Rants: Hellcut Propaganda Releases Deep/Animist Split. no comments

The Split of Awesomeness

1- I would like to thank the good people from Hellcut Propaganda for their effort in releasing this Deep/Animist split. I seriously thought that the idea was scrapped and was quite surprised myself upon my stumbling of this image but here it is and I think the artwork is fucking awesome.

2- Basically Deep was my personal melancholic and depressive black metal project. The original name for the project was Filsufatia but sometime earlier this year I decided to change the name to Deep. Released a promo (the songs which eventually end up as the tracks in the split) and changed the name back to Filsufatia after being pointed out that there were like 7 other bands from everywhere with the same name. Shouldve figured that out earlier.

3- So the name of the band is no longer Deep but Filsufatia, the old moniker. But seriously, the photo artwork is so awesome. Stare at it. Stare at it. Cool huh (pun not intended)..

4- I have been doing the band for 5 years now. Each year with a new demo/promo. Not really looking forward to sign to any labels although the people from Carnage Records and Kult 666 have been so kind to release my shitty songs all these years. I think Im gon start writing for a new demo. So inspired right now thanks to that awesome cover photo. Sejuk. Sejuk.

Rants - New Malaysian Metal Releases. no comments

1- Since it has been a while since I last myspace walk so some of the releases below may be not as up to date. Well, better late then never, right.

The grim regiment of Immolate.

2- Immolate is a black metal band from Sarawak. The band was formed way back in 1998. It was in September this year that the band finally released a demo titled Immolate the Night Clewoon. You can try and give their songs a listen via their myspace page. There are a couple of songs in the page for those out there who like grim, dirty and raw black metal, one being the title track and another called Confession of the Enchanted. Nothing outstanding with those tracks, same old same old. Try and check their Myspace out at: http://www.myspace.com/immolatetian. Get their demo for RM10 or USD6.

Larrong Mighty Death Squad.

3- I believe the Malaysian metal scene is familiar with Larrong. I was introduced to this band through a compilation called Panggilan Pulau Puaka, a compilation produced and released by Psychic Scream Entertainment a long long time ago. But the band itself was formed somewhere in 1992 unleashing their first demo called Curse of Devastation. Blackened Death Metal? I do not know since I was never any good in determining the genre. The MCD was called Dakan Perana Tana and it was released way back in March, earlier this year. They got some catchy riffs. Check the songs out at their myspace: http://www.myspace.com/larrong.

Rants: Understanding Metal. 1 comments

Unable to differentiate the various genres of metal music? No worries. Here are some fun and easy definitions of each main genre of metal which might solve your problem. Just for fun.

Heavy Metal: Rock music played with heavily distorted guitars, wailing vocals and weighty drums.
Glam Metal: Heavy Metal with make up.
Thrash Metal: Heavy Metal played fast.

Death Metal: Scary Heavy Metal played fast with deathly lyrics and sweat pants.
Melodic Death Metal: Less scarier Heavy Metal played fast with harmonies.
Black Metal: Scarier Heavy Metal played fast with satanic lyrics and make up.
Grindcore: Short Heavy Metal played ultra fast with political lyrics.
Porno Grind: Short heavy Metal played ultra fast with sick sexual lyrics.
Gore grind: Short Heavy metal played ultra fast with lyrics on human anatomy.
Speed Metal: Heavy Metal played faster.
Power Metal: Heavy Metal played faster with dungeons & dragons lyrics.
Industrial Metal: Heavy Metal played with a computer.
Doom Metal: Heavy Metal played slow.
Sludge Metal: Heavy Metal played slower.
Gothic Metal: Sad Heavy Metal with make up.
Groove Metal: Heavy Metal played with a groove.
Nu Metal: Groovy Heavy Metal played by douches with baggy jeans.
Metalcore: Groovy Heavy Metal played by douches with skinny jeans

Rants: Current Playlist. no comments

1- I am still playing Helloween's newest CD, 7 Sinners. I must say, all the songs in that album really grew on me. Of course 7 Sinners will never be as epic as the first three albums but for me it's already up there among the best Deris era albums of Helloween. Deris dominated the songwriting for this album with the other members contributed at least two songs each. The mighty main weenie, founder and guitarist Michael Weikath only contributed 2 songs; Raise The Noise and The Sage The Fool The Sinner. One thing for sure, there are a lot of double bass drum attacks in this album.

