The show will still go on with the almighty Dei Tetra, Incarnation ov Seth & Evil Singing Pandas.

Pre-sale tickets remain at $20.00 but will now come with one Soft Drink or one Beer. Admission at the door remains at $25.00.

Minimum age of 18 and above is required as alcoholic drinks are being served.

Date: 1st of May 2011
Time: 6pm onwards
Venue: All About Eve (144 Arab Street)
$20 PRE-SALE
$25 AT THE DOOR

The show must go on!

Trippy Factory:
Nafarious, many thanks for taking time out to do this interview.

NEFARIOUS:
No problem mate, looking forward to it.

Trippy Factory:
Firstly, give us a brief introduction of your band and your thoughts on coming to Singapore for the first time!

NEFARIOUS:
Certainly. NAETU was first spawned by myself (Nefarious) and Vorkgnar in 2002. Since that time we’ve had the standard numerous line up changes and other such annoyances. Now we are joined by Sombre and Sentient. We’ve released one full length album back in 2008, and are preparing to release a split release with Dei Tetra from Thailand.

We are very much looking forward to our little trip to Singapore, and enjoy all that this vibrant city has to offer four Aussie metal maniacs! The show itself will be great, our first show away from the traitorous shores of Australia, so its exciting to imagine the carnage we will leave in a foreign land!

Trippy Factory:
Awesome! The metalheads of Singapore are indeed curious about what Naetu can offer us! Back to Dei Tetra; how did the evil forces of two different regions collide and form this unholy alliance?

NEFARIOUS:
Running a small label here in Australia called Blood Black Productions, I came into contact with King Aboroth from Dei Tetra. After some discussions he approached me with this idea, and really, how could I refuse? So I said, why the fuck not! And the rest will soon be history!

Trippy Factory:
Why the fuck not indeed!!! Meanwhile, one of the biggest achievements for Naetu was to travel nationwide in Australia with mighty giants like Mayhem and Cradle of Filth. What was it like doing shows with those legendary bands?

NEFARIOUS:
In short, fucking killer! While we’re not big fans of COF’s newer material, the old stuff is still great. And to play shows to thousands of people every night is a humbling experience. And then to play alongside Mayhem as well, that was something else, Atilla is a powerful front man! And they were all very cool guys!

Trippy Factory:
Not many bands in the world get to have such killer experiences! We hope Naetu will be amongst the great in the near future!

What was the first thing that Dani (COF) and Attila (Mayhem) said to you? What did you guys chat about?

NEFARIOUS:
The COF guys were hard to talk to, they kept to them selves mostly. We had to corner Dani and Paul on the afternoon of our last show to get a couple of ‘happy snaps’ and a quick chat about the tour and their time in Australia.

The guys in Mayhem were much friendlier, and again, mostly talked about the tour.

But as for NAETU reaching such heights? Haha, I wouldn’t hold my breath!

Trippy Factory:
We’ve all got dreams,mate. Just keep on going! Funny how, I always thought the folks from Mayhem would be a bit more obnoxious given the violent history of some of its past members.

Meanwhile, I also understand that you will be meeting Dei Tetra for the first time in persons during Black Revelations 2011. What are your thoughts on that?

NEFARIOUS:
Yeah we thought the same about Mayhem! But they’re all about the music now, and try to put that part of their past behind them. But to be around as long as they have, and still have a strong following and enjoy what they do, credit to them I say!

I’m all for meeting new bands, especially from other parts of the world, so I’m looking forward to meeting them and Incarnation of Seth, even you ol’ son! Haha.

There’s a few other bands, and people involved with the metal scene over there I hope to say “g’day” to, even have a beer with, but I hear the price of booze over there is OUTRAGEOUS!

Trippy Factory:
We’ll get the beer sorted out for you. Trust me on that. \m/ I was just at your “MySpace” site and shit, holy cow batman, you have 11035 friends. How the fuck did Naetu manage that? I’m insanely impressed.

NEFARIOUS:
Hook us up buddy! Aussie bands need cold beer! Haha.

Shit, MySpace, we hardly use that any more since they last fucked around with the layouts AGAIN. We actually had over 12,000, but since that last change, people have been leaving MySpace in droves!
We used a lot of advertising, word of mouth, the usual avenues for that site. But I drive the management side of the band pretty hard to get the name out into the global metal market.

If you don’t push it hard, you’ll be swallowed by the vast black metal ocean of today’s standards!

Trippy Factory:
How very absolutely true! This is especially to all those “prima donnas”, “black metal rock star wannabes” from the words of wisdom of Nafarious.

Work hard or be swallowed! Black Revelations / Trippy Factory is pledging 2 dollars to Earthquake / Tsunamis hit Japan for every pre-sale ticket sold (SGD$20 each).

Has Naetu ever participated in charity gigs like these?

NEFARIOUS:
The only charity we have supported thus far, is well….. ourselves! Haha! No this is definitely a good thing you’re doing, Japan has had some very fucking bad luck. And I feel especially connected to Japan, I actually lived just outside Yokohama city for 6 months when I was a small boy, so I feel this is a worthy cause indeed.

