Preparing for 8th AAM Conference 2009

Bukan aku present. Dijemput masa opening ceremony kejap lagi. Organizer: AAM USM, UMP, State Government of Pahang dan Yayasan Pahang.

Thanks to Dato' Prof. Madya Dr. Ishak Ismail and wife for inviting us. And sorry that we let you down by not writing anything for this conference!

Tahun 2007 dibuat di Penang bersama AGBA (Acadamy for Global Business Advancement), co-joint Asian Academy of Management USM. Masa tu sempat hantar paper and sempat present (tertinggal sehari conference sebab datang lewat ke Penang). Alhamdulillah, masa tu presentation lancar walaupun sorang2 audiens kuar dari parallel session berabuk sebab abis aku cakap english.

Masa tu, the first thing aku cakap sebelum presentation "This is my first time presenting in front of fine people like you guys".

Abis presentation, ramai datang approach and said "There is ALWAYS be a first time"

Masalah aku, adakah wujud "second time"?
Makin lama, makin malas membaca.
Makin lama, makin malas menulis.
Gua pkir la sendiri beb..

Define ISTIQAMAH..

Masa bos aku yang dulu, dari tahun 2001 sampai 2005, memang aku selalu dengar la perkataan ISTIQAMAH. Masa tu definition sendiri lebih tertumpu pada skop kerja, istiqamah dalam tu, dalam ni, "buat keje biarlah beristiqamah" kata sorang ustaz tu. So, fikiran melalut, jiwa terbantut, definisi dikaput kepada horizon yang sempit.

Rupanya banyak mende yang kena faham dari konsep istiqamah ni. Bila teringat balik Ramadhan 1429, produktiviti yang merosot, something kena overhaul ni. Terjumpa website al-azim.com pasal istiqamah.. Enjoy it here!

In case malas nak click (sebab window sebelah tu bidding cd dari ebay dah dekat abis time), aku pastekan la mende yang basic, pengertian mengikut si penulis..

Quote from http://www.al-azim.com/masjid/istiqamah.html

PENGERTIAN ISTIQAMAH

Istiqamah bererti berpendirian teguh atas jalan yang lurus, berpegang pada akidah Islam dan melaksanakan syariat dengan teguh, tidak berubah dan berpaling walau dalam apa-apa keadaan sekalipun.

Daripada pengertian ini dapat dirumuskan unsur-unsur utama istiqamah:

1. Berpegang pada akidah yang benar, aqidah ahli As-sunnah Waljamaah.
2. Melaksanakan tuntutan Syariat Islam berpandukan Al-Quran dan hadis Rasullallah Sallallahu Alaihi Wassalam.
3. Mempunyai prinsip dan keyakinan yang tidak akan berubah atau goyah.
4. Tidak terpengaruh dengan dakyah dan godaan hawa nafsu dan syaitan.
5. Tidak tunduk pada tekanan demi melaksanakan tanggungjawab dan mempertahankan kebenaran

Besar definisi istiqamah ni.
Mintak2 la aku diberi kekuatan untuk beristiqamah dalam segala hal yang tersebut.

Berjuanglah..

Students baru habis final exam minggu lepas. In 2 weeks exam period, 3 subjek aku semua diletakkan di minggu kedua. Satu subjek paling ramai manusia, letaknya di Jumaat terakhir, petang pulak tu. Hampir 130 orang. Soalan, 60% essays. So, subjek lain baru siap semalam, sekarang baru nak setelkan subjek terakhir Jumaat tu. Tarikh last submit markah, Ahad, 22 November 2009.

Ya Allah, berikanlah aku kekuatan. Jauhkan dari ebay dan segala macam perkara lagha duniawi ini..

Jalan-jalan Carik Kuching

With Transformers in my heart, and Ben10 by my side..

Cuti weekend baru ni, aku dgn family ke Kuching, Sarawak. Kali kedua aku (tiada dalam gambar) pergi, kali pertama dulu tahun 1989, memang tak ingat apa dah. Kali ni pergi dgn tambang murah AirAsia dan vacation ni dimurahkan lagi dengan penginapan hotel RM50 semalam. Thanks to my wife (tiada dalam gambar) for the arrangements!

Cuma tak banyak cerita yang nak dikongsi. Cuti 3 hari pun rasa sekejap je. Hari panas terik di Sarawak, kesian bawak budak kecik (tiada dalam gambar jugak). Nanti la cerita kendian..

