Romance of the Clouds
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Heavy metal concerts are almost unheard of in Malaysia, and the last metal band that visited our shores were German thrash metal pioneers Kreator back in 2005. Our southern neighbours, on the other hand, have had the pleasure of hosting some of the biggest names in metal over the past year. Dream Theater, Mayhem and Slayer are only some of the legendary bands that have stopped by Singapore to play to their legions of adoring fans. DragonForce were the latest international band to rock the city-state on May 20, and they are definitely an international band in every sense of the word. Even though they are based in the UK, drummer Dave Mackintosh is the only Briton in the band, while star guitarist Herman Li hails from Hong Kong. The rest of the band include New Zealander Sam Totman, who also plays guitar, Frenchman Frederic Leclercq on bass, South African vocalist ZP Theart and Ukrainian-born keyboardist Vadim Pruzhanov.

Post-concert

The six-piece outfit included Singapore as part of their on-going world tour, in support of their latest album entitled "Inhuman Rampage". Inhuman is certainly an appropriate word to define the unrivalled skills of the two axemen of DragonForce. Metallica's legendary guitarist Kirk Hammet once labeled Herman Li and Sam Totman as the fastest guitar players he has ever seen. The duo have been known to deliver guitar solos that defy the laws of speed and it was time to show the crowd in Downtown East, Singapore what the fuss was all about.

The concert started an hour late though, which was considered somewhat acceptable, as the fans have waited for years to pay homage to the power metal juggernaut that is DragonForce. It was such a relief to my ears when the metalcore and emo rock-laden pipe music was replaced by Slayer's "Raining Blood", as the main lights were dimmed and the spotlights ran amok across the concert hall. Several metal-hungry fans were already headbanging to this tune before the six members of DragonForce actually rushed onstage as "Raining Blood" draws to a close. They kicked off the show with "Revolution Deathsquad," followed by another three incredibly fast numbers, before letting the aggressive crowd take a breather when they performed "Trail of Broken Hearts", the only ballad off their latest album.

Herman Li (left) and Sam Totman leaving the crowd in awe

Frederic Leclercq (left) and ZP Theart having a blast

After a 10-minute interval, Vadim Pruzhanov came out to mesmerise the crowd with a blisteringly fast-paced keyboard solo, displaying his technical prowess and showmanship to everyone in presence. Pruzhanov made clear of his musical influences, as it suddenly seemed like D'Marquee was organising a hard trance showcase instead. The mood swiftly shifted as the rest of the band returned on stage to continue their power metal onslaught right through the second set. The fans continuously headbanged, moshed and crowd-surfed as DragonForce continued to pummel their senses mercilessly with "Soldiers Of The Wasteland," "Storming The Burning Fields" and "My Spirit Will Go On." Li and Totman should be given a speeding ticket for playing twin guitar solos that were too fast to be true, without being off-key. As if to add insult to injury, the two of them actually joked verbally with each other while shredding their guitars spontaneously!

Vadim Pruzhanov during his techno-inspired keyboard solo

Totman (left) and Li continuing to slay all that is upon them

The London-based band then left the stage but came back out five minutes later after repeated cries of "DRAGONFORCE! DRAGONFORCE!" by the fans, who clearly have not had enough. Surprise faces were all around D'Marquee after they took the stage without Li; vocalist ZP Theart claiming that "He has left the building", leading to bassist Frederic Leclercq strapping on Li's guitar and started mimicking his style of guitar-playing. It was not to be though, as Li ran back just as they were about to start the encore, saying that "The guys locked me up when I went to the men's room", followed by a roar of laughter by the audience. Each band member then rocked out one last time with "Through The Fire And Flames" and "Valley Of The Damned" as the two-hour concert was brought to an end.

ZP Theart entertaining the crowd

Theart gave his all during the show

The droves of fans that turned out, including a number who made the trip from Malaysia, definitely got their money's worth that night. In fact, if there were a "Cirque Du Soleil" of metal, this would be it. Right from the start, DragonForce proved that they are not merely skillful musicians, but competent entertainers as well. The main attraction would be the virtuoso style of playing from their guitarists, especially Li, who let his tongue do the playing during certain parts of the gig. Theart's interaction with the fans, the witty jokes and the energetic performance from the rest of the band also deserved recognition. In the end, it was another hard day's night for the band, who left Singapore that very night for their next show in Taipei, leaving behind a trail of numb necks and aching bodies.