Trippy Factory:
Respect from the infernal depths of Dante’s inferno! Good begets good, mate. Though you guys are fucking mean and evil on stage! Tell us a little bit more of your full-length album (The Burning Lands). I was listening to the track “Misanthropic Nightmare” and it fucking blew me away!

NEFARIOUS:
Well that CD of monstrous black metal was released by myself way back in 2008, and represented the first 6 years of NAETU’s life. So in that sense, it is mean and nasty, and exploding with all the frustration and dark days of that era for us, hence the vocal outburst at the beginning of ‘Misanthropic Nightmare’. The newer material we’ve been writing shows a more developed NAETU.

Trippy Factory:
I am sure the friends/fans and fans-to-be from Singapore are looking forward to this progression of Naetu! All the best to that. Any last words to the people attending Black Revelations 2011?

NEFARIOUS:
We are greatly looking forward to this show, and feel honored that it will be our first international ritualistic slaughter! Ensure anyone who takes pleasure from dark, misanthropic music is there to witness this spectacle! See you all very soon!

Trippy Factory:
\m/ HORNS UP for our allies from Down Under! One LAST QUESTION: Pit of Eternal Darkness or Flying Wall of Swords?

NEFARIOUS:
Flying wall of swords sounds a little messy, and I write my best material when its dark and quiet, so thats a ‘no brainer’! Bring on the fucking pit! Can I bring a few things? Like my guitar, laptop and shit like that? Is there catering down there? A man’s gotta eat!

Trippy Factory:
LMAO! See you on the 1st of May for Black Revelations 2011, Nefarious! With Massive Respect!

NEFARIOUS:
Hails! May the left hand path guide you all well! Till BR2011 Singapore!

- End -

Trippy Factory:
Thank you for taking time out to do this interview. Pol, please tell us the role you play in Incarnation ov Seth.

Pol:
Glad to be here. I’m the second guitarist for Incarnation ov Seth.

Trippy Factory:
I already know a brief history of the band in our last conversation, but for the sake of record, tell us a little bit more about your band.

Pol:
Firstly, let me just roughly introduce you to the guys in Incarnation ov Seth: We have Yan on lead guitars, Shah on bass, Hedir on the drums, Sid on Keyboards and finally Ann, our vocalist.

Well, the band started out in 2007 with a totally different line-up and a different band name. Before Incarnation ov Seth, we were called “Eye ov Seth.”

Eye ov Seth disbanded in 2008, due to unforeseen circumstances – all the band members went in different directions.

However sometime in mid 2008, we got back together with a new lineup, including Sid and Ann. Left without a band name, Shah came up with Incarnation ov Seth, which sets the tone of revival and resurrection of the previous band , Eye ov Seth.

From then on, there was no turning back. We started jamming songs mostly from Children of Bodom, Dimmu Borgir and Old Man’s Child.

Trippy Factory:
Sounds like a very different genre of metal from the rest of the 3 participating bands in Black Revelations! Alongside with the Lion City’s traditional heavy metalists, Evil Singing Pandas, your band will be performing with 2 overseas outfits, namely Naetu and Dei Tetra. What are you thoughts on this?

Pol:
I’m very excited to be a part of Black Revelations 2011 and performing alongside Dei Tetra and Naetu. I’m sure the rest of the band feels the same way. It’s an honor to be playing with them.

Trippy Factory:
Awesome to know that the members of your band are looking forward to the gig; I’m sure the rest of the artistes feel like wise.

In view of the recent tragedy in Japan, Trippy Factory will donate $2 dollars for every pre-sale ticket sold to the Red Cross in aid of the tsunami and earthquake victims. What are your feelings on this?

Pol:
The knowledge of that has made me even more enthusiastic to give our best in the upcoming show! So if the music lovers and metal music fans in Singapore would like to do their part in helping out, why not support Black Revelations by purchasing your pre-sale tickets now!

Incarnation ov Seth will dedicate our performance for those victims in Japan and we’ll give you guys one hell of a show! \m/

Trippy Factory:
Sounds like Incarnation ov Seth are all set to rock the stage on the 1st of May! What will fans and friends of the metal community in Singapore be expecting from your band in Black Revelations 2011?

Pol:
Well, if you guys have been following us through our mySpace, we’ll be focusing more on hard hitting songs. So prepare to headbang like you’ve never headbanged before; We’ll be playing some of our original compositions and a few covers from Arch Enemy and Children of Bodom! It’s going to be different from our usual set so get ready for Chaos…

Trippy Factory:
Das ist Krieg. \m/ There are only 4 bands performing in the gig and we’ll end with a spectacular finale with Incarnation Ov Seth from our very own Lion City. Any last words for your fans and people coming for Black Revelations 2011?

Pol:
Yeah, for those of you who haven’t gotten your tickets already, you can get your tickets directly from us or from members of Evil Singing Pandas.

The easiest way would be to head down to Roxy Records in Excelsior Shopping Centre to purchase them. They are the exclusive and appointed box office for the gig.

