INTRODUCING: Voice Of Baceprot

Vocalist and guitarist Firda Marsya Kurnia, drummer Euis Siti Aisyah and bassist Widi Rahmawati have made a name for themselves with their band VOICE OF BACEPROT. Heralding from Garut, Indonesia, the trio initially turned heads by turning the stereotype of what metal can be on its head. Embracing their cultural and religious dress, and not compromising on their ethos or musical taste, they are a breath of fresh air. We caught up with the three-piece to talk about their latest single, song writing and shrugging off preconceptions.

While the band initially came to note in the international scene through their covers of songs from SLIPKNOT and METALLICA to RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, it has since become apparent that VOB’s original music is just as captivating. “From the very beginning, we’ve made it a habit to play our own songs during gigs,” they explain. “We would only play covers as a platform to sharpen our skills and/or to adhere to festival requirements during our days back at school when we took part in band competitions. Our dream has always been to introduce our music to the world and get people to learn about different things like what we do through music.”

The three-piece have a real stage presence and are immediately captivating; it’s clear this is their passion and it’s infectious to watch them preform. “We’re always excited to be standing onstage while playing music with joy. For us, the stage is our happy place; a place where we could release and express all our emotions. We hope that we could continue to play on many other stages around the world.”

The power of the music VOICE OF BACEPROT make is palpable from lyric to structure. They have no boundaries in which they create, making for authentically high-energy music. “Each song would usually have its own journey. Sometimes the lyrics could come first, while other times it would be the music. But most of our songs tend to begin with the finished lyrics first, and from there, we would craft the music together at home using a drum pad, a bass, and a guitar with no amps. After that, we would then jam the song out at the studio.”

The band obviously have come under scrutiny for both their music and their style, with some somehow assuming that having a talent for a genre of music somehow conflicts with personal expression. “Yes, we have felt tired before, to the point where we were simply fed up,” they admit. “But now, we can look back and laugh about it. We’ve heard people say things […] and when we chose to listen, it didn’t make us feel or become better. Hence, we’ve chosen to ignore them instead so that they can just keep on talking about us while indirectly getting our name even out there. Therefore, we’d like to say thank you to those who have helped us with the free promo!”

By not denouncing either facet of themselves, they prove to be the most metal kind of band going; standing up and shouting about issues they believe in and not caring what anyone thinks of them. And VOICE OF BACEPROT have a lot to say, on a lot of important topics. “[NOT] PUBLIC PROPERTY is our way of expressing our concern towards victims of sexual violence, who are mostly women and children,” they explain. “As victims of violence, they have had to bear the trauma for life while at the same time having to endure all the negative comments that come their way regarding their body. They are always held accountable for how they dress up, walk, and many other accusations that make them look as if they have contributed to the abuse that happened to them. And then the public would start to dictate how women should appear in public as if we are public property. But we are certain that no woman deserves to be treated in such a way.”

VOICE OF BACEPROT might not be your typical band, but that is what makes them all the more interesting to listen to. They have something to say and their perspectives are as relevant as their music is inspiring and motivating. “Music is fluid in nature, always fluctuating and evolving all the time,” the band go on to say. “There’s always something new with each passing day and it is a given that we have to appreciate and welcome it. Also, music has its way of influencing one’s perception on life and her/his social surrounding, which is why we need more new perspectives in music that come from all ages, genders, and social standings.”

Being true to yourself and embracing who you are in all areas of your life is what being in the metal community is all about. Plenty of well-known musicians from FLEA to SLASH have championed VOICE OF BACEPROT as a band to watch, and the respect between them goes both ways. “We still can’t believe it, to be honest,” they tell us. “But seeing the support that they have given, be they on social media or in real life, has finally made us believe that music can really transcend any boundaries. Their support has played a massive role in spreading the word about us, especially when we are huge fans of their music. However, we tend to refer to them as friends in music rather than limiting ourselves to ‘idols’ and ‘fans’ even before they declared their support for us. We’ve being doing this for a while now to keep our pride in check. We hope that we’d be able to share a stage with them one day.”

[NOT] PUBLIC PROPERTY is out now.

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