Displaying gratitude (from left): Leclercq, Theart, Dave Mackintosh and Totman

The three musketeers (from left): Li, Leclercq and Theart saying goodbye once more

Kirana signed off at 5:58 PM
21 souls that need closure

Friday, May 11, 2007
This is definitely not the best time to post an entry, but I couldn't care less. I’ve got three stories that are due today and five interviews, which I haven’t figured what questions to be asked; yet I couldn't care less. I could care for a lot more, yet I wouldn't care less. All because Sgt. Asan has returned from France!! To those of you who are wondering who the hell Sgt. Asan is, refer to the P.Ramlee movie titled Sarjan Hassan to get a picture of whom I’m talking about. For regulars (if there are any) of my blog, Sgt. Asan is a play on letters related to my "North American Space bullcrap" post slightly over a month ago.

As I was saying, I’m putting all my work on hold till I finish this post about the Sgt., since its been two weeks since the whole of Omerta (related to the post after "bullcrap") outcasts and their seniors here at rage have seen her beautiful smile. Gosh, that last sentence could certainly be a measure of how senseless (don't make sense) I could be, right? As much as I hoped you guys would disagree, I believe I don't stand a chance against common sense. Back to Sgt. Asan. Her trip to France have certainly made a different person out of her, or at least to her skin.

I don't know what those children of the revolution have done to her looks, but Mademoiselle Asan is looking much prettier than ever, to the point that I had to look (stare?) at her for a full two minutes before finally realising that Matt Heafy (Trivium) might've had French blood in him as well. Words could never do justice to such exceptional beauty, and I’m not talking about matt, therefore I will try to snap a picture of her majesty the Sgt. to share with you guys. Daulat Tuanku.

Kirana signed off at 10:07 AM
0 souls that need closure

Thursday, May 03, 2007
Flyers for the anniversary showcase

Fans of all races, shapes and sizes gathered at Planet Hollywood on April 28 to pay tribute to the epitome of Malaysian metal music, also known as the legendary Sil Khannaz. There is no local band capable of emulating what Sil Khannaz managed to pull off last Saturday at their 20th anniversary showcase, period. Everything from the get-go spelled success, in terms of punctuality, support, showmanship, feedback and flow of the performance. Even the souvenir t-shirt to commemorate the band's 20 years of existence was sold out before the show started. That was the only disappointment I experienced throughout that fateful Saturday evening, as everything else couldn't be any more beautiful than it already was.

They couldn't have chosen a better MC for the occasion either, as Bob (also frontman for The Pilgrims) entertained the 500-strong crowd (thanks CoreThumb) with his hilarious antics throughout the evening. He even turned what could have been a dull prize-giving ceremony into something fun, by giving out remarks like "Dia memenangi make-up sumbangan penaja...untuk corpse paint!" But the real stars that day were of course the incomparable metal juggernaut that is Sil Khannaz.

The band in full-force from the start

They opened their first set with the first track off their new album (Berdiri Antara Panji-Panji) "Intravena Tantrika". The crowd went wild from the first riff onwards, even though not everyone in attendance had bought their latest release. They continued the set with other tracks from "Berdiri Antara Panji-Panji" like "Teras Besi", the May 13-inspired "Purnama 13" and "Al-Hulm, Al-Araq". Fans that have memorised lyrics to the new songs were singing along from the top of their lungs, while the others headbanged, moshed and crowd-surfed their way through the first set. The climax of all the friendly aggression (moshing) came during the last song of the first set, "Mestica Ibni Israel", where fans apparently channeled their anger and frustration of Mastika magazine towards each other. In my opinion, this song was written and performed with the sole intention of getting metalheads into a headbanging frenzy.