My final words will be for you guys to keep on supporting Incarnation ov Seth, the local music scene and more importantly, support Dei Tetra, Naetu, Evil Singing Pandas and Trippy Factory. Every voice counts!

Trippy Factory:
Thank you very much for taking the time for this interview again. All the best to you and the members of Incarnation ov Seth. Let’s bring hell in this year’s REVELATION! \m/

Pol:
Yeah. We sure will! Thank you for interviewing us; we really appreciate it. We shall see you at Black Revelations 2011 \m/ yeah..!!!

- End -

Trippy Factory:
Greetings Aboroth, and thank you for taking time out for this interview.

Aboroth:
Greetings!

Trippy Factory:
I am sure your fans in Singapore are looking forward to your return in our Lion City on the 1st of May 2011.

Aboroth:
Yes. We are excited and glad to be back to Singapore again this year. We would like to thank Trippy Factory for their efforts in organising Black Revelations.

Trippy Factory:
We strive to do our very best and deliver! \m/ Any updates for our fans here with your activities since you were here in Singapore in April 2011?

Aboroth:
Over the year, we have been preparing for the new releases. We have the new demo out. It is in CDR and cassette format. We are planning for more releases and hope they can be out before Black Revelations 2011.

Trippy Factory:
Awesome! Now, let’s discuss the scene in Bangkok. In our last discussion, you have mentioned that the “scene” in your city is dominated by a few and “younger” bands such as Dei Tetra are having a real hard time making a name for themselves. Has the situation improved?

Aboroth:
The scene is improving. More fans are attending gigs. We have been receiving good feedback from the fans on social networks, we also receive a lot of emails from fans around the world. We are trying our best and we just move forward at full speed. We create music and we have shows. We care about our fans and we would like to thank them for their support. It is not that we are having ‘a hard time to surviving’, I think that we just have our own path to walk. Haha.

Trippy Factory:
It’s awesome to know that things are looking up for the metal community in Bangkok. What will we be expecting from Dei Tetra in Black Revelations 2011 in Singapore?

Aboroth:
Well, the most important thing is that we are writing our new material. We are preparing for our split with Australian black metal warriors ‘NAETU’. We hope that the split cd can be released before we fly to Singapore for Black Revelations 2011. For Singaporean fans, you guys will be the first to hear the new songs. Furthermore, we are preparing for a new look. We hope that everything can be done as soon as Black Revelations 2011.

Trippy Factory:
Thank you also for introducing Naetu to us (Trippy Factory); as you know Naetu is co-headlining Black Revelations 2011 with Dei Tetra. Is this the first time both the bands are meeting one another?

Aboroth:
Yes. This will be the first time we are meeting. We have been in contact for quite sometime. We have also been planning to release a split and we also plan to have a show together in Bangkok and in Perth. In the end, we are having the first show together at Black Revelations 2011 in Singapore. This coming May, we are going to turn Singapore into hell! \m/

Trippy Factory:
This sounds like a crazy collaboration between two Black Metal elites from Bangkok and Perth. Trippy Factory is proud to bring Naetu and Dei Tetra together in this unholy matrimony! I am sure the metal fans in Singapore are looking forward (to headbang till death) to the two bands! Now back to your new materials in your latest CDR and Cassette release; will we be expecting a different style compared to the last EP, El Feugo?

Aboroth:
We are looking at the better quality songs in this demo. The songs were written some time back and they are a little different from the songs in the last EP. We are trying to create a more unique sound. We are exploring other genres of music as well. The songs on the ‘Godless Rituals’ demo will definitely be different from the songs in our EP.

Trippy Factory:
We will keep the Singapore fans in suspense for the moment but be sure that “Godless Rituals” will be Dei Tetra’s finest work to date. As you know, Trippy Factory is promoting Black Revelations 2011 in a charity aspect due to the recent Tsunami/Earthquake crisis in Japan. We will donate $2 for every pre-sale ticket sold before the 30th of April 2011. Any comments and thoughts on that?

Aboroth:
We are glad to know that Trippy Factory is going to donate a part of the ticket sales to Japan. Being Thai, we were glad and thankful that Japan was the first nation that sent aid to the tsunami victims in Thailand in 2004. This time round, the devastation was far worse in Japan. Together with Trippy Factory, we are glad to contribute towards aiding Japan in whatever small way we can. We would like to thank everyone who will be turning up and supporting Black Revelations 2011 in one way or another.

Trippy Factory:
Special thanks to members of Dei Tetra for their kind effort and open minds by doing their part for Japan and Black Revelations 2011. One Last question before we close the interview: a message for Dei Tetra’s fans in Singapore?

Aboroth:
We are giving away 10 copies of our ‘Godless Rituals’ cassette to the fans who will be at Black Revelations 2011. Please contact Trippy Factory for more information at trippyfactory@yahoo.com.

By the way, DEI TETRA is going to donate a part of the proceeds from the sale of band merchandise (as well as other Thai Metal bands’ merchandise) at Black Revelations 2011 to the Thai-Japanese Association (Bangkok) to ease the pain and suffering of the tsunami victims in Miyagi, Japan. Please show some support at Black Revelations 2011. See you disciples in Singapore! \m/.