2- I do not know why but it seems to me that good heavy metal music nowadays only came from the more veteran bands rather than the newer ones. As of right now, I am waiting for Manowar to re-release their epic debut Battle Hymns with Donnie Hamzik on the drums and of course, their newest album, Hammer of the Gods. 

3- Well for me it's not really that big of deal who is behind the drum kit because Manowar's songs were always heavily revolved around Eric Adams's powerful vocals, solos from Karl Logan and the epic song writing capability of Joey Demaio. Manowar had always been straight forward with their heavy metal. There is no room for no Portnoys nor Lombardos of drums in Manowar. Sorry Scott, you will not be missed.

4- Metallica will start writing some new tunes somewhere in 2011. Hopefully they will try and get a better sound engineer this time and for the love of God, properly mix the songs lah this time around. Death Magnetic, a good but not great comeback and return to form album but the sound was pretty fucking horrible. I dont know about you but Slayer's World Painted Blood also got that same horrible vibe. Rick fucking Rubin.

5- I am no Malmsteen fan but if you like his stuff, be warned that his newest album, Relentless, will be out in store sometime this month.

Rants - The Malaysia Metal. 2 comments

1- Whats up. I have yet to find the time to update this blog properly but do not worry because hopefully by next week, I will try and get this blog started again. Yeah, maybe the guilt seeing this blog still manages to pull a lot of viewers. Even with the no update what so ever, I still got like 1000++ viewers for last month alone and a lot (half) of them were from outside of Malaysia. I guess my objective to promote Malaysian Heavy Metal to the world is in full swing after all.

2- With out any doubt people out there were more interested with the download section. I guess after this I will be putting a few more good albums for you. There is no better ways to promote Malaysian metal music then giving you ear candies for you to listen and evaluate. We walk the talk around here. Hopefully the previously uploaded albums of Silent Death and Sil Khannaz had give you some ideas about Malaysian Heavy Metal.

3- To the Malaysian Metal maniacs, if you know any good metal bands out there, kindly inform me here. Sometimes I am just too lazy to browse myspace to check out them bands.

Rant - The lack of update: 3 comments

1- I would like to apologize for not updating this blog for quite a while now. Why? Because having to operate on too many blogs will eventually make you lazy and in case you are wondering, I am a lazy SOB.

2- Well basically, Ive just released my long time Hardcore Punk Fanzine Abstained Agogo Fanzine last month after 7 years of hiatus. Compiling articles, doing interviews and attending to the postal orders made my schedule a bit hectic. Its worth it though. Got it sold for nearly 100 hundred copies now.

3- I am also busy with another new blog on Nasyid music. Yes I am an all rounder and I try to get myself involved to the core of the music that I like very much like how I keep myself abreast with the mighty Metal scene and the harmony vocal scene. If you like to see me goof around you can visit that other blog: www.nasyidcafe.blogspot.com

4- Whats new? Sil Khannaz premiered their newest song during that Total War gig. Silent Death will be releasing their long awaited album soon. Malaysian gothic black metal band Halun have just released an album I think. Ok, maybe I should do a proper entry because this entry sucked too much. Ill be back!

Rants - New Releases from Malaysia: no comments

(click image for a larger view)

DEMONICAL CRISIS ASSEMBLY - Open Fire LP, Infernal Kaos Production [2010].