The autographed guitar giveaway

A much-needed intermission then followed, as the band, at least according to Bob, "dah tua, cepat pancit". The fans took this opportunity to claim their drinks at the bar and refuel their supply of nicotine. Sil Khannaz' frontman Jaie Jokhannaz then came back on stage after 15 minutes to announce the winner of an autographed Hamer guitar, before being surprised by guitarist Dark-E who brought a birthday cake for the band. Jaie then invited the band members on stage, including former Sil Khannaz stalwarts CD Naz (guitarist) and Lan Bye (Drummer), to blow out the candles and cut the cake together, accompanied by their fans who sang an off-key but emotional birthday song for the mighty Silkz.

One big, happy, "Metal" family

The second set soon kicked-off with Lan Bye and CD Naz taking over their original positions to play with the band. CD Naz rocked out incredibly well, delivering meaningful solos and mind numbing riffs that he was once known for. Lan Bye wasn't bad either, rarely missing a beat although he has not been in the Silkz' drum stool for almost four years. This set consisted mainly of songs from their first album "Conception of Madness" and the more hard rock-ish "Bara Pawaka" album. CD Naz even swapped the guitar for the microphone to sing his rendition of "Purnamarjuna" (thanks blood), to the delight of the fans.

















CD Naz swapping his guitar for the microphone















A short break ensued soon after, but Sil Khannaz apparently have another surprise for the legions that turned out at Planet Hollywood that evening. The band went back on stage with Jaie announcing that, for the first time ever; they will play with three guitarists at once. The first thing that came up everyone's mind was Iron Maiden, and before long you can hear screams of "Maiden Weihh!" and "Up the Irons" from various sections of the crowd. Although they didn't cover any of the mighty Maiden's songs, the atmosphere was comparable to Hammersmith in London, as fans were singing to every riff in unison, reminiscent of Maiden gigs. The third set is probably the most intense and energetic performance by the band that day. The most recognisable and loved Sil Khannaz' classics were performed in this set such as "Eastern Barbaric Skullkrusher", "Gerbang Kayangan" and "Santapan Terakhir Raja Bersiong". Almost everyone was shouting along to the lyrics, and the moshpit got totally out of control at this point. It is all too clear that the band was feeding off the crowd's energy and vice versa. Jaie then took a moment to thank everybody who have helped them through the years, stressing that all their dreams would have remained as dreams had they not receive the support from every single person present. The band proceeded to play its last song of the evening, "Kiss of the Whisper" which was the cue for total mayhem in the pits, and that was exactly what happened. More than 500 people shouted in unison "Akulah...Sil...Sil Khannaz!!!" while raising the devil horns salute as the band brought its unforgettable performance to a close.

Jaie Jokhannaz and co. bringing down the house


Dark-E mesmerising the crowd


Joe Slaughter showing off his supernatural powers

Hashim Pestilence weaving his magic on the four-string

Dark-E and me after the show

From left: Joe Slaughter, some dude, and myself

Call me crazy, but I took one of the setlists as souvenir


Kirana signed off at 7:20 AM
5 souls that need closure

Friday, April 27, 2007















Cymbals crashing thunderously, furious machinegun-like bass drum kicks, chugging guitar riffs that resemble a steam train running at full speed, all producing ear-splitting music that is known as extreme metal. Some perceive this genre to be the epitome of chaos and catastrophe, and then there are those who go a step further and declare this to be the soundtrack to armageddon. The most ridiculous ones accuse this to allegedly be devil-worshipping music. Yet, it is the words of these few "ridiculous ones" that have brought the most impact and almost killed Malaysian independent music altogether. The media dug out the term "black metal" from their archives and blew it out of proportion, causing the government to ban and label almost all underground gigs as "black metal". Lots of people (young and old, men and women) who played in local bands had to go on a hiatus for something that they could never imagine doing.

One band that have persevered through this and still standing strong is Sil Khannaz. Formed in 1987 in Perlis, these guys have withstood not just the test of time, but also the struggles that would have made most people give up their dreams. The band migrated to KL in search of pursuing their musical dreams and got to record two demo tapes in 1990 and 1992. These materials, plus their tireless efforts of playing gigs around the city, secured them a recording deal. They had already garnered a huge fan base by the time they released their debut album "Conception of Madness" in 1993, which resulted in them managing to sell 20,000 units. Their sound progressed further with the addition of classical malay music elements to their next album "Gerbang Kayangan", which sold 22,000 units. The success of those albums prompted frontman Abdul Ramzee to set up his own recording label, Nebiula Productions, which signed underground metal titans like Langsuyr and As-Sahar. He also decided to open a music store that caters mainly to metal/rock listeners (Nebiula Heavy Metal Shop) since there were not many around the country back then.