Trippy Factory:
Thanks again for your time, Aboroth. I look forward to our next meeting in a couple of weeks.

- End -

I am very pleased to inform you that 200 people turned up for the show. Congratulations! (RF: There are actually more people as there are some underage fans who turned up but got their tickets refunded and some fans who didn’t pay and stayed outside the venue.)

The response for Dei Tetra’s set was really something!  People seem that they are really having a good time watching your set, including your old secondary school classmates from Singapore (RF: They look like a bunch of disco party people rather metal fans) turning up to Black Revelation and supporting the band.

From my personal observation, you have the largest turn out for your set; my sincere and heartfelt congratulations to you four.

Now, please introduce yourself.

King Aboroth (KA): I am King Aboroth, Bass Player, Public Relations and Merchandiser for Dei Tetra.

Emperor Viperon (EV): Hail, this is Emperor Viperon, Guitar Player and Music Director for Dei Tetra. (Full of Enthusiasm)

Lord Kaosis Warmeister (LKW): Lord Kaosis Warmeister, Drummer for Dei Tetra. (Stoney / Spaced-Out Voice)

Countess Asithara (CA): Countess Asithara, Vocalist and session bass player for the Dei Tetra.

RF: Thank you. Let’s start the interview on your thoughts after the Black Revelation.

As you know this show was planned 6 months ago since October 2009. It has been a huge adrenalin-rush for us all in Trippy Factory. Please share with us how do you all feel about this whole process?

EV: We need to work our asses off and we have been rehearsing really hard since then. We try to rehearse twice a week from 730pm and practice the same set 2 -3 times. We will have a band meeting after that to see how we can improve or do better.

We are all extremely tired from the show, but it was fun and we are very grateful.

LKW: We met a lot of talented musicians in the gig as well; it’s quite an eye opener for all four of us.

CA: I am just very happy to be here and glad the show went well.

RF: Many thanks for that. Now I would like to ask you for your opinion and give us a compare and contrast between the Thai and Singapore metal scene and community?

KA: The Thai Metal Scene consists of a 2 groups of people. One group only listens to “Old School” Heavy Metal, Black Metal and Death and they other only Brutal Death Metal, Gore Grind, Death Grind. It’s either you are “with them” or “you are not”.

Singapore has more variety, for example Absence of the Sacred (AOTS) and the bands from Mourning Sound is different.

EV: Singapore bands are more unique. I personally feel that they (SG bands) would put a personal touch on top of heavy and aggressive music; like Rudra and their Vedic influences have definitely made their music very special. The ancientness and the exoticness have made them stand out from the crowd.

In Thailand, it’s like “same-shit-different-day-everywhere.” It’s like “copy-paste” syndrome.

The veteran or more established metal bands (in Thailand) listen to one typical genre of metal music. The younger bands who look up to them would copy and imitate them because hey feel that this is “what metal should be”.

RF: And you find that boring?

EV: Yes! It’s frustrating as well.

KA: Only if you have time log on to MySpace and check out the new Thai metal band, you will probably feel that they just sound the same. There is no breakthrough. It’s really lack of innovation.

EV: As a matter of fact, I feel really SAD for the Thai metal Scene. Music is something you can explore and boundaries you can break. Why restrict yourself and be just another face in the crowd? Why not add some elements in music and make it your own?

RF: I agree with you. It’s like you cover a popular metal cover song and add elements from your band and make the song your own.

Tell us more about the rivalries in the Thai Metal scene; I understand from our private conversations that it has been bothering Dei Tetra for a while now.

EV: Since the first day we have decided to play metal music, our rivals have gathered their “army” and tried to force us down and out of the scene. They make immature comments about us on cyberspace; ridicule our photos which we posted online.

I remember there was once we had a photo of the band relaxing after a hard day of rehearsal and a can of coca-cola was captured in it.

KA: Yeah we drink coca-cola, so what? Haha.

EV: The rivals started a brand new “Hi-Five” account and posted the pictures on it with the words “Black Coca Cola” and allow the rest of the rivals to make stupid and immature comments about that photo.

Can you imagine that the guy who started this whole mess is almost 30 years old?  Grow up man, sonnofabitch.

He hacked into my “Hi-Five” account, copied all the photos and say shit about it. Can you believe that?

There are so many young and inspiring metal musicians in Thailand who really wants to play and perform…

CA: But they didn’t dare to. They are afraid to go through what we have been through. Some of the rivals have even post death threats online and wanted to “take our lives” if we were to carry on.

RF: What?!? How?

EV: It’s true. There were comments like “I am going to go to a Dei Tetra show and put a bullet in your head”. One of them even ask for my residential address and wanted to come over and f**k things up; all this through the public pages of “Hi-Five”.

I mean, I have respect for people in general. I don’t have to admire them, but I still give them their due respect. If they want to do metal music, I want to do it too! Who gives them the right to stop me?

RF: They only do such things online right?

KA: They do it face to face in person as well!

RF: What?!?