One of the best War Black Metal regiment from Malaysia. If you like Impiety or Infernal War then you might want to check DCA. For more information do not hesitate to contact them at http://www.myspace.com/dcassembly

(click image for a larger view)

NEFTARAKA - Eternal Harsh LP, Apocalypse Venomous Records [2010].
Currently reigning the throne as the best Malaysian Black Metal band since the legendary Nebiras. Neftaraka shall assault you with the grimmest black metal from the deep Malaysian forest. For more information do not hesitate to contact them at www.myspace.com/necroneftaraka

(click image for a larger view)

HUMILIATION - Dawn of Warfare, Nebiula Productions [2010].
Labeled as the Malaysian BoltThrower and had been getting massive and positive reviews from all around the world, this is their debut LP. If you like old school death metal sound in the vein of Boltthrower, then this is a must! contact them through humiliationband@gmail.com

PESTA BLACK METAL TERENGGANU? 7 comments

TRANUNGKITE BLACK METAL BASHING

What the fuck was that all about? Oh another wonderful act of ludicrous judgment from the ignorant society. Why could not they just understand that it is only music? A form of entertainment? Yes, it is heavy, it is dark and it does not appeal to everybody, but it is still some form of entertainment.

What about their own backyards? Their lovely tudung clad daughters going crazy over some cute nasyid singers? Aint that some form of hedonism that to my opinion is far more worse than some black metal open society gay bullshit? Remember, a hidden enemy is far more dangerous and they can fuck you up real bad.

Do you really think that your daughters listen to nasyid for the message? Nasyid today is just another form of popular entertainment no different than your typical radio fueled non religious pop songs by the likes of Siti Norhaliza and Misha Omar with pseudo religious lyrics. How many nasyid songs nowadays that sang about boyfriends and girlfriends under the cloth of some arabic words here and there to make it sound religious. I can name you a thousand of them.

Hey, I am not here to bash nasyid. I am from that background. Even had a couple of nasyid groups myself during my university days and almost went for an album. I even helped wrote one chart topping nasyid song last year for a well known mainstream nasyid group with a couple more to come. But come on. This extreme music bashing gotta stop.

I have been listening to black metal since I was like 13 years old. I came from a well known religious school in Kelantan, furthered my studies in a local religious university and where am I now? All praise be to God, I now work in a reputable law firm in Kuala Lumpur and I still listen to Burzum, Mayhem and Dark Throne. You? Having no form of life what so ever, spending your days bashing heavy metal on the internet with your ignorance.

If all the accusations made by the media (Harian Metro, Mastika) these past few years against extreme music had been proven to be accurate and true for some reason, then i do believe even the people in the metal scene themselves would be more than happy to go and kick these blood drinking, goat worshiping motherfuckers. But the problem is, none of it had been proven true!

All the accusations made were fueled with sensationalism, ignorance, judgmental, hate, prejudice and insecurity, all the typical ingredient of your typical society.

Islam is a wonderful religion and it teaches its followers to use their brains extensively. Muslim should be wise, intellectual and smart. Stop sending messages that Muslims are stupid, insecure, hateful and dumb. For the love of God.

Abstained Agogo Fanzine revived? Who cares! no comments

There are no updates because I am too busy reviving this fucked up shit. Who cares anyway.

Rant - Another Hectic Malaysian day: no comments

I at present am stuck with Overkill’s 2010 album Ironbound. It is in my book, one of the best sounding metal albums so far for this year. The guitars were clean, heavy and chunky and the drums sounded amazing and the iconic Bobby Blitz never sounded better than in Ironbound. A fast and furious album indeed it is, a billion times superior then their scrawny little album, Immortalis (or Metallica’s Death Magnetic so to speak) which was released in 2007. Having said that…

I have been busy for the past few weeks with my myriad of never-ending and bludgeoning cases thus the reason for the lack of updates in TheBulletBelt recently. I am still doing my weekly browsing of any innovative and fresh sounding Malaysian heavy metal bands to promote to the whole wide world regardless of the hectic time schedule though.

I will be preparing a couple of classic Malaysian metal albums for downloads in the nearest of time and for those metalheads out there who have been on the tenterhooks that I will be putting up local metal stuff online, please accept my request for forgiveness. I have said it before and I am going to say it again, I am not going to turn this blog into a download blog. All the albums that have been or will be featured in this blog are the classic landmark albums, deemed fit to introduce the world to the Malaysian heavy metal sound. I do not take requests but I do take suggestions.

