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Metal band Amerta debuts with superb single 'Bleeker'
“Bleeker”, the first single by metal band Amerta, brings listeners on a roller coaster ride of dramatic noises with simple yet unpredictable structures.
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Jakarta-based metal band Amerta (Amerta/Firman Rohmansyah)
Jakarta-based metal band Amerta has released its first single, “Bleeker”.
Produced by Seringai guitarist Ricky Siahaan, the six-minute track was written in 2017 by guitarist Raja Humuntar Panggabean and drummer Auliya Akbar during a two-month stay in Melbourne, Australia.
According to a press release, the song was first intended for their death metal band, Revenge. After several trials, the two decided to shelve the song.
In Jakarta, they initiated Amerta along with Indra Darmawan Purba on the synthesizer and Anida Sabrina Bajumi on the bass.
Despite being a newcomer to the metal scene, Amerta is manned by familiar faces of the genre. Auliya has played drums for space rock band Kief, Indra was known for playing with black metal band Avhath and Anida has played with hardcore punk band Dental Surf Combat and shoegaze unit Sugarsting.
With the new project, Raja yearns to make a breakthrough from the conventional metal musical architecture that focuses on fierce composition and heavy vocals.
“Amerta was founded […] by a couple of death metal musicians who feel that the level of extreme [music] is not only measured by fast riffs, complicated technique and throat wrenching [vocals], but also touching dramatic elements such as space-out nuance, simple melody and contradiction of emotion,” the band said in a statement.
The song, referred to as the fruit of a “post-apocalyptic arrangement”, lives up to this billing.
“Bleeker” brings its listeners on a roller coaster ride of dramatic noises with simple yet unpredictable structures of various beats.
The song is obviously a product of ambitions. It sounds as if it is sewn from various songs and presented as a beautiful and gruesome medley. Six minutes of the song will give you mild surprises every now and then, but it sounds undeniably good.
With great production and seasoned players, “Bleeker” has set a high standard for the band. Once the pandemic recedes and bands can go back on stage, Amerta will be one of the most awaited acts in town. (wng)
