Evolution Rock Metal Podcast: Southeast Asia Heavy Metal: Philippines

Southeast Asia Heavy Metal

Podcast Tour 2012

-Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines-

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Episode 1: Philippines

Pinoy Metal or Filipino Metal, in this episode we feature heavy metal music and interviews with Filipino metal artists. Regarding Filipino people and their relationship to metal music, Yagi Olaguera, singer for the band COG states “People think that Filipinos are a very happy people, and it is true. However, I feel like metal fans here in the Philippines these are the kind of listeners that don't want too much escapism in their music. These aren't the kind of people that close their eyes to what’s happening around them. I think that people that listen to metal and hardcore and these heavier genres; they listen to this kind of music because it reflects what's happening around them; it just doesn't dismiss the surroundings. It's very difficult here in the Philippines to not talk about politics because of how corruption, poverty and all this stuff affects people's lives. So, COG and a lot of the bands here, we are not overtly political, but you can't really escape it." COG is a ground breaking metal band in the sense that the band has incorporated the use of a saxophone in their music. That combined with a prolific gifted singer, in Olaguera, and the band’s eclectic musical influences combine to make COG a band that is contributing new elements to heavy metal music. Regarding the band’s genre Olaguera states, “I don’t really like to put a label on it. Depending on the song we have, our songs sound pretty different from each other. Depending on the songs that people hear they have said we sound like Carcass; Hatebreed-which I don’t listen to very much, Isis; and Mastodon-some people have said that. I guess some of those are in the mix somehow, but we don’t really try to define it. It’s metal. That’s pretty much all there is to it. Metal with a lot of different influences thrown into the pot.”

Yagi Olaguera, vocals, COG

Filipino women are also active members of the Pinoy Metal scene. Fronting bands as lead singers, ranging from melodic to guttural death metal vocals to forming complete all female metal bands. Answering to the question, on how metal music has empowered Filipino women, lead singer for SERENUS, Rhokz Batidora, states, “It empowers women because being a female or being a woman takes great courage to listen to metal music. It’s like you're freeing the monster inside a woman's body. Well that's how I feel every time I am performing. And it takes great courage for a woman to stand in front of many people, and let them understand the message of the songs and the music itself. It is not a boys club anymore. There is a power in metal music; it’s really great.” Several of the bands featured in this special include female members, SERENUS, DESCANT GOTT, ANHURA, OREMUZ, DREADED MORTUARY, and VOICE OF TRANQUILITY. Additionally, female members Monika Preysler (vocals, Ahura) and Russel Jean Gabitanan (bass, Oremuz) are featured with an interview in this episode. In short, Filipino women are taken seriously in the Pinoy Metal scene. Making an immense contribution to heavy metal through their music, Pinoy women are also providing a little touch of Filipino beauty to the scene.

Russel Jean Gabitana, bass, OREMUZ

Influenced by their surroundings, and using heavy metal music to empower themselves. Filipinos are a people of Southeast Asia that are putting their own particular stamp to heavy metal. Innovating, experimenting, or just playing the other styles of traditional metal with something new added. Filipino metal bands are breaking new grounds in heavy metal music, today. Such is the case of COG and their wide-ranging influences that include a saxophone player in their line-up. Filipino women have become an important part of the equation in the metal scene and will continue to be a force to reckon with in the future. Above all, Filipinos might be a happy people. But they are more than content with what they have accomplished so far in heavy metal music. A scene where men and women are equal in the grounds of heavy metal; a hunger that is fueled by the trials of society; a genuine feel for experimentation and innovation; all of these are elements that make for a remarkable metal scene.