Vocalist-guitarist Wisnu Adji and bassist-vocalist Aghan Sudrajat had to go through three different recording studios, two different mixing engineers and another two engineers to master the album.

The result however, is the most satisfied the band has ever felt. Following up on their 2009 debut Lantai Merah (Red Floor) and 2013’s follow-up, Inertia, the band has crafted their most personal work yet.

Chock-filled with confessional lyrics that speak of loss, longing and bitterness, the new record finds its directness through lyrics that are exclusively written in Indonesian; a notable change from the band’s usual mix of English and Indonesian songs.

“I can’t speak too much about what the lyrics mean,” says Wisnu.

“There were plenty of personal things I sang about. That is why the album is titled what it is because those internal problems just never stop coming.”

He is willing to divulge a few things, including that not all are his personal experiences but they are, he claims, of those around him, such as “Nista” (Contemptible), which is about a person who cheats on his spouse and leaves his family behind.

Another one is “Malam Mangsa” (Night Prey), which is about a wife who leaves her husband and children behind.

Then there is “Mengetuk Hati Benalu” (Knocking on a Parasitic Heart), in which Wisnu sings about the negative feelings that sometimes come when meeting an old friend.

With such details, it’s difficult not to suspect that there’s more personal perspective than the singer is willing to let on.

“When I was writing those lyrics, I honestly didn’t think they were going to have these confessional details because, really, I always try to write something that has some vagueness in it — something that is less than obvious,” he says, adding that how the words sound like on top of a song is more important to him than making sure they convey a certain meaning.

Wisnu also dismissed the notion that writing these songs was in any way a therapeutic exercise. If they somehow helped fans to find some emotional satisfaction, Wisnu said that he considered the songwriting a healthy process.

With one of the studios being Aghan’s home studio, the process also held a laid-back vibe. Aghan would do takes on his own even and both he and Wisnu didn’t have to think about cost when they wanted to try out new sounds.

Though Monkey to Millionaire began as a trio, the band has always been based on the lifelong friendship between Wisnu and Aghan, who met as young kids and began getting into music and writing songs together, playing in an early rock band that they both admit wasn’t particularly great before settling into Monkey to Millionaire, a name that they picked because of its rags-to-riches connotation.

“I’ve never played in bands without Aghan,” says Wisnu, “It just feels good to be in a band where you both understand each other deeply.” Aghan concurs. “Everything is just more efficient and quicker. It was just easy to get this album done with just two heads,” he says.

Tanpa Koma is also an attempt by the duo to dive into their softer side — at least that was the original plan.

While the album is overall slightly more subtle than its two predecessors, there is still no shortage of the fuzz rock melodicism that has become the band’s trademark. Yelping vocals trade off with crunchy guitars and a buzzing rhythm section. It’s a highly infectious rock that the band has excelled at.

“It just feels more dynamic [with these songs]. At least in band practices, we don’t come out with our ears ringing,” jokes Wisnu.

“Yeah, it’s just nice to play songs in different tempos and dynamics,” says Aghan.

“That’s always good.”

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