KA: During metal shows, our rivals will gather in their groups and “terrorize” the other concert go-ers who does not belong in their click.

Younger metal fans or people in small group click usually get most of the shit simply because they are weaker with no back up.

CA: That, to us, would be the biggest difference in the scene in Thailand and Singapore. People in Singapore respect any genre of metal and they are very supportive. We feel very much appreciated and welcome in your country and in your metal community. Something likes this not going to happen in Thailand.

RF: Thank you for your comments on this. I think Trippy Factory is just very fortunate to hire respectful bands and musicians in Black Revelation 2010.

What are the future plans for the Dei Tetra?

KA: We are now working on a full length album with about 9 tracks and it should be released later this year or early next year.

RF: What are expecting from this new project?

EV: Better sound quality (from the past 2 releases).

KA: Headbang!

EV: *laughs*. You will also hear the “beauty” of Black Metal with the “roughness” of Death Metal.

RF: And your influences: who or what are the main inspirations for your new materials?

EV: You will hear Slayer-ish guitar riffs and Behemoth Style Drumming, a tint of evilness from Dark Funeral and the rawness of Marduk.

RF: Wow. You have just name 4 legendary bands and and with elements from them sure sounds like an album coming up (by Dei Tetra) to look forward to.

Now on to Kaosis; I got to be really honest. You do not look like you are a drummer when I met you for the first time in Bangkok. That was February 2009, was it?

LKW + EV: *laughs*

RF: When I saw you in behind the drum set during the set just now and during rehearsals, you scare the shit out of me! I am really impressed. You play fast, aggressive and precision drums for sure! Where did you draw you influences from?

LKW: Inferno (from Behemoth). The complications of the drum lines by him have made Behemoth- Behemoth. Without him, the band will not be the same. His drumming is very significant in each track. The best part about it is his style changes in every album. So every Behemoth album doesn’t sound the same. It is always evolving and interesting to hear what he has to offer.

You can tell if the band is from Sweden, Germany, Norway etc just by hearing the drum rhythms; but Inferno is just one of a kind.

RF: Most Metal Drummers always draw one of their inspiration from  Dave Lombardo from Slayer as their main influence; hearing Inferno as an inspiration is the first for me. Good luck with the recording of your drum tracks in your new album.

LKW: Thank you.

RF: Now on with the Countess; I know at least 2 persons in the crowd tonight has been “blown to pieces” by your vocals. One of them is me and the other is Kathir (Rudra). I quote from him “This girl sounds really really pissed off!” I remember agreeing with him and had a good laugh! Where did you draw your inspirations and influences from?

CA: I have no influences so to speak, but when I listen to the raw music track given to me by the band members, I will try to visualize how my vocals should be and plan it according to the guitars, bass and drum riffs.

Like when the Emperor let me hear a particular guitar riff, I can actually hear and visualize the “screaming” even when there are no vocal tracks in it.

RF: I would like to hear you write lyrics or visualize through Kaosis’s drum riffs! That’ll be interesting!

CA: *laughs* I admire all vocalists from all the metal bands because singing is not easy. Not easy at all. Singing, shouting or screaming in the wrong manner may hurt yourself seriously in the long run.

So I bought the instructional videos of Melissa Cross (voice teacher of Andrew W.K., Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe, Shadows Fall’s Brian Fair, Every Time I Die’s Keith Buckley, God Forbid’s Byron Davis, and Melissa Auf der Maur) so that I can scream and shout aggressively all I want without hurting myself.

RF: Sounds good. At least now I know you are able to sing, scream and shout SAFELY – so that you can do this for a long long time.

Now, any last thoughts on your very short trip in Singapore?

EV: Firstly, thank you Remy and Trippy Factory for organizing this gig for Dei Tetra. Especially for putting our logo in the middle of the poster it’s very nice. When I see it for the first time, I was like “Wow”. We are in right in the middle of the official poster!

LKW: Yes, that meant a lot to us. It made us feel very special. All four of us had the poster as our profile picture in Hi-Five, Friendster, Facebook and MySpace to promote the band and Black Revelation since February 2010.

RF: Then special thanks and salute goes to Jason Wong who designed the poster. He has an intention of making Dei Tetra as an overseas special appearance all the way from Thailand and that’s why your logo is in the middle while the other 6 bands are “flanking” by your side as if welcoming you.

Excellent design I must say. Give Jason the horns up when you see him in person.

KA: Sure! Our logo in the poster of our next show in Bangkok is so small and pathetic. It’s almost insignificant compared with Black Revelation 2010!

RF: Does that bother you?

KA: Of course not! We will just turn up for the gig. Do our thing, headbang, blast our instruments and get out of there when it’s over. Music’s music. The size of the logo matters very little to us.

RF: I like that Attitude. Now, your last words for the interview Aboroth?

KA: If I am a regular metal head in Singapore or Thailand, I would not be so impress about the Black Revelation 2010 if I should see the poster at first. I’ll be thinking “hey, it’s just one of those metal gigs”.