The latest mouth watering brouhaha for the local metalheads was the Vokill Record’s Vokill Fest gig that will be held at One Café Kuala Lumpur, next month, 1.8.2010 to be exact. The Malaysian black metal godz, Black Fire will be headlining. The legendary Ipoh death metal band Profane Creation and Kuala Lumpur’s own black metal battalion Aradia will also be performing. The other bands that were listed to play were Dark Nirrajim, Infernal Void, Hayagriva, Farasu, Ensemble of Silence, Vetis, Demonical Crisis Assembly, Nefarious Azarak and surprise surprise, Vermillion.

Laters.

Rants - Malaysian Metal Downloads: no comments

I am currently in the office and I am too lazy to read my files or to attach myself to anything related to work. I had been contemplating to put up a download section in The Bullet Belt, weighing the pros and cons of having the section in this blog, for a more than a couple of weeks now.

When I first started this blog, it was solely out of the idea to promote the obscure Malaysian extreme metal scene and its music. Come to think of it, the best way to promote the music is by letting the music speaks for itself. I can write and promote the bands as hard and creative as I wanted, but at the end of the day, the only thing that would remain relevant will always be the music.

Sure, I can write about how good and cult Malaysian local bands, in the likes of Sil Khannaz or Silent Death or Nebiras or Negation, are, but with out the pleasure and opportunity to listen to their respective brand of good and cult heavy metal, all the promotions that I have been doing all these while, at the end of the day would only land on deaf ears and blind eyes.

Thus, I believe among the best way to promote Malaysian metal music would be by giving the readers (non Malaysian especially) the opportunity to experience Malaysian metal music for themselves.

No, I am not going to turn this blog into a music download blog. I will only feature the albums which to my personal opinion should have been regarded as local landmark albums or those local metal albums that I think should be shared to the rest of the world.

Looking at it from the brighter side, having a download section would also attract more international visitors especially those metalheads out there who often scour and scavenge the cyberspace for downloadables (I should know because I am one of those so called cyberspace scavengers haha). Hopefully they would remain to be unique frequents of this small unattractive blog.

Rants - Metal : A Malaysian Headbanger's Journey Part 2 no comments

Metal : A Malaysian Headbanger's Journey

Being a very naive and somewhat dormant kampong (rural community far from the outskirts of the city) boy, I was so thrilled about this new “satanic” music, so thrilled that I went out and bought my first record soon after. Instead of scaring this naive 13 year old (which the tabloid is still trying to do till this day to boost the sale of their crappy tabloid), that bloody tabloid converted me to Heavy Metal. Haha in your face assholes.

I saved my daily allowances (which was not much), took a bus ride to the city and head straight to the record store with a mission to buy me a “satanic” heavy metal record. My first heavy metal record was Helloween’s Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 2 and that fucking Kiske blew me away. It was quite an old release since the record itself was released way back in 1988 but I had no time to give a damn. I was on a mission to be a headbanger and a headbanger I have been ever since.

The supercool "black metal" album! haha

My second record was Kreator’s Endless Pain. I bought it because it had a super cool cover artwork and Kreator had a super cool heavy metal logo. I hurried home and put the cassette tape (ahh those were the days) into the player and got myself my first dose of Teutonic Thrash fuckin Metal. Unfortunately being a naïve 13 year old still with the ears for singing birds and late night lullabies, I hated the record. Petrozza’s growls were so alien to me and I couldn’t figure out the riffs because it was too fucking loud and it was too fucking fast. “This must definitely be a black metal record” I said to myself.

It was from this point on that I started to learn to appreciate band’s logos. I think it is an under rated art. Look at those early Norwegian black metal bands, you need to have a very imaginative head to come up with those wicked logos. It was fun trying to decypher the name of the band just by looking at the logo. Back when I first started buying my own metal cassette tapes, if it aint got a cool logo, it aint heavy freakin metal and I aint buyin it.

to be continued...

Read Part 1

Rants - Metal : A Malaysian Headbangers journey part 1. 2 comments

Metal : A Malaysian Headbangers Journey

I am writing this to the majestic compositions of Manowar 1988’s Kings of Metal galloping through the speakers bombarding my ears to kingdom come.

