PICTURE GALLERY: Dimas Bramantyo (Valerian Guitarist) + Rhani's wedding @ Surabaya

Congratulations and much love to Dimas Bramantyo (Valerian Guitarist) and his wife Rhani on their wedding @ Surabaya. Left to Right: Irwan, Sumantri, Rhani, Dhinie (Valerian road manager), Dimas, Dicky from Star FM and Samier (Tengkorak guitarist). Thanks to Dhinie for all the pictures. What can I say but I wish I had gone!

Valerian performing on stage at the wedding.

Nuke from D'Lawas (left) and Daniel. Daniel is the keyboard player for Valerian. He is a legend in the Surabaya metal scene having played for Discoresis from 1999-2003.

Budi Jimbrak, Nuke and Doni from Allegrea band.

Winda (Harman Valerian's wife), Dhinie, Nuke and Lia.

L to R : Ridwan Valerian, (unknown), Harman Valerian, Daniel Valerian, Nuke D'Lawas, Dhinie, Oi Allegrea & Kalianak, Darryl Son of God band

L to R: Dhinie, Doni Allegrea & Kalianak, Nuke D'Lawas

Winda (Harman Valerian's wife), Dhinie, Nuke and Lia.

L to R: Arie Sickles, Rony Sickles, Gun Diabolical

Valerian band with Rhani. L to R; Ridwan, Daniel, Dimas, Rhani, Verrel, Edo, Harman

Valerian band with Rhani. L to R; Ridwan, Daniel, Dimas, Rhani, Verrel, Edo, Harman

PICTURE GALLERY: My favourite old-school battle jackets (in honour of 1984)

This is an amazing jacket I saw online (above and top). The owner says that this jacket has not been changed since 1984. This is what most battle jackets looked like in 1984. These were the most popular bands in heavy-metal in 1984: Judas Priest, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Dio, Accept, Ozzy, Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Saxon, and Blue Oyster Cult. The great Judas Priest back-patch features the old band logo from the Sad Wings of Destiny era, 1976. No-one back then liked ONLY thrash bands. Only the neo-thrash crowd of today claim to like only thrash and they are wrong to think that this was the actual lifestyle of anyone in the 1980s (especially pre-1986 or 1987). There were too few thrash bands in 1984 and too few albums released just to listen only to them. Sub-genre boundaries were not clearly defined or strictly policed by the genre police then. Hard-rock bands such as AC/DC and Scorpions and even Status Quo and Slade were much loved by metalheads. No-one in 1980 ever said "AC/DC are hard-rock but Maiden are metal". Metal-archives.com says this today which shows their lack of understanding of metal history. Deep Purple reformed in 1984 and released the Perfect Strangers album that year. They were big news in 1984 and very popular. Ritchie Blackmore had just left Rainbow to join the Purple reunion. Now Purple are seen as hard-rock or heavy-blues and perceived to be less important than Sabbath. Then they were equal to Sabbath. Note: I had my own battle jacket in 1984 with Iron Maiden Powerslave back-patch, small Deep Purple patch and about five buttons. However, no photos survive. Rating: 8.5/10.

This is a great 1980s metal jacket too with Motley Crue, KISS, Twisted Sister, and AC/DC proudly displayed next to more extreme bands such as Motorhead and Metallica. I love how two sets of the four KISS face patches are put next to each other (on the left side and bottom-back). Of the KISS face patches on the left side if you can find a complete set of these today on ebay you might pay USD30 just for second-hand. I love the white "Status Quo 1982" strip-patch on the left side bottom which is obviously an original patch from that year. The Motley Crue Theatre of Pain patch is very nice too. This jacket may be a bit messy but still scores top votes from me. Rating: 9.5/10.

Wow. This jacket is perhaps a little too extreme for me. I can't imagine actually wearing it. However, full marks for dedication and effort. Grade: 8.5/10.

HOt NEWS: Indonesian Power Metal Compilation out now, sponsored by Busuk Webzine, feat. Umbra Mortis, Valerian, Lentera, etc.

Out Now!!!! Album kompilasi Indonesian power Metal Rp.50.000 isi 2 disk 19 bands cd Pro....segera dapatkan stock terbatas call/sms 081703342211 / +62 81703342211

NEWS: Valerian (Surabaya power-metal) launches Ramadhan Break-fast Celebration

Saturday, 19 July 2014
Big Family of Valerian has regular event during Ramadhan month. We're giving snacks to the people on the street during the break time. We started at 5 and within 15 minutes, 400 packs of snacks with tea all shared. A week in advance, Valerian promoted this event and welcomed our friends to donate or participate to this event. Many many thanks to our brothers and sisters who supported this event. God bless you all!! [from Dhinie, Valerian road manager]

PICTURE GALLERY POWER METAL: Lentera (Sby) + Devarock (Sda) + Valerian (Sby) + Serpentfire (Sby) + Arch Angel (Sby) + Valhalla (Sby) @ Metal Heroes #1

PICTURE GALLERY SPEED METAL: Lentera (Sby) + Umbra Mortis (Jkt) + Batosay (Jkt)

Lentera (Surabaya), Umbra Mortis (Jakarta) and Batosay (Jkt), July 2014

HOT NEWS: New Judas Priest album out today, "Redeemer of Souls" (11 July 2014)

"Redeemer of the Souls" is the first studio album for new Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner who replaces guitar legend and long-time band member K.K. Downing.