Most of the Thai metal heads would probably think that we are crazy and wasting our time performing in an unknown gig in Singapore. But they will never ever experience what we have earlier on this evening. Black Revelation is something very different and special for us and we really had a good time.

You go to a metal gig, you headbang and make new friends. That’s that. *Shrugs* It doesn’t mean that if you are into metal, you have to get yourself drunk, take drugs and commit crimes.

No egos involve; nothing sinister and evil. We are all here for a good time.

EV:    In Thailand, there’s always the same old organizer with the same old band, playing the same old stuff.

I would encourage all metal fans to go out there and do not restrict yourselves. Learn something new from different gig and gain new perspective! Be open-minded and make more friends!

RF: Thanks for that Virperon! Kaosis, share your thoughts with us.

LKW: Singapore has always been and always will be one of my favorite destinations for travel and holidays. Special thanks to Remy and Trippy Factory for organizing the show and we look forward to play again in your productions in the future.

RF: Thank you for your compliments and comments about Singapore. Countess, any last words?

CA: Thank you very very much (hands clasp together as if praying), to you, Trippy Factory for everything. I would like to thank everyone who is involved in the gig, the fans, the fellow musicians and performers. Thank you very much. I sincerely appreciate it and I look forward to come back to perform and meet the friends and fans again.

RF: Thank you very much Dei Tetra. It’s been long hard road for Trippy Factory organizing Black Revelation but it’s absolutely worth it to have you four on this ride with me.

Until next year all the best to you and the band.

Dei Tetra:    Thank you!

Check out highlights from Trippy Factory’s Black Revelation 2010 gig at Home Club!

Featuring:

- SPECIAL GUESTS DEI TETRA (THAILAND)
- RUDRA
- ABSENCE OV THE SACRED
- DEUS EX MACHINA
- G.O.D. (Graves of Demise)
- HALLOW
- ESP (Evil Singing Pandas)

Kathir (K): Hi, I am Kathir the bassist and vocalist of Rudra.

Vinod (V): Hi, I am Vinod the guitar player of Rudra.

RF: I would like to start off the interview with a simple question. What are your personal influences for your music? Let’s start with you Vinod.

V: The main thing about guitar playing for me is it’s all about the “solos”. Some of my heros would definitely be Kirk Hammett (from Metallica) and Marty Friedman (from Megadeth). I started out naturally with Metallica.

K: For me it was Metallica as my last influence, or rather the band that least influenced me. In fact, I dislike the band very much. *laughs

K: My influences include Slayer, Death, early Sepultura and early Kreator. As far as my bass playing goes, I really have to take my hat off to Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue. I know it sounds pretty strange, from the fact that I am playing in a Death Metal band but Nikki Sixx is the first reason why I picked up the Bass.

R: No Way! *Laughs

K: The second personality that has influenced and inspired me greatly would most definitely be Tom Araya of Slayer. Finally, Steve DiGiorgio from Sadus. Until today, I respect that man as the best metal bass player in the scene. Finally, the great John Paul Jones (from Led Zeppelin).

R: I’m sure this is not a coincidence, but Vinod, I see that you are wearing a Led Zeppelin T-shirt today. Can I safely confirm that you are a ‘Zep Boy” as well?

V: Most definitely. *smiles * I got all their albums.

R: How did the 2 of you meet? I understand that Vinod is a new addition to the band.

V: I’ve been a fan of Rudra for a while and I met Kathir when I was playing in an old band of mine called Narashima. The band was doing a recording for a 2 track demo sometime in 2001. Through word of mouth, Kathir heard about the recording and he turned up and watch the session. To be honest, I was quite afraid when I met Kathir for the first time.

R: Afraid?

V: Cos’ he (Kathir) looks really aggressive and fierce on stage with the bass on and gave me that “impression”. But after chatting with him, Kathir turned out to be a very down-to-earth person and real cool guy all round.

K: I was quite impressed and really liked Vinod’s (guitar) playing during the recording session. He came as a lightning replacement for Selvam (ex-guitar player of Rudra).

R: So now, we know that Vinod is a replacement for Selvam. Please tell us a little bit more about Kannan’s (ex-guitar player of Rudra) replacement – Devan.

K: I got to know Devan before I knew Vinod through a mutual acquaintance and am also impressed by Devan’s approach to song writing. When Kannan told us that he had to leave the band for his family and career commitment in Perth, Australia… Devan was the perfect match for this missing link.

R: How big was the impact to Rudra when Kannan decided to leave?

K: The impact was enormous. Kannan has been in the band for a long time and the band had plans and dreams in the long run. Those plans and dreams have almost been completely destroyed by his departure.

R: The impact was THAT huge?

K: To be honest, I was very disappointed by Kannan’s decision. We never knew of his intention before he made that choice and it has certainly made the band go through a very difficult period. Imagine finding a replacement for someone who was in the band for so many years! We had to find a replacement, and fast. Devan came in as the perfect fit for the missing puzzle. Nonetheless, we sincerely wish Kannan well in all his future endeavors.

R: Kannan is my closest contact in Rudra back when he was a member and we still remain friends. I am sure it was a difficult choice for him to make as well.