Produktiviti tahap cipan

Bulan Ramadhan kali ni paling tak produktif rasanya. Terlalu sibuk dgn hal dunia sampai tak semua tercapai pun, lagi tertinggal ada la..

Nak menulis pun sampai takde rasa.

Ahlan Wasahlan Wa Marhaban Ya Ramadhan 1430H

Selamat menyambut bulan Ramadhan 1430H.
Semoga ianya dapat meningkatkan ketaqwaan kita,
memperbaiki diri kita yang rosak,
mengingatkan diri kita yang lalai, insya-Allah.

GSPACE.. for firefox+gmail+filekeeping maniax

I just discovered a small add-on tool for firefox, it is called GSpace (www.getgspace.com). A simple tool that helps you to upload files to your gmail account. As we all might realize, gmail offered us a bigger size for your emails, so that you could keep most of your files including junk emails.

What happen is that instead of using gmail for your email, you could also transform your gmail into your own personal file storage system where you can easily upload it using gspace. A perfect tool for those who have small files (documents, pictures, etc) and reluctant to buy an external hard drive, just like me.

Turntable worth $64,000?

I am not an audiophile. Since my young age, I had a couple of Sony walkmans and 1 Aiwa walkman. Yes, you got it right, it was in my dormitory era, where batteries should be used wisely, hence when you want to rewind a tape, get a kilometrico pen, stuck it in the supply/takeup reels and spin to save on batteries. Or you could just hit the batteries with stone or using the hostel's fire extinguishers, or just put it under the sun. It's your choice with own theories. Hey, rechargeable batteries are quite expensive during that time!

Then back in 1990, my dad bought us (me and my brother) a Sony mini hi-fi with CD player. And the first CD my dad ever treat us was METALLICA "Ride The Lightning" (should be first pressed then huh). And that thing still stucked in my home today. When I started to work in 1999, among the first thing I bought was a new Sony MHC-VX500 3-cd player, dual deck tape, and an automatic open-close panel to adjust the equalizer manually. So much about audiophile, am I? Guess I'm not!

Recently my collection of vinyl grew a little (from 3 to 11, haha) and I still have hard times to buy a turntable. So a friend offered to lend me his turntable. It is a Sony PS-D705, without internal amplifier, so I still got to listen my vinyl by turning the volume knob of my Sony hi-fi to the maximum. Still planning to buy an amplifier so that I can lay my ears on my vinyls properly.

Just when I fight to compare the best price for an amplifier from the net, the news came from CNN..

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (CNN) -- Attention audiophiles, old-school vinyl listeners and the very rich: Do we have a piece of stereo equipment for you.

Angelis Labor's Gabriel turntable is made from bronze and steel and can be customized with up to four arms.

It's called the Gabriel Turntable, and you won't find it at Wal-Mart. Crafted in limited editions by an Italian company that will engrave each buyer's name on it, the Gabriel is to a Kenner Close 'N Play what a Ferrari is to a Yugo.

"When I look at it," said Placido Pappalardo, co-owner of maker Angelis Labor, "the only word that comes to mind is love."

Angelis Labor executives proudly unveiled their turntable last week at the International Consumer Electronics Show, where its retro appearance and mechanical design set it apart from the cacophony of digital gadgets on display. That, and the price: up to $64,000, depending on which model is ordered.

The Gabriel is made from aluminum, bronze and stainless steel and can be customized with up to four arms. Each arm is made in a Modena, Italy, factory that also builds Ferrari parts. A one-armed model costs about $27,000, while a four-armed version runs for $64,000, including installation. Watch the Gabriel in action »

"It is a thing of beauty," said Jonathan Valin, executive editor of The Absolute Sound magazine, who saw the turntable in Las Vegas but didn't get to hear it. "Whether it is a world-class turntable, I don't know."

Why would anyone want four arms on their record player? Different pickup cartridges produce different types of sound, and some audiophiles like to match their record players' arms to different genres of music without going through the hassle of swapping cartridges.

The Gabriel is a magnetic suspension turntable, meaning that calibrated magnets are used to lift the platter a few millimeters above its bearings. This helps reduce vibration, which can affect sound quality.

"It's as if the whole turntable is floating in air," Pappalardo said.

The entire device rests on a custom-built, vibration-dampening table. It takes half a day for an Angelis Labor technician to set the whole thing up and calibrate the turntable.

The Gabriel is not yet in stores. Angelis Labor is now seeking a distributor to sell the turntable through specialty audio retailers who can demonstrate it personally for customers. Unlike most manufacturers, the company has no interest in selling it on the Web.