Actually being a metal head in Malaysia is not that bad of a deal if you don't mind being judged by the ever intolerant and ignorant society or getting caught wearing corpse paint while attending underground heavy metal concerts or getting your records seized by the custom officer from time to time. I have long accepted the fact that Heavy Metal was, is and always will be a tribal thing. Heavy Metal, this wonderful sick music, gave me some sense of pride, self empowerment and to a certain extent kept my head up high when life was being a hard on me. And one more thing, metal was never meant for fucking Ipods! My name is Hafeez and this is my story.

When I got my first dosage of heavy metal, I was about 13 years old. I think I have already written somewhere in here that I was introduced to heavy metal, not from any heavy metal uncles or any long haired heavy metal friends but from a shitty local tabloid called Harian Metro (a Malaysian daily metro; a still existing local shitty tabloid which regularly glorifies sex related “intelligence” as its major headline and from time to time launches crusades against heavy metal).

Before the life changing revelation, I was just your typical neighborhood adolescent nerd who would listen to whatever there was on the FM radio. Back in the early 90’s, although Hollywood rock, or glam metal or hair metal as some people would call it, was slowly losing its grip back in the United States due to the Seattle/Kurt Cobain’s phenomenon (read: grunge); here in Malaysia, Rock was fighting for her last few breaths against Rap music.

Behold! Its the dudes who ended the spandex phenomenon.

Despite of the matching jumpsuit and baggy pants wearing miggers (Malay niggaz haha) flooding and breakdancing all over the fucking dance floor worshipping their Kriss Krosses, MC Hammers and Vanilla Ices, there were still a couple of decent rock bands hitting the radios with a couple of slow rock numbers trying to relive their glory tight jaguar spandex days of the 80’s.

To be continued...

Rants - Depressive Black Metal? 1 comments

I sure am not going to write anything on Depressive Black Metal. It is just that I am currently listening to some songs that I had composed for my own one man Depressive Black Metal band called Deep and nothing in this post will have anything to do with Depressive Black Metal except for this introductory paragraph. Nobody cares anyway. Bah!

I went web/blog hopping just now. Post metal monster, Isis broke up the other day which was a very big deal to a lot of people and I dont know why. I was never a fan of that band anyway although some of their slow churning sludgy gloomy songs were indeed quite compelling. Sludgy song rules!

Soulfly released another album? Sorry, am not interested. Cavalera Conspiracy rules!

My favorite vocodered singing progressive metal/"jazzy"death metal band Cynic will be releasing an EP titled "Re-Traced". According to Blabbermouth, it contains 4 reinterpretations of some of the songs in their 2009, quoting Metalsucks.net "now legendary" album "Traced In Air" and a new song called "Wheels Within Wheels". Somebody posted the song on Youtube and I cant wait for the next full lenght follow up. They are not using vocoders for that song but retained the falsetto vocals. Cynic rules!

Joey Belladonna will be re-joining Anthrax! He is my favorite Anthrax singer and man, that guy can really sing. I do not know what have happened to John Bush because when Dan Nelson was kicked out of the band, John Bush seemed to be the right person to man the vocals because i thought that Among The Living Belladonna-Anthrax reunion tour that they had in 2005-2007 was just a brief to-the-good-old-days tour. It would be exciting to listen to Belladonna on a new Anthrax song. Among The Living rules!

Korn got a new album? Fuck Korn!

Oh yeah, in case this blog do have any readers, i have scheduled some entries for this month. New entries will automatically be posted on all the dates which have even numbers in them (hahaha, call me an idiot but I really cant figure out what these dates were called). I will randomly post some new entries in between. Just like this one. I rule!

Rants - Obssessive Compulsive Disorder. no comments

Rants, rants and more rants. While I am writing this, I am feasting my ear holes with Nebiras 1996’s cult EP, Into The Medieval Cults. One of the best and finer Malaysian black metal releases from the 90s in my book. The band gained local notoriety when it was acknowledged by Darkthrone way back in the early 90s when the band was considered to be a brother band to its Norwegian counterpart. Fenriz even dedicated a poem for the band. So sweet of him that Fenriz. I remember dedicating the lyrics of Langsuyr’s Tangisan Embun Pagi to my now ex-girlfriend back in high school. Talking about being unoriginal. Haha.