K: Speaking of friends, I think it is very important to know a person as a friend before I can decide if he fits into the band (or not). The good thing is that 3 of the current Rudra band members live in the same neighbourhood (Woodlands – northern part of Singapore) and we would hang out for drinks and meals as friends even before they (Devan and Vinod) became part of Rudra.

R: Sounds like the fourof you are going to be sticking around for a while. Now we know the reason on Kannan’s departure, what about Selvam’s?

K: Unlike Kannan, Selvam’s depature was not his choice but the band’s. We gave him the boot.

R: That’s harsh! What he did he do to deserve this?

K: We have not openly shared this but I think it’s high time that the community should know about this. We have had issues with Selvam’s commitment to the band and it has been an ongoing issue for the last 2 years before we finally made the decision. The band has had to put up with his issues and we are tired of dealing with it time and time again. His attitude has severely compromised the band.

Being in a band is like being in a family where you have the same vision and commitment. No members should let the rest feel that there is there is a difference in goals and vision for the band.

R: I totally agree. That is one of the most unfortunate explanations in the short-lived lifespans of some really good bands.

K: Dave Mustaine (from Megadeth) once said that “playing in a band is the next closest thing that four guys can have, without having sex”.

R: * Laughs*

K: It’s a beautiful quote and fully agree that he is right. When you are in the studio and you make time for the band – it’s “four guys with a common vision and goal”.

If even one of us no longer shared the communal vision and goal – the band would no longer be the same band it once was.

This is how I would describe the case of Selvam. It was a difficult period for Rudra – he was in the band for almost a decade. It was a big impact on us, the ground was very shaky and we needed to find a replacement that we knew personally knew as a friend, and fortunately Vinod came into the picture. He is now a permanent member of Rudra.

R: One last question pertaining to Selvam before we move on, what triggered this decision in making him leave? Who broke the news to him and how did he react to it?

K: I was the one who broke the news to him and he was so disappointed that he isn’t even on talking terms with us now. We were scheduled for a photo shoot, early one Sunday morning in a forested area of Singapore. The timing was very crucial, as we needed to capture the moment of the sunrise. All of us were there at the scheduled time and the next thing we knew – Selvam didn’t turn up. The worse part is that we could not even reach him on the phone all morning.

V: On that early Sunday morning, Shiva (drummer of Rudra) had just touched down after his long flight from India . He made it on time. I am sure you can imagine how tired he was.

R: So even Shiva was on time, in spite of his early touch down, you must have been very disappointed and upset with Selvam?

K: of course! When we found out that the reason for his absence was due to the fact that he had overslept after a night of partying – we told ourselves “enough is enough”. We made a choice there and then. He had to leave.

R: So that’s it?

K: Yes. I am not saying who’s right or wrong. What I am saying is that “we have different priorities and there’s no point carrying on if there isn’t a shared vision”.

R: Did Rudra get to do the “Sunrise” photo shoot eventually?

K: Yes, Vinod quickly agreed to join the band and got the photo shoot done in the next few days.

R: Vinod, the lightning replacement indeed!

K+V: * Laughs*

R: Thank you for taking part in Trippy Factory’s Black Revelation 2010. Please share your thoughts about Trippy Factory and what your first impressions are of the team?

K: We have heard of yourself and Trippy Factory a long time ago, even before you had to leave for your studies in Australia in 2001.

Albeit our limited interaction, we were very impressed with what Trippy Factory had done, especially for Impiety’s Kaos Kommand 696 album launch in 2002. We are very pleased to be invited to take part in Trippy Factory’s production as we feel that we are working with an organizer with the reputation, the passion, the skills and the professionalism that is required.

R: Thank you very much. I hope I can live up to it. Vinod, your thoughts please?

V: I was impressed with the shows that Trippy Factory has organized. Your gigs always have a good turnout, and the bands chosen to play are always interesting and intense.

I have also always wanted to take part in Trippy Factory’s productions. Like Kathir, I am excited and am looking forward to next week’s gig.

R: Thank you both for your compliments. Once again, I really hope I can live up to it and deliver a great show on the 17th of April.

However, I must give you two (and the readers of this interview) a heads up: April 2010 is a very unfortunate month for metal gig organizers, as there are too many shows happening in the same month. Misery Index played last night (9th of April), Lamb of God (15th of April) and Defiled is returning to Singapore on the 30th of April.

As such, I suspect that the turnout will be compromised. But no looking back, the show will go on. This is our commitment to all participating bands for Black Revelation.

K: That’s good. As usual, you can be assured that Rudra will give it’s best for the show. When we are on stage, we are on fire.

R: “When we are on stage, we are on fire!” I like that quote very much! How long have the two of you been doing this (playing metal music)?

K: Nineteen years for me.

V: Twelve years.

R: Altogether thirty years worth of experience and strong passion for metal music! What are the things that kept the two of you going?

K: Firstly it’s of course the passion and love for metal music. Let me rephrase that – It’s the love of Rock music, as Metal is a subset of Rock.