"We will never allow anybody to sell our products on the Internet," said Pappalardo, perhaps the only business executive at CES this year to make such a statement.

The Gabriel is not the only four-armed record player on the market. Nor is it the most expensive: the German-made, 770-pound Clearaudio Statement turntable costs twice as much.

But with vinyl making a comeback, the Gabriel may appeal to audiophiles who believe that listening to old records on a high-end player is like going back in time.

"They're not just eye candy. They actually sound better," said Valin, who prefers analog sound to the digital sound produced by CDs and MP3 files.

But even Valin wonders what kind of person would pay $64,000 for a turntable.

"You'd have to be very wealthy, very much into vinyl or very crazy," he said. "Or all three."

Cuti H1N1 dan Derketa

Takde apa kaitan pun antara cuti yang diambil sebab kolej ditutup atas arahan Kementerian Kesihatan akibat menularnya wabak H1N1 di Kuantan. Sedang2 bercuti ni lagi sekali pegi bukok gerobok kaset2 lama. So malam ni kawan dengor la Derketa "The Unholy Ground" Demo 1990, dengan Desultory "Death Unfolds" demo 1990. Kawan punya bukennya original pun, tapi dapat hasey trade tape dedulu..

Derketa, macam hat aok sume tau doh kot, antara pelopor band perempuan awey dalam underground 90s. Sekarang mendengor balik memang la terasa kekuatey dala demo ni, nok lagi prentan tu semua bend bunyik pun sepesey je.. Boleh la ngate kat deme hat demo ni memang kawan boley masuk la dalam kepale. O ye, lepeh Derketa berpecoh dulu, kuor la pulok Mythic, Terri (drummer) yang buat bend tu. Sound masa tu pada kawan la takdok hat bezanye. Sekarang ni dengor kabor dah reform balik Derketa nih, dengey drummer Nunslaughter. Tapi Terri Heggen doh takde. Huhu. Tok lawo mane pun deme nih.. Tinggey la Sharon (voc/guitar)..

Ntoh kenape gayenye kawan nulih dalam bahase Pahang pulok ni weh.. Poh paleh awok...

What actually your needs when it comes to a need

I've had few months of hellish "windows" shopping (using 32-bit home-premium vista, duh..), browsing ebay.com, ebay.de, for much too long and spent quite a bit. Let me see the bills. Whoops , no bills as I was using cash all these months through my Public Bank debit card. Just what I need...

Last week, I got myself a SINISTER "Cross The Styx" (so-called first pressed, huh!) with quite reasonable price. And just few minutes ago, I won myself their second album "Diabolical Summoning", also with humble price. Just what I need...

After few years selling and buying on ebay, the lust keep growing. Thank god to the metal scene, I can now spend my money unwisely, leaving all things behind. Luckily family still came first. The taste differed to last 4-5 years, but the madness is still the same. Just what I need...

So far, my TESTAMENT cd collection is far behind complete. And here they go, buying other bunch of cds, unrelated to the band. Just what I need...

Alanis Morissette just said it, isn't it ironic?

...from the vault I...

Hampir 2 minggu kebelakangan ni aku banyak dengar kaset, especially demo death metal yang lama-lama. Mungkin sebab dah tidak keruan dengan cd yang sedia ada, sekali sekala kena dengar jugak raw materials ni. Sebenarnya, di samping mendengar, dapat juga mencuci kaset-kaset lama ni daripada kulapuk, fungus, kurap, dan sebagainya. Nak lagi, lepas kaset terendam dalam banjir 2002.

Belek punya belek, terjumpa la kaset SLAYER "Show No Mercy" (Restless Records/Metal Blade Records), manufactured by Pacific Music Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Abang aku yang belikan tape ni, tak silap tahun 1988. Waktu tu, beliau belajar di SDAR, Seremban dan kerap ke KL. Aku pulak memang sekolah rendah, main rounders lagi petang-petang. Dengan exposure yang lebih, abang aku beli la bawak balik.

The best thing is this release memang takde/susah nak dapat dalam local market pada waktu tu yang kebanyakannya menjual kaset-kaset rock kapak. Kuantan bukanlah satu daerah yang exposed kepada metal 80-an. Tak seperti KL, JB, Ipoh, Seremban dan mungkin ada daerah lain. Ataupun mungkin yang dah tau kewujudan kaset Apache waktu tu.