But all jokes aside, for an unknown Malaysian (back in 1992-93, with the absence of Internet and all, I don’t even think anybody knew where Malaysia was located, so much so if they even knew the existence of the country so to speak) band to get that kind (or somekind maybe) of a blessing from the head quarter up north was enough to give them a right to brag. And brag they did. What ever it is, Nebiras was without a doubt, one of the most prolific band out of the shores of Malaysia. I’ll tip my hat to that.

Well, basically I am not really going to talk about Nebiras. This post is essentially dedicated to my hectic life. Not that I have ceased being hectic, it’s just that I think I have not been able to give this blog the attention that it deserves. It became worse with me knowing the fact that I had started this blog to promote Malaysian local heavy metal scene. I have not been very faithful to that cause I guess.

I hope you will like the new minimalist lay out. I almost wanted to start a new blog just because of the decrease of my fascination with the old template but I figured out that rather than I waste the contents that Ive already written for The Bullet Belt, it would be much easier to adopt a new look. Well, that was just me being me. Obsessive compulsive disorder. No, it’s not a title from an early Carcass song. It’s a symptom of being unable to tolerate and comprehend anything unorganized and out of order.

I chose the simplest template (actually it was one of the default templates in blogger. Minima Lefty if I am not mistaken), used my inferior knowledge of template scripting to edit the HTML settings in order to quash the ugly boarders for the Blog title, fixed the sidebars so that it would align to my right rather then the ugly original left, edit some colors and voila! There you have it. The new simple look for The Bullet belt.

And what has all that got to do with Malaysian metal? Nothing.

Rants - Back From The Dead. 2 comments

Wow. How long has it been since the last post? I have been editing and re-editing this page for the past couple of hours. Nobody is reading it anyway so i might as well re-kick start this blog with this short post. Hopefully we (i) will be seeing more new posts after this.

AJAL

I went myspace strolling just now and found out that that this potential Thrashy Black Metal band had already released their debut 4 track demo neatly and appropriately titled "Ajal Tiba Bila Seruan Menjelma" with the help of a local label called Malaysia The Darkness Production. Ajal or simply "death" in malay, was consumated into existence somewhere in 2008 and playing raw thrashy black metal is their game. I liked the songs but I think the lead guitarist needs to brush up on the solos. Being raw does not mean that you are allowed to go off key. Try and give these fellas a chance by visiting their myspace.

AJAL MySpace

SILENT DEATH

The Malaysian Death Metal veterans! Apart from a few other worth mentioning bands in the likes of Brain Dead, Sil Khannaz, Nebiras and Suffercation, Silent Death was the ultimate (and penultimate) death metal band that helped shape the landscape of Malaysian Metal Scene back in the early 90s. I was in contact with the main man of the band, Mr.Stone, through Facebook because I was buying a Silent Death shirt which I wore it like it was nobody's business. They are currently in studios recording the follow up to the awesome 1997 "Break The Silence" EP and I cant wait.

SILENT DEATH FaceBook
SILENT DEATH MySpace


ARADIA

The return of the Warlords after 10 years of seclusion. Hailing from the muddy banks of Kuala Lumpur, Aradia was one of the worthy fews, alongside Cryptic Malediction, Ravenlord and Imperial, forefronting the Kuala Lumpur metal scene back in the days. Following the return from their 10 year hiatus, the mighty Aradia had successfully executed 10 majestic songs.. ehem, hymns, which was recently released as "Draconis Eulogy". Judging from the songs uploaded in their Myspace, I gotta say that the production was top notch. The multi layered guitars were crazy and melodic, not to mention a bit "clean". I really liked the effect that they have used for the vocals. It gave the vocals an evil and twisted sound. Gotta go and buy this one.

ARADIA MySpace
ARADIA FaceBook

Rants - The Heavy Metal Misconception: 2 comments

How I see myself as a Metal fan in Malaysia?

