WHMH Fest Vol.2

Loudness abounds! For those in need of some bare-knuckled rock music, local punk rock and heavy metal label WHMH Records will hold its second annual music festival on May 10 at underground venue Rossi Musik, on Jalan Fatmawati in South Jakarta.

“WHMH Fest Vol. 2” will feature some of the country’s harshest sounding acts, fittingly for a label whose name stands for “Work Hard Mosh Hard.”

Moshing is where audience members aggressively slam into each other during rock concerts. It is part of a traditional bonding experience between music fans, though shoulder pads and helmets might be wise for those with smaller frames.

The majority of the performers come from a heavy metal background but few bear the traditional sounds.

Drone metal duo Ghaust, one of the more popular names, offers a subterranean sludge of progressive metal needled with searching harmonics.

Their dynamic songs are lengthy and have been released in various countries through a variety of local and international labels.

Yogyakarta band Wicked Suffer