Back to the tape, keistimewaan tape ni ialah ianya pro-printed atas tape, bukan atas kertas yang ditampal pada tape macam kebanyakan tape biasa era tu. So, aku memang kagum gila la masa tu. Seingat aku, dia beli kat kedai Tommy (waktu tu Victoria Music) dengan harga RM20 (cukup mahal waktu tu), dan ada 2 tape yang printed macam ni, satu lagi ialah Helloween "Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II".

Masa ni la aku kenal dengan keganasan Slayer, Sodom, Destruction, Sepultura. Sebelum ni, dengar Maiden dan Metallica banyak. All in all, abang aku la pembawak thrash dalam kehidupan aku ni. Sayangnya, dia tak kekal lama dengan metal. Kalau tak memang parah la aku pau. Tinggal la sikit-sikit barang-barang lama dia yang aku still simpan. Kaset ni pun antara yang terselamat masa banjir 2002 dulu.

Lagi satu, bila terpandang label Restless Records, baru aku perasan sekarang ni kalau eBay items released by Restless Records, memang harga tak masuk akal. Huhu..

Thrashy month..

Still haven't got much time to interview with ABOMINOG. By the way, Pete Reid (bassist) was kind enough to give complimentary copies of their "Chaos Unleashed" 1995 album and "Manifesting Void", a compilation of their demos. Wait for the review somewhere in June.

By the way, I got some several items under my belt this month, prolonged enough to collect some wanted items for so long. Among other latest buying are TESTAMENT "The Legacy" and "Practice What You Preach", fine thrashers they are, DEFIANCE "Beyond Recognition", Sepultura "Schizophrenia" (insanity, lacerating the last sanity!!), SLAYER "Show No Mercy" (original CD was destroyed in 2001's flood) and MEGADETH "Rust In Peace" (a second version for paying my gratitude to the greatest Mustaine's works) and few other.

By the way, check out MORDICUS "Dances From Left" album which was re-released by Temple of Darkness Records (http://www.templeofdarknessrecords.com). Old school death metal at its best!!

Hectic weeks...

I've went through pretty hellish weeks recently. With all the marketing jobs, examination, practical attachment, all involved deep thoughts of calling it a day. Just finished marking students' examination scripts, the students will undergo practical training next week, things are getting better and better.

I just talked (which means emailed actually) with Pete Reid of ABOMINOG, a US legend death metal band, remember their "Resting In Your Grave" demo? He just seems to be too good to be alive and well! Of course, we have came in an agreement for a short interview, which will cater most of their 90s career in ABOMINOG, the almost-unknown "Chaos Unleashed" CD in 1995 and his current activities. Let's hope this can be realized in a couple of weeks.

The Islamization of Metal Music?

Just when I read a friend's thought of NASYID METAL (Nasyid - an Islamic-oriented song), I thought that it is a mere hope by a friend, Metal musician with an Islamic background (read http://krenmaut.blogspot.com/2008/07/sudahkah-anda-bersedia-dengan-nasyid.html). But tonight, I spent few hours hanging out with a friend, and when he talked about Michael Muhammad Knight with his infamous "Taqwacore", my mind refreshed back to the concept of nasyid metal.

I felt that the concept is good, nevertheless, there are several things to be lighten up before proposing a new-breed metal genre. Especially when we are dealing with close minded people, ignorance and non-progressive attitudes.

Looking back, the christian has got STRYPER, MORTIFICATION, even HORDE, rock, death and black metal bands talking about christianity. We have been singing about Islam since the dawn of time, remember how SWEET CHARITY done it, how WINGS (Dari Tuhan, Anugerah, Alam Barzakh), SEARCH (Serigala Segalanya, Bencana), and lots more rock bands singing about the wonderful world of Islam.

So, what is the purpose of having another breed of metal?

I believe that Islam has taught us to be a good da'i, to spread the message of Allah through lyrics. Lyric is the body of da'wah, the song is a mere cosmetic to enhance the attractiveness of a body. We've already have it, it's a matter of uplifting it, instead of separating it.

Just sharing the happiness

Nothing much to say really, when I hold this Wacken 2009 All-In ticket bought by a friend, who is a constant gig supporter, who bangs his head recklessly, who slams in every gig attended, true friend who is a real metalhead. Have fun boh, you should be getting married next year..