I must say that we are very fortunate to be living in a country like Singapore. It’s unlike Malaysia or Indonesia or any other country where metal music is being banned.

Trippy Factory considers itself very fortunate to be based in a country such as Singapore, where we are still able to organize Metal shows without facing the obstacles our fellow organizers in neighbouring countries must contend with.

R: This is one of the most positive outlooks and comments I have heard in years!

K: It’s truly a blessing for us that we are allowed to play Metal in Singapore. Next, we are one of the first few pioneering bands in the Metal community that plays originals. Back in the early 90’s, participating bands whom we have shared stage with would only play popular cover songs.

This has helped Rudra formed its self-identity: “We want to be ourselves and no one else”. We do not want to imitate bands that we admire. All the bands I have quoted as my inspirations are what Rudra DO NOT sound like.

While I must stress the importance in having a role model or a band to idolize, it’s even more important to identify and recognize your OWN brand of music.

In a positive sense, we are very proud of this fact! We’ve always been very committed to playing only originals.

R: The readers of this interview will never see the passion in your tone and expression while you are sharing these thoughts! I must give you my salute for that.

K: Thanks.

R: Now moving on to Vinod, what’s your reason for doing this?

V: I am proud that I am playing in a reputable band and we are going through an intensive recording session now.

When people purchase your album, they talk about it, they write you emails and creating some kind of buzz around it. I won’t want to disappoint my friends and fans, especially when they leave me with comments like “Good job” and “ Can’t wait to see your band perform live…”

R: So it’s this positive energy which you receive from people that keeps you going?

V: Yes, that’s right.

K: We are one of the very few bands that can proudly say “we have 5 albums under our belt”.

R: I also understand that you are recording your 6th album at this moment. Please tell us more.

K: Things are going smoothly, we have recorded all the drum tracks. We are tracking the guitars progressively. We will commence the bass track this coming Sunday and we are targeting for all recording to be completed by the end of this month actually.

R: Congrats on the smooth progress! Will you be sending the recording for mastering?

K: Yes, of course! We will be sending our tracks to Alan Douches. He’s the man behind Nile, Sepultura, and Kataklysm, amongst other metal heavy weights. We are very happy with his work in our last album – Brahmavidya: Transcendental I.

R: I am definitely looking forward to your new recordings. Now moving on to the next topic. What are your views on all the “back-stabbing” and political bull shit in the Singapore Metal Community?

K: Look, it has always been there and it will ALWAYS be there.

R: So what are you worst experiences so far?

K: One of the worst things that we seen is “closet racism” in the Singapore scene. It all boils down to the definition of being an artiste.

Being an artiste to me goes beyond race, religion and nationality boundaries. We as artistes should contribute positively in our craft and in whatever we are passionate about.

When I hear good band, I am not interested in which religion they subscribe to, I am not interested which country they are from and I am certainly not interested if they are black, white or yellow. As long as it’s good music; that’s all I want.

R: So if you can share with us a little bit more on this experience, is there an incident that you could illustrate to us?

K: There was once we tried to participate in the gig but were rejected. Simply because the organizers were Christians! When I do not subscribe to your religion, it does not mean that I am against it. These invisible boundaries kill and hinder all creative activity. We have to transcend these boundaries in order to recreate ourselves and contribute to the scene positively!

If you were to ask your friends who enjoy music, I guarantee you that 95% of their CD collection comprises of music made by white guys. If you are not racist, I am sure that your collections would definitely have more variety than that.

R: That’s an interesting point of view and I must say that this is the first time I am hearing comments from this angle.

K: People tend to stereotype Rudra as a “band made up of all Indians”, but they have forgotten the fact that Rudra’s first guitar player was Alvin and he is Chinese! I handpicked that guy as part of Rudra because we have two basic things in common: The passion of metal music and we are deeply influenced by philosophy.

Philosophy, being one of the most important elements of Rudra’s music, has “forced” us to confine our selection in terms of choosing band members.

That’s the reason why this cannot be a “legitimate charge” against us, although the current members are made up of 4 Indian guys you cannot say that we are racist! The 4 of us share the same value and visions and it will remain that way in the future.

R: Thanks for your thoughts, Kathir. Vinod, you must be honored to fill such an important role. I am sure you have the same wavelength and vision. That must be the reason for you both to be part of the band.

V: Thanks.

R: Now can you describe Rudra is five words for me?

K: Exotic

V: Unique

K: Aggressive.

V: Appealing.

K: LOUD!!!

R: *laughs Thanks for that. Now once again, thank you very much for taking part in Black Revelation proudly brought to you by Trippy Factory. Any last words you would like to share with your fans and friends before we end?

V: I am looking forward to the show and making new friends who support metal music.

R: Thanks for that Vinod. Any last words from you, Kathir?

K: I must say that the Rudra’s performance value has changed significantly with the inclusion of Devan and Vinod as new members of Rudra. It has certainly helped to improve the showmanship and musicality for the band and it will be very interesting to see the four of us on stage. I assure you that Rudra’s performance in Black Revelation will be one of the best you will ever see.

R: Thanks again for your time and see you at Black Revelation 2010!

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