INTERVIEW: Legendary Malang death legends KERAMAT return with new line-up and album (Exclusive Interview)

Ten years after the Vomiting Hatred album legendary old-school Malang death band KERAMAT returns with new line-up and forthcoming new album Back to Basic

My interview with Dodyx Celax of KERAMAT (Malang, East Java, Indonesia brutal death)

By Dr Kieran James

E-mail interview, 2 February 2012

KERAMAT is: Dodyx Celax, Inzar (returns to band), Hendrix and Natha

Introduction: Dodyx wrote to me and asked me why we don’t interview Malang bands. Well we apologize for this and it is not deliberate. John Yoedi is from Balikpapan and I have only visited Bandung and Yogya so we tend to interview bands from these three places because our friends and contacts are there. I’m very happy to present this interview with Malang, East Java death-metal band KERAMAT. Other East Java bands please contact us for interviews.

Kieran James: Hi, mate. Thanks very much for agree to do interview with our website www.busukwebzine666.blogspot.com. These are the questions:

KJ: I see from metal-archives.com that you guys have been around for a long, long time, you had album Vomiting Hatred in 2002. Can you give us a brief history of the band?

Dodyx: Founded in Malang - Indonesia in year 1994, has released Approximate Death album in year 1997, Lost All Faith demo album in year 1999, and now we are back again with new formation since our last Vomiting Hatred album in year 2002 (released by Rottrevore Records), Sorga darah nanah mini album in year 2006. Inzar (one of the founder of Keramat) is back “from the grave” and together with Dodyx Celax, they creating a bunch of cool shit ideas for “turn on” this band again. With some new talent (Hendrix and Natha) that has joined the band, Keramat is ready for kickin ass !!!

KJ: Have you got plans for a new album to follow up Vomiting Hatred?

Dodyx: Our next album will be Back to Basic.

KJ: Why such a long time after your first album with no new albums coming out?

Dodyx: Because almost all of our old personnel were “out of business” and we also want to create a new music concept, thanks to Hendrix and Natha we finally could made a brand new concept for our future album Back to Basic.

KJ: How to describe your style and what bands do you like?

Dodyx: Actually we’re influenced by a lot of death metal and trash bands, such as: Cannibal Corpse, Dying Fetus, Suffocation, Testament, Sepultura, and Overkill.

KJ: I have to apologize that we only ever interview one Malang band so far on our site. This is just because my friends are in Bandung and Yogya and John Yoedi is from Balikpapan. Can you tell us about Malang death scene and some good bands?

Dodyx: Malang Death Scene has became a very huge community here and I guess it’s not only in Malang, but almost all Javanese islands have been “infected” with metal scene, and the [best] bands are: Rottenomicon and Sekarat.

[KJ: See John Yoedi’s Bahasa Indonesian interview with SEKARAT on this site.]

KJ: What are your goals and plans for the band?

Dodyx: Our first goal is to make a better album and to play [on] a lot of stages.

KJ: You guys are really old-school not young pups! I see the British Steel tee-shirt in one of your band pics. RESPECT!! What changes have you seen in Malang death scene in last 10 years?

Dodyx: Hahaha...well...Thanx bro...British quite “infected” us, well...I guess this year is getting better, because a lot of youngsters are daring to play death metal.

[KJ: See my review of British Steel album by JUDAS PRIEST in “Killer Album Reviews” section of this site.]

KJ: You know in Australia for local death bands or black -metal bands you might just get 60 people watching but in Indo you will get 1,000 people. Do you think death-metal is just a trend in Indo or it will stay strong?

Dodyx: In my own opinion Death-Metal will stay strong, because there are a lot of new Death-Metal bands in Malang and all of them have made strong community and communications among cities.

KJ: Last one: Any message or word for your fans?

Dodyx: My message: “Support your Local Band and your local movement”.

KJ: Thanks very much for the interview. I plan to go to Malang and Surabaya and Kediri in 2013. Can I meet you in person and you introduce me to some bands?

Dodyx: Thanx for the interview bro...well...this is Keramat with a new and solid line-up [and] also with new materials...it’s a very wonderful experience to be able to know you, hope to see you in Malang...really can’t wait to meet you and discuss about a lot of things...stay metal and stay true..Metal bless you...