Extreme Mast*rbation "S*x Deviousness in Mind" Demo 1992

Firstly, aku bukanlah kaki porno, hohohoho. Tapi demo tape dari band Spain ni mula menarik perhatian aku masa first dapat flyer diorang. Masa free sikit baru-baru ni aku bukak balik flyer2 lama dan terjumpa la flyer Extreme Mast*rbation (self-censored, kena belajar wooo). Dari dulu lagi aku nak order tape ni dari Drowned Productions tapi memang takut tak lepas (pernah jadi fan of MEATSHITS, haha).



So masa google, ada pulak terjumpa link dlm 4shared.com, terus download dan inilah pertama kali aku dapat dengar demo ni. Sound agak berat utk kategori grind, guitar works lebih kepada old-school death metal. Vocals hampir sama seperti apa yang aku expect dari Spanish bands (Avulsed, Fermento, Caustic - brutal death alike). Song structure simple tapi tak banyak sangat blasting utk aku kategorikan as grind.

Sesiapa rasa nak dengar demo ni silalah click link ni:
http://www.4shared.com/file/66056092/2602b401/extreme_masturbation_-_sex_deviousness_in_mind__demo_92_.html

Uploader adalah oldtimer dari Spain, of course, bukanlah Dave Rotten.

Revamp!! (sebenarnya terdelete layout lama, huhu)

Aduh, ingatkan nak adjust layout baru tapi terdelete the whole links, etc. Sesiapa yang aku tak ingat link blog tu please add. Harap maaf, kalut sikit..

Gigs.. Apa yang kita cari?

Frankly speaking, since 1997/98, aku dah lama tak pergi gigs. That was when I was studying in the northern part of peninsula, dan the good ol' Penang hey-days! Even though aku kat Kedah, most of the gigs kat Penang bukanlah dibuat masa aku berada di Kedah, tapi di Kuantan. So the most nostalgic part was to rent a van, bertolak ramai2 dari Kuantan, tidur hotel murah kat Penang, so all the thrills and adventures were there. The rest would be by bus of course, whether dari Kuantan ataupun dari KL. Alhamdulillah sepanjang masa aku join rombongan sedemikian tak pernah aku alami perkara2 buruk.

Then lepas abis belajar and start kerja, aku tak pernah tengok gigs, even the first Napalm Death main kat KL. Aku rasa macam bukan umurnya dah nak layan gigs. But when Kreator came, masa tu aku datang. Dah lama tak tengok live, bergegar jantung rasanya dek kekuatan speaker masa tu. Since then, takde pun naik semangatnya nak layan gig. The second Napalm Death gig? Haram aku tak pegi pun.

The best gig aku ever attended was in Ipoh "Nocturn Feast" tahun 1994. Bands: SIL-KHANNAZ, LANGSUIR, NEMESIS, BRAINDEAD dan apa ntah satu lagi. Sebabnya? Di sanping band yang tersohor (abang Ben mengcorpsepaintkan diri, hehe), ramai member2 dapat jumpe.

So, dalam alaf ini, the best gig would be "The Resurrection: Blast From The Past" sebab best layan band2 buat comeback macam Braindead and Modar. Braindead pulak bawak lagu Sepultura "From The Past Comes The Storm", meleleh dengar beb. Dan tak lupa jugak lagu "Chapel of Ghouls" dendangan asal Morbid Angel. SO, for the past 10 years, gig ni la buat aku sing along sambil banging skit2 kat belakang2 (pasal depan yg true2 je duduk).

So, persoalan dari membebel cerita pasal aku je, aku tertanya2 dalam black box orang lain, apa yg orang lain cari dari attending gigs? Bagi aku, pegi gigs:

a) dapat jumpe kengkawan lama. tupun kalau kenal/ingat la.. Maklum la, dulu2 pakai surat je berutusan. Sekarang dalam forum ramai kawan, tapi still tak berapa nak kenal.

b) dapat tengok performance band2 yang kita tak penah nak tengok. Baru2 ni masa As-Sahar gig kat MCPA, aku berpeluang tengok Symbiotic In Theory main live, gempak. Sempat jugak berbual dengan Hazmeer (gitaris) yang dok panggil aku abang..

c) dapat tengok merchandise. macam2 adaa....

d) dapat tengok gelagat orang.. Kekadang kita kenal muka orang, tapi diorang tak kenal kita. So best la tengok gelagat depa ni (sambil dalam hati buat mcm2 persepsi, hehe)

Yang aku tak berapa berkenan pasal gig (mungkin sekarang ni kot) tapi ni pendapat aku je la, no hard feelings..

a) orang bawak awek (tanpa ikatan yang sah). bercampur bukan muhrim.. syubhah ke aku ni? wallahua'lam. tapi tak penah la tengok awek pegi gig pakai sopan kan..

b) orang yg high/drunk.. syubhah jugak ke aku ni?

c) gig yg meleret2. redah waktu azan.

d) gig ni tak penah nak start on time. kalau start pukul 2 msti pukul 4 jugak start. soundcheck pukul 3. dah la datang jauh beb, time is gold..

antum? apa cerita?

