to sing lyrics more suited for teens, frustrated at the failings of a so called Western Liberal Democracy. This band gets more points from me for not being shy of those local issues.
Back to the book signing; the Penang-nite of Italian origin, Marco Ferrarese seems to be a representation of what the band means. While he was not born locally, just the Hardcore Punk this band plays, he proudly wears the Malaysian influence on his sleeve. He wrote a book called NAZI Goreng, about Malaysian skin heads, being misguided into the tenets of National Socialism. Unfortunately, that is the sad truth also about quite a number of misled skin heads in this Malaysia.
They want to follow their favorite white power bands and translate it to the utterly ironic brown power, which coincidentally sounds like a super spicy Nasi Kandar ingredient. Marco, never did hold back from his love of Penang and the local flavors it carries. Like Marco, the band uses Malaysian centric social issues. From doing a critique on Mat Rempits (illegal motorcycle racing, without the cool factor of Japanese bike gangs) to the exploitative Malaysian media, trying to use subcultures like Punk or Metal as scapegoats.
It is an unfortunate thing too in Malaysia that many bands try to copy too much their brethren in Western countries that they seem to sing lyrics more suited for teens, frustrated at the failings of a so called Western Liberal Democracy. This band gets more points from me for not being shy of those local issues.
In true Malaysian fashion, and adhering to the diversity
of what the incumbent government wants to portray, they're multi-racial!
While at first glance, a person who has been to exposed to Western Punk/Metal bands too much, might find it tacky, but the "laid back" attitude of the band helped a lot. The comedic track "I Rather Watch Kung Fu than Edisi Siasat" is probably the best juxtaposition of how the band managed to mix the angry attitude of American-influenced hardcore to a very Malaysian issue.
Edisi Siasat for the uninitiated is an exploitative investigative show that caused some controversy by partially making up stories about exploitative initiation rites of Punks and the needless shock of taking lyrics of Metal bands seriously. Yes, it does sound as stupid as Bill O'Reilly.
Edisi Siasat for the uninitiated is an exploitative investigative show that caused some controversy by partially making up stories about exploitative initiation rites of Punks and the needless shock of taking lyrics of Metal bands seriously. Yes, it does sound as stupid as Bill O'Reilly.
Me with Marco, who probably was the one knew Behemoth in the crowd. He knows both his Punk AND Metal.
According to their bandcamp, the band describes their sound as a cross between Bad Brains and Lynyrd Skynyrd. That couldn't be further from the truth. The aggressive Hardcore Punk sound gets the treatment of guitar leads that sounds so Southern fried that it could be served at a county fair. In fact, the combination does sound sort of Sludgy that the first few seconds of the album, you may be fooled into thinking that you just popped in a Sludge record. That is of course, until the non-compromising, snare driven Hardore Punk comes in. Dzul's vocals come bursting, not like almost spoken word grunt of early Black Flag but more like the tortured screams that could be easily found on a Sludge record too.
In fact, if Dzul has the chance, he shouldn't be afraid to play in a Sludge band in the future. The composition of the tracks while may come in short burst, carrying the signature of short songs of Punks gone by, they are never afraid to add a little technicality.
While cross over bands uses the fury of Thrash Metal to deviate from the regular power chords, this band sprinkles the bluesy feel liberally. To at times, drastically changing the tempo and fall into a blues-ish break down, with the lead guitar carrying the band into Alabama. You can already smell the bourbon from the guitar leads. This isn't your typical simpleton Punk, this is Punk by men who could play their instruments.
The poster for their recent Indonesia Tour. I'm enjoying all the Pop Culture reference they were throwing down there.
All in all, the band just oozes fun. It is the hodge podge of what the band learned from their American brethren, from the surfing imagery, to Sludgy Punk bastardization, this beast could only exist in Malaysia. Just like the album cover that resembles the music, this is a mutation and culmination of all of the genetics of Punk various American scenes, into one and they're not afraid to have fun. This is Hardcore Punk through the eyes of outsiders and turning it into their own.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weotskam
Bandcamp: http://weotskam.bandcamp.com/
Terence A. Anthony commutes between Kuala Lumpur and Kuching. Co-Founder of Aural Chaos. He also writes for Greater Malaysia and Opinions Unleashed.