Release date: 11 July 2014
Record company: Sony Entertainment Limited
Track listing:
1 Dragonaut
2 Redeemer of Souls
3 Halls of Valhalla
4 Sword of Damocles
5 Mrch of the Damned
6 Down in Flames
7 Hell & Back
8 Cold Blooded
9 Metalizer
10 Crossfire
11 Secrets of the Dead
12 Battle Cry
13 Beginning of the End

Album line-up:
Rob Halford - vocals
Glenn Tipton - guitar
Richie Faulkner - guitar (ex-Voodoo Six)
Ian Hill - bass
Scott Travis - drums

Judas Priest British Steel line-up 1980. Left to Right: K.K. Downing (guitar), Ian Hill (bass), Rob Halford (vocals), Glenn Tipton (guitar), Dave Holland (drums)

Judas Priest Killing Machine line-up 1978. Left to Right: Ian Hill (bass), Rob Halford (vocals), K.K. Downing (guitar), Glenn Tipton (guitar), Les Binks (drums)

Judas Priest Painkiller line-up 1990. Left to Right: K. K.Downing (guitar), Ian Hill (bass), Rob Halford (vocals), Scott Travis (drums), Glenn Tipton (guitar)

Rob Halford and Glenn Tipton live onstage

Judas Priest in the early days around 1974. Bottom Row: K. K. Downing, Rob Halford, and Ian Hill. Top row: Unknown drummer (they used many drummers in the early years) and Glenn Tipton.

Judas Priest live. Left to Right: K. K. Downing, Rob Halford, and Glenn Tipton

Judas Priest Killing Machine line-up 1978. Left to Right: Les Binks (drums), Rob Halford (vocals), Ian Hill (bass), K.K. Downing (guitar), Glenn Tipton (guitar)

The Priest in full flight - unbeatable!

NEWS: Dhinie appointed new road manager for Valerian (Surabaya power-metal)

Dhinie (left) with Daniel, Valerian keyboardist (Surabaya power-metal). As well as being the road manager Dhinie will add female vocals to two or three Valerian songs scheduled to appear on the new album.

Left to Right: Daniel (Valerian keyboards), Edo (Valerian bassist), temporary guitarist & Dimas (Valerian guitarist) @ Surabaya, December 2012

Left to Right: Temporary guitarist, Daniel (Valerian keyboards), Edo (Valerian bassist), Verrel (Valerian drummer), Ridwan (Valerian vocalist) & Dimas (Valerian guitarist)

Daniel singing @ Valerian show, Universitas Brawijaya Malang, December 2012. Ridwan is wearing the white shirt.

Left to Right: Ridwan, Dimas & Verrel (drummer) @ Universitas Brawijaya Malang, December 2012

Surabaya Power Speed Community @ Surabaya featuring members of Valerian, Devarock & Lentera plus Niza (Vocalist Climaxeth / Osiris) (first on left, front row) and Jack Frost (Busuk Webzine) (first on right, back row), December 2012

Left to Right: Dimas (Valerian), Yahnes (Tenggorokan), Yudi (Sereignos) & vocalist Inhuman Suffering @ Babe Studio, Kediri, 25 January 2014

Dimas (Valerian) and Yahnes (Tenggorokan) @ Kediri, 25 January 2014

Left to Right: Yahnes (Tenggorokan), Jack Frost (Busuk Webzine) & Dimas (Valerian) @ Dhoho Plaza, Kediri, 25 January 2014

Ridwan (Valerian vocalist) & Jack Frost (Busuk Webine) @ Surabaya, December 2012. Ridwan is one of the most emotional and passionate power-metal vocalists I have ever heard. His style is melodic and operatic whilst also being rough and dirty-sounding. He is not a young guy (46-years-old) and it's great he has a chance to succeed in the metal world this time playing with the younger boys of Valerian.

Left to Right: Jack Frost, Verrel (Valerian drummer), Harman (Valerian guitarist) & Dimas (Valerian guitarist) @ Anthrax Tribute Night, Colour's Pub, Surabaya, January 2014. The guitarist for the Anthrax Tribute Show on this night was the Surabaya scene legend Mr Samier of Tengkorak.

METAL HISTORY: Rata Blanca (Argentina power-metal), by Ezequiel Garces (#4 of 7)

RATA BLANCA:
Cuando Walter Giardinno salió de V8 decidió formar una nueva banda que "levantara" la escena del metal nacional. Con otros músicos forman una banda de heavy metal,Rata Blanca.El sonido posteriormente cambio de heavy a power metal y hasta neoclassical metal. Es una de las bandas más populares de metal argentino, conocidos internacionalmente.

RATA BLANCA: When Walter Giardinno (V8) left he decided to form a new band which "lifted" the national metal scene. With other musicians formed a band of heavy metal, rat Blanca.this sound then change heavy power metal and up to neoclassical metal.It is one of the most popular Argentine metal bands, internationally known.

Band page on Metal-archives.com:

http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Rata_Blanca/1931