THE END OF KONVENSYEN FALAK NEGERI PAHANG 2008.. A DAWN OF NEW KNOWLEDGE..

Alhamdulillah, Konvensyen Falak Negeri Pahang 2008 anjuran Jabatan Mufti Negeri Pahang dengan kerjasama KIPSAS telah selamat berlangsung pada 22 dan 23 Disember baru-baru ini. Sebagai salah seorang jawatankuasa kerja, memang aku penat, especially pada hari kedua tu, memang dah tak larat dah even aku punya kerja tamat selepas pendaftaran peserta pada hari pertama.

New knowledge yang aku dapat memang banyak, especially tentang software "Celestia" and "Starry Night" yang banyak merungkai kejadian2 alam semesta, aku pun tak abis gode lagi software tu, macam payah he even it's like a space exploration je.

Teringat lagi waktu MRSM dulu, ada Kelab Astronomi. Keahlian hanya kepada mereka yang pointernya 2.75 ke atas. So pointer aku dulu tak sampai pun 2.70 memang frust la sebab aku memang minat mende planet2 ni. Dulu kalau below 2.00 pointer boleh pegi Bakau Gruv, motivation camp, above 2.70 memang dapat macam2 privileges. Yang macam aku ni cukup2 makan tu yg menakal jadinya..

So, hasil dari Konvensyen ini ialah kesedaran masyarakat tentang kepentingan ilmu falak, kaitannya dalam kehidupan seharian (ingat: satu darjah arah kiblat kita di Malaysia lari dari precise location, bersamaan 127 kilometer kita tersasar dari Kaabah). Dan juga kepentingan untuk ilmu falak ini diserapkan ke sekolah-sekolah tempatan agar kita dapat menilai kembali kepentingan ilmu ini dari aspek Islam.

Harapan aku agar sekolah akan datang tidak menghadkan keahlian kelab yang bakal ditubuhkan. Hehehe.. frust wooo..

Towards Dead End?

It was in weekend when I set my time to fetch Mudon and his family at Kuantan Airport. Mudon, drummer of NIGHTSHADERS, a familyman, a dedicated engineer of Petronas, was here for a 5 days holidays/course. But due to many restrictions (our little baby had a flu, alhamdulillah everything is ok now), I was unable to entertain him.

Thank to God for His benevolence, I was able to go out a night with Mudon and a friend of mine. And together we talked a lot about our "little" metal scene. Frustrated? Excited? Support? We talked about it all.. And moreover he was in Jakarta when Sodom played there in 2006 (as he was with NEGATION's rombongan), and he compared our scene with Indonesian scene.

Man, of course you will find destructive our scene is (when comparing with Indonesian). When we talk about a scene, we talk about people consisting the scene. And when we talk about people, we cannot ignore the fact that attitude as a determinant in our perception.

Some attitudes that I discover from the whole chat with Mudon and another friend are:

1. Supportive - Indos are more supportive, and when I mean supportive, not towards big bands such as Children Of Bodom, Sepultura, etc. Their record shops sell mostly local acts, limited outside materials.

2. Visionaries - Indos have visions to expand their metal scene. In an interview with Negation, the reporter asked "how many albums do you have?". Not demo, not split, not EP, it is album that they asked!

3. Down to earth - Vocalist of big bands paid their respect to our local acts there. Vocalist of SUCKERHEAD ask Madec (vocalist of Negation) whether he can take picture with the band.

Although it might be not a concrete factors (due to the limited amount of time spent with the Indos), I feel that these can be the reason why they can achieve success in a short period of time while we are still kicking and blaming each other for having to much troubles to succeed in local metal scene.

The result: Not much releases (bands are growing like mushrooms, but not much full-length was produced in a year.. choba kira!!), competition over co-operation and big-headed metalheads rules all!! haha!

Teringat kata-kata underground lama (selain dari NO F**KING RIPOFFS, DIE POSER DIE.. COOPERATION NOT COMPETITION is forgotten..