SINGAPORE, March 13 — Most people who pass Yew Kai Xun on the street would never guess he is a fan of black- and death-metal music.
The 20-year-old sports no tattoos and describes himself as a “quiet, gentle and soft-spoken guy”. He is waiting to enter a university here this year.
Metalheads such as Yew and their choice of music were thrown into the spotlight last week when the authorities cancelled the concert of Swedish death-metal band Watain hours before it was scheduled to take place.
The Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) made the call after it was told by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) of serious concerns about public order and “ground reactions relating to social and religious harmony”.
About 150 tickets had been sold for the gig.
Besides feeling aggrieved by those who petitioned the authorities to can the concert, metalheads interviewed by TODAY sought to set the record straight on the community in Singapore and explained why they are passionate about a genre of music scorned by some others.
The nicest people?
Black and death metal are considered “extreme” metal, and the community of fans and musicians in Singapore number in the hundreds.
They come from different walks of life; doctors, lawyers and teachers feature in the mix. Some fans profess a faith while others said that they are freethinkers.
They are often misunderstood as being prone to aggression and violence.
Subash Ramone, 42, the lead vocalist of local death metal band Truth Be Known, said: “People think that metalheads are hoodlums, have no education and lack a proper job.”
But those familiar with the scene said that metalheads are a tight-knit and friendly group.
“The community is very close-knit, everyone knows everyone. They can be as young as 15 or as old as 50, though most bands restrict their audience to those aged 18 and above,” said Subash, a primary school teacher whose band performs about once a week at small concert venues such as EBX Live Space in Upper Paya Lebar, Aliwal Arts Centre in Kampong Glam and Sled Production X Decline in Geylang.
Gigs typically attract 100 to 250 attendees and foreign bands draw a larger crowd, he said.
While fans would headbang, jump around the mosh pit and bump into one another at concerts, “they will help you up if you fall down (while moshing)”, Mr Yew said.
Norsham Husaini, 43, a member of defunct punk-rock band Plain Sunset, called metalheads “the nicest people” he knows.
“Polite and real. Do not judge them by their outfit or their music,” he said.
Graphic violence found elsewhere
Asked about the anti-Christian lyrics and views professed by certain bands including Watain, the metalheads acknowledged that it is natural for others to be offended.
But not all the bands focus on religion, they noted.
Most fans said that these are antics that help the bands in their marketing. Foo Say Keong, 44, an educator whose favourite genre of music is death metal, likened it to how directors of horror movies use gore and violence for maximum impact.
“Metal songs also have a bit of history to them. For example, (the band) Slayer wrote a song (Angel Of Death) about a Nazi doctor who killed many Jews during the war, but it does not mean that they are anti-Jewish,” Foo, who is a Christian, said.
Instead, these songs are meant to make people realise that the world is not perfect, unlike “some songs on the radio that are just about love and relationships”, he added.
Fans said that they are also able to distinguish the bands’ music from their beliefs.
Christal J Juna, 28, a drummer in Singapore metal band Sangriento, said that she does not agree with the messages in some of the music, but accepts that “the genre has also taken a life of its own”.
Some television series and movies allowed to be shown here feature graphic violence, Yew noted. Fantasy drama series Game of Thrones features incest, for instance, he said.
Yew added that satanic imagery can be seen as a metaphor for resisting established boundaries. “Black metal is built upon individualism and encourages listeners to question authority — from the government to political, social and religious dogmas, and not just blindly obey these institutions even though they may be wrong,” he said.
Metal is liberating to fans
Extreme-metal fans said that they were introduced to the music through various ways — word of mouth, the Internet and gigs at small independent jamming venues.
Foo, for instance, got into it when his neighbour gave him a cassette tape of songs by rock band AC/DC. Their songs were nothing like what he heard on the radio back in the day, he recalled.
“These songs had very interesting beats and the very unique sounds of an electric guitar, unlike the cheesy synth-pop that was popular in the 1980s,” he added.
Metal is cathartic, liberating — and no, the gloomy lyrics do not make them want to lash out or turn to violence, the fans said.
Juna’s bandmate, Sangriento’s lead vocalist Candice de Rozario, 37, said: “I’ve struggled with depression quite a bit in my life, and contrary to popular belief, metal doesn’t make me want to attack people or kill myself.”
Avid metalhead Chew Wei Lee, 24, said that the music makes her feel refreshed, relaxed and free.
“There’s something viscerally raw about such music. It’s an inimitably liberating, almost spiritual experience of escapism and catharsis,” she said.
The show must go on
On the way forward after the high-profile cancellation of Watain’s gig, metalheads spoke out against moral policing by others and said that their passion for the music is undiminished.
Watain’s concert was cancelled after a petition started by someone called Rachel Chan, but a concert in October by another Swedish band, Soilwork, is set to go ahead, its organiser Street Noise SG said.
“Metal fans are very passionate,” Foo said. “I am glad that more people are aware of this genre of music because of the petition. But being aware and educated about the genre are two different things.”
The episode should make the public question how and why it judges others, he said.
Subash hopes that metal bands will not be deterred from performing here. “We know this (cancellation) is not right. The show must go on, we will continue doing what we love. This negativity is not going to stop us,” he said.
“I’d strongly suggest that Rachel Chan come to a show and judge us as we are performing, instead of blindly writing things.”
IMDA consulted MHA before initial R18 classification
The IMDA “consulted relevant parties including the MHA before classifying the Watain concert”, an IMDA spokesperson said yesterday in response to letters from readers of The Straits Times.
Among the points raised by readers was that the IMDA have sought the guidance of the MHA from the start.
Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam said last Saturday that he could not see how Watain could have been allowed to perform in Singapore, due to the band’s anti-Christian lyrics.
“I saw the lyrics — it’s four-letter words on Jesus Christ, on Christianity, on religion, abusing the Cross — everything that is so far out that I can’t see how we could have agreed to it,” he said.
Given the band’s history and concerns expressed by MHA, IMDA allowed the Watain concert with Restricted 18 (R18) rating, IMDA’s spokesperson said yesterday.
“IMDA also imposed stringent requirements including the removal of songs which are religiously offensive, that the band could not make references to religion or use religious symbols, and that no ritualistic acts were to be performed on stage,” added the spokesperson.
On the day of the concert (March 7), MHA asked IMDA to consider cancelling the concert due to “new and serious concerns about public order, and ground reactions relating to social and religious harmony”.
After careful consideration, IMDA agreed to cancel the concert, the spokesperson said. — TODAY