Little did Abdul Ramzee and Sil Khannaz knew that dark clouds were forming above them, and the empire they built was about to crumble right in front of their eyes. The whole "black metal" issue exploded in 2001, causing the authorities to conduct raids on their businesses and gigs. These problems eventually proved to be a major blow not only to their reputation, but also to the rice bowls of each band member. The band were forced to lay low for awhile, and just when things looked to be calm like before, the "second wave" of the "black metal" episode resurfaced in 2005. Once again, their plans of coming up with new material had to take a backseat.

Although plans of resurrecting their career have been welcomed with stumbling blocks since the start of the new millenium, the fire in Sil Khannaz never faded and giving up have never been the band's motto. A number of line-up changes followed before they could finally release "Berdiri Antara Panji-Panji" (BAPP) at the end of 2006. Not merely an album to cure their fans' yearning for new material, BAPP proved to be the landmark record to show how far Sil Khannaz has progressed as an extreme metal band. Their lyrical approach this time is also more diverse than before, including a song about the unfortunate events of May 13, 1969. Some of the lyrics in "Purnama 13" reads : "Dalam aku ada kau, dalam kita ada darah yang sama (There is a piece of you in me, we share the same blood within)" which promotes unity and harmony with each other.

















Some would argue that their problems outweigh their success, but Sil Khannaz has never thought of slowing down, as the fire is still burning strong. Between them they share an unbearable amount of false accuusations that they let fall on deaf ears. They have turned the other cheek whenever lies are thrown at them for the past 20 years. It is this patience and perseverance that have kept them going for so long, all in the name of making pure and honest extreme metal music. To celebrate 20 years of uncompromising brutality, Sil Khannaz is preparing a special show for their fans on Saturday April 28. Former members of the band will also be there to play Sil Khannaz classics of their time. This gig will take place at Planet Hollywood, fans should be there at 3pm for a rocking time to remember.



Kirana signed off at 4:02 PM
1 souls that need closure

Monday, April 23, 2007
Pejam celik pejam celik, three weeks have passed, just like that. It is obvious that I was referring to my time here as an intern at The Star. While it remains arguable whether my style of writing have improved, it would nevertheless be an understatement to say that this stint has been one of substance so far. Yes, although our department spend endless hours daily on the telly (Oprah, Simpsons, Idol, etc), chatting on msn, fooling around with umbrellas and munching on free snacks, we interns do gain valuable knowledge and experience in between.

The three interns have so far gone through press conferences, fashion shows, gigs, celebrity interviews, movie screenings and so much more. We experienced more than just jitters and butterflies in those situations. Last Saturday, for instance, the two girls (Syar and Josephine) got chased by two rempits in Pudu who wanted to give them "a ride". Luckily there was a taxi nearby that they could rush to for cover. Where they nearly fell to the hands of urban scums, yours truly went down in a less dramatic way; influenza. I initially fought all I could without any medical attention whatsoever, as I barely had time to squeeze in between my multiple assignments. However, the final straw was on thursday evening (after my interview with VJ Denise) when I could barely speak a word and my physical health succumbed to the virus that has taken the mightiest of men.

So the first blood was drawn when I was forced to take an MC last Friday. The next chapter promises to be much tougher and uncompromising, as we brace ourselves to be shifted to Omerta Department. There's a few points worth taking note of here. Firstly, the people in Omerta are allegedly dull and lifeless, way off the mark compared to the beautiful folks here at R.AGE. On top of that, the workload of Omerta could easily rip the head of your most hardworking donkey. Articles are due a lot faster, travelling out is more common than roti canai at Raju's and fun is welcomed with as much enthusiasm as spring cleaning day. The final quirk would be that Interns Inc. would be no more, as each of us are going to be sent there on different weeks INDIVIDUALLY.