Like in any other places all over the world, Heavy Metal will always be regarded as the music for the mischievous sprite and Malaysia included. The functionality of the media and press in this country offered no help what so ever in aiding the curiosity of the conservative, uninformed and anxious society with the very much-needed explanation despite their roles as propagators of truth and conscience. As far as I am concerned, Heavy Metal in Malaysian will always remain as an underrated and second-class form of musical entertainment in the eyes of any normal Joes and Janes, despite the cultivations of a comprehensive amount of creativities and innovations within the local Heavy Metal scene through out the decade, showed by these underrated musicians and enthusiasts. Maybe it is for the better.

As fans of everything heavy and extreme, some Malaysian heavy metal fans were very much open to be a subject of ridicule and the prejudicial judgments of the society in general, especially during the height of the Black Metal/Satanism controversy, which resulted with the music being banned right there and then by the local religious authorities sending parents and teachers into an uncontainable frenzy and restlessness.

As dedicated I am in wanting to defend heavy metal, I cannot put the blame unjustly to the local authorities, parents and teachers. The fears were indeed legitimate but the manner they tend to use in resolving the problem was just another hands off approach. There were no thorough and detailed studies being conducted. There were minimum confrontations. The conclusion was made solely via assumptions, hearsays and the exaggerations and misleading flights of the imagination puffed out by the local ignorant and biased medias. If it was really a life, moral or belief threatening situation, they have all the rights to put a ban on the music, hell, I would even give them my support, but the question remained unanswered, how threatening the situation was? Were all the rumors true? One rotten apple does not make the whole barrel inconsumable, thus banning the consumption of apples in general would make the lawmakers appeared absurd, unintelligent and ridiculous.

Heavy Metal will always be related to a psychological form of entertainment. Heavy Metal fans do not condone to these heavy, brutal, unlistenable and extreme form of entertainment just to be solely entertained. It was and always will be a form of psychological therapy, in some ways or another, listening to a music resented by the rest of the society gave them psychological prowess and autonomy, elites in their own little world, thus the reason why Heavy Metal is so much a tribal music. In order to understand these kids who worshipped Slayer or those frostbitten Norwegian bands in the likes of Mayhem, Burzum, Immortal and Darkthrone who often in their earlier formations championed satanic and evil imagery for shock values, the authority should have studied the reasons why these kids were listening to these kind of music in the first place. They will be in for a surprise to find out that most of the kids did not even give a fuck about no lyrical contents. These bands could have sung about lollipops, candy bars and teddy bears, but with that awesome kind of voice, they could have sung about eating Pizza under the eclipsing winter moon, I would still be listening to the great music!

Rants - The Pre Introduction to the Future: 1 comments

I am still waiting for Mr.Mantheravathee, the lead guitarist and the riff master of the mighty shadow lords, Hayagriva to come back to me with some details about his band for my next feature entry. In the mean time, I will be structuring and assembling a lengthy and extensive opinion based entry about the future of Malaysian Metal and the challenges that it will be facing in keeping abreast with the rapid development of the Heavy Metal scene world wide. Sounds impressive huh? It shall not be intended as a proper study of cultural anthropology for Malaysian Heavy Metal, but I do hope that it will shed some lights for those who are interested to be acquainted with various realistic guiding principles that they can apply as a diagram to shape Heavy Metal music with their own identity, personality and distinctiveness. In advance, I would like to thank those Metal enthusiasts who have agreed to accept my invitation to participate. Thank you.

I have already received a few answer sheets and the opinions were intellectually dominating, mind bombarding and served the point more better than better. I cant fucking wait!

The entry will mainly be dealing with the issue of originality and passion in Heavy Metal in the context of Malaysia; the issue of having the right driving force that will be needed and acknowledged as a striving foundation for Malaysian bands on their quest to build reputations for their respective bands on a wider and larger scale; and the last but not least, the challenges that needs to be noted and overcome. I am trying to promote this blog internationally and hopefully the forum shall be an eye opener for the worldwide audience of Heavy Metal, of the intensity and innovativeness of Malaysian Heavy Metal. Fingers crossed.

