Malaysia isn't an easy place to grow up, especially if you are a Satanic teenager with a thirst for blood and a hunger for blasphemous Black Metal. The oppressive heat and even more oppressive religious climate can make things particularly tough on our maniacal Malay metal brothers. But three stalwart and defiant desecrators named Baron Black, Venomous, and Ben joined forces to form Vulga in 1985, thus creating a tiny metal scene in their town of Ipoh, Malaysia. Eventually Vulga split like an amoeba to form two equally sinister and similar bands, Massrohandt and Sraet & Esimorp (Tears & Promise backwards). Both bands favored the all-out hyperblast of Sarcofago as well as the slower, Celtic Frost tinged form of black expression. To document the scene they created in Ipoh, the two cults got together for a very limited split tape which I present here for your listening displeasure. Crazy pent-up kids playing primitive metal in a place where it's illegal to do so. That's the fucking real deal, my friends. To further confuse outsiders this split was rereleased on CD a few years back as a Vulga release. Whatever.
Just what I need first thing in the morning. Thank you very much for sharing this rare and special tape.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if this is a stupid question but is stuff like this really illegal in Malaysia?
ReplyDeleteMy new favorite Black Metal name: Ben.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I love this kind of stuff. A lot more sincere than some suburban kids playing black metal and whining about how Christianity's got them down.
ReplyDeleteHey, this rules. An "Into the Crypts of Rays" cover! I've got to say, I like this brand of black metal a lot more than the weirdo sad guy Burzum-likers you have an affinity for.
ReplyDeleteApoctosis, I wouldn't question the sincerity of suburban depression, as typical Western diets coupled with lack of exercise and sunlight are a recipe for false brain chemistry.
Vulga is total VENOM worshiper for sure...they rehearse with mostly Venom songs,whilst others bands are afraid covering Venom.By the way they are muslims...
ReplyDeleteBen is obviously too evil for a metal nickname.
ReplyDeleteMaybe his full name is Ben Rapingchrist.
ReplyDeletei always like finding new music from places like malaysia or east germany (like schleim keim) who played the shit when it could've gotten them arrested, killed, whatever...that is what punk rock is all about to me.
ReplyDeleteFor the record, I don't think it's actually ILLEGAL to be a Malay (which, fucked up as it is, is defined in the country's constitution as one who professes the religion of Islam) and play black or death or doom or whatever metal. It is, however, looked upon very negatively. Hell, it's probably looked at as, indeed, "the devil's music" by your average idiots (read: old people, religious authorities, etc). Might get you arrested, though. With no proper legal basis.
ReplyDeleteThere was this one phase a while back where the whole "black metal" thing was sensationalised, reports in newspapers of kids burning Qurans and drinking goats blood and etc. At that time, you could've gotten questioned by the police just for wearing black. That's fucked, no?
They used to bust into gigs and cart people off quite regularly back then, too. Hell, there was this one time a surf-pop-punk band (Force Vomit) from Singapore played in Kuala Lumpur, and the gig they were playing at got raided by the police, and they were labelled as "black metal." There wasn't a single proper black metal band playing at that gig. Hell, I don't think there was a metal band AT ALL. I didn't know whether to laugh, cry or be incredibly angry. I was all three, I think.
Things have cooled down a bit these days, but there are still a few states in which it's nearly impossible to put on gigs. I'm pretty sure those states are the ones controlled by the abomination known as PAS (Parti Islam Se-Malaysia or something like that, basically "Islamic Party of Malaysia" or something).
More often that not it's not a huge problem these days. It ain't great, sure, but it's not as bad as trying to play metal in, say, the Middle East. Let's all hope that PAS, those fuckers, they never EVER gain control of the country. If they do, well... *shudder*
I don't think there's ever been a black metal show here in ages, though. Damn. Death metal, yeah, occasionally. Thrash, yeah. Punk and screamo and that stuff? Lots. (I play in a punk band myself.) That "indie" tripe? God, don't get me started. Seems like every other day a new, faceless, by-the-numbers "indie" band pops up.
Of course, it's not just the metal kids that have it tough. The government kicked N.E.R.D. out of the country because of their lyrics, if I'm not mistaken: something about their lyrics being too sexy and polluting the minds of the youth or some retarded BS like that.
Blame it on the fact that it's an Islamic country with Muslim leaders. I dunno. I do. There's no separation of church and state here either, at least not for Muslims, who have to condend with Syariah law. I hate that.
Ignorance is the norm here. I mean, I have to put up with lecturers going "oh black metal was started by Anton LaVey" and etc. Almost enough to make a man pray to God for a light fixture to fall on his head and electrocute him.
Oh, and cheers for the post, too. Never heard of these guys. Malaysian metal from the '80s and early '90s isn't particularly easy to come by, even in Malaysia itself.
Azzief, thanks so much for all the great info. Hope to visit Malaysia someday, I'll buy you a beer or some goat's blood.
ReplyDeleteHaha, I'd probably take a beer or two over goat's blood (or any kind of blood, really) any day of the week.
ReplyDeleteI realise that probably loses me some kvlt points but yeah. Haha.