I guess not everything could go your way after all. But to be fair to everyone, the time is not even here, how could I simply judge what I don't actually know for a fact? So til I actually face that situation head-on, it would not make much sense for me to go on ranting as it probably won't be that bad of an experience after all. Nevertheless, I would keep my eyes open and fly close as I await to face yet another day at THE INTERN'S OFFICE *insert The Apprentice/Amazing Race/What's-His-Face Reality Show style dramatic end theme here*

Kirana signed off at 7:34 PM
0 souls that need closure

Monday, April 02, 2007
Alright, so today is my first day doing practical training at The Star and you can bet your ass I'm NOT the happiest man alive. This has nothing at all to do with The Star though, since they provided me a very comfortable working environment, what with the the cute Ms Nasanenol (its an insider drug-related joketerm NOTE: Drugs are not cool, kids).

Syar's presence made things seem more friendly though. It really helps having a familiar face around, well a couple actually, if you include my former lecturer Mr. Rubin, who's a journalist here, and also the cute Ms Nasa (have I mentioned that I think she's cute?).

Well, let me get back at the upset part first. First and foremost, I was dissapointed with Nana (not Nasa, she's cute) for cancelling our coffee date last evening. Really looked forward to meeting her before starting work today, but I guess one can't have everything, right? And I am also abit upset at not being able to go jamming after work today, as it would have been great to meet up with the boys to blow these monday blues away, especially since its the first day of workenol (another drug-related thingy. NOTE: I'm not high, at least not at work).

All in all, rejoice, for had it not been because of those so-called mishaps, Cinta Arjuna would not have received an update today, especially since I'm stealing company's bandwith here, therefore I am at risk of facing a 5-year jail term or taking Ms Rekha out on a date or both. Hopefully I dont live to see out the latter. And that rhymes with Tattler, whom job offer I rejected even though they offered almost twice the money here at The Star. But its not about the money, we have to aim for the stars, which justifies both my decision for The Star and Nasa.

Therefore, I'm not super* (thanks for asking).


*South Park-related gajizzismo.

Kirana signed off at 3:46 PM
7 souls that need closure

Monday, March 12, 2007
Ahoy mate, this is your El Capitan speaking. Does that sound like a traffic police or what? Oh, before I, or you for that matter, move on any further, a word of caution: This post is just going to be me rambling about nonsensical random crap all for the sake of killing the 30mins of my life that I have to spare. So if your life means more to you than having Oreos with King Leonidas in the middle of Soho Square on a snowy afternoon, press the "Back" button on your browser now, or you could alternatively visit nakedpicsofborat.com.

Glad to still have you on board, oh mighty sailors (and sailorettes)! Oh since we have sailorettes blogging on this site, I wonder if ther is any SLAYERettes in the house tonite?? Woohoo, New York City, Do you feel me?? Well, feelings are delicate, so my word of advice is take good care of hearts (yours and others) by avoiding oily food, caffeine and probably blowjobs, though the occasional nasi lemak shouldn't cause that mass of a destruction.

I know that some of you might have been complaining why don't i update my blog more regularly. Truth is, there's nothing further from lies, therefore i won't further frustrate your mind nor rape your soul with fabricated truths that gets its origins from lies themselves (though some people say that lies come from Calcutta, oh wait a minute, that's lice, mybad). So I'll just admit straight up here that the only excuse I have for not updating this "labour of love" is probably cos I've lost the love that I thought I possessed. And nobody should be blamed for all this but myself, as the love was there to be found, alas I just lay it bare on the ground for it to be helplessly dumbfounded and picked by a guy named Ashley Summers (Dude, get a life! Or at the very least, get another name!).

Since alot of people who know me knows that i feel strongly towards my country, culture, religion (I also feel strongly towards porn, but it just doesn't sound right alongside the others), let me close this post with a pantun, as my thirty minutes is almost up, meaning I better get moving before The Eternal Blizzard Witch of Zion (what I call Syar) lays her wrath and mighty spells of terror and muffins(Raga) on me. Behold:

Pagi ke Petang mencari dara,
Namun tak satu yang menarik hati,
Hatiku panas bagaikan bara,
Kalau ditarik nantikan mati.

Wassalam.

Kirana signed off at 10:00 AM
5 souls that need closure