Rants - The Malaysian Black Metal: 2 comments

When I first started The Bullet Belt a few weeks ago, it was only for one sole motivation and that sole motivation was my dire need to contribute and promote local underrated heavy metal bands from all across Malaysia regardless of genre and origin. I know that it will not be much of a contribution for the time being since I am still quite in the dark as to what would be the best and most effectual ways to promote the bands featured in this blog. Myspace would be a good place to start. In any case, I will try and see it through.

I have been checking out a number of exotic metal bands on the Astral Lore Production’s roster and currently crossing my fingers in the hope that all the bands featured on the roster are still amply alive and active. I know some of them are. It is quite blissful to witness the actuality that there are still some perseverance, enthusiasm and devotions from the good people in Astral Lore to promote exotic bands from the local black metal scene. A few years ago, I often wondered what in the name of damnation have happened to all these greater than great Malaysian black metal bands? What happened to all those bullet belts, pentagrams, spikes, inverted crosses, corpse paints and those nerve wrecking high-pitched haunting wails? Long gone were the glorious reigning days of Klang Valley Black Metal elites in the likes Nebiras, Aradia, Sauts Alastor, Ravenlord and War 666.

The black metal rhetoric toyed around by the local media had really made a huge caustic and destructive impact on the local metal scene especially the local black metal scene in particular. All of a sudden, the bands seemed to have died down. It was a very dark and gloomy year for the metal industry during those challenging days back then and the result showed.

I hope with the current development smearing rapidly in the local black metal scene, the hell hordes, with high hopes, shall once again reign supreme. With the reformations of some of the older bands like Aradia, Mistik and Imperial, the release of albums from bands like War 666, Hayagriva and Insultor and newer bands started to emerge these recent years, there might be a possible bright future after all for the local black metal scene. Or should I say, a dark and black future? We shall see.

East Coast Extreme Metal Assault - Kelantan Metal Army: 2 comments

It is obvious that my first rant would be on Kelantan Metal Scene, my good old home town. I am quite delighted when I first encountered a number of serious Kelantanese bands trying to make it big in the Malaysian metal scene. When I was still living in Kota Bharu, punks and skinheads were all over the place and to find one decent metal head back then was like finding a needle in a haystack.

It is always amusing to have in mind the fact that one of the first few Malaysian metal bands who were responsible for the pioneering of Death Metal music in Malaysia and one of the first to release a death metal album was a bunch of long haired metal loving pretty boys from Kelantan, Suffercation. Suffercation’s first album, Days of Darkness which was released in 1992 was the most brutal, highly technical and most intense, not to mention the top notch quality, death metal record ever to came out from Malaysia back in the old days. Suffercation took the scene by storm.

Positioned north east of peninsular Malaysia, Kelantan was and still regarded as a very socially conservative and Islamic state with open metal shows, among others, were constantly monitored and rushed by the intolerant local authorities. Being under the administration of the theocratic Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party for more than 18 years, Kelantanese metalheads had to put great effort to keep abreast with the contemporary growth of the Malaysian metal in general.

Over the past few years, despite the fact that they were under constant surveillance of the bigoted religious authorities, Kelantan Metal scene managed to survive and evolve within the rampant and extensive obstacles thrown to impede the movement. The Kelantanese metalheads even managed to systematize and organize themselves into one vigorous terror front which goes by the name of Kelantan Metal Army, a small dedicated group of metal enthusiasts committed solely for the elevation and appreciation of extreme music in a land where no music could thrive.

With strings of successful heavy metal gigs and their annual Extreme Terrorism metal shows, Kelantan Metal Army earned their much deserved reputation from their fellow metal compatriots for their never ending efforts and endeavors, trying to bring in renowned Malaysian metal bands to play in Kota Bharu.

Newer local bands under the wings of Kelantan Metal Army, in the likes of In Torment (brutal death metal), Dark Regime (brutal death metal), Incarcerate (death metal), Diman (melodic black metal) and Slaughter Soul (melodic death metal/heavy metal), just to name a few, were proud torchbearers trying to put Kelantan on the map of local extreme music following the path paved by their older sibling, Suffercation.

All hail Kelantan Metal!

Kelantan Metal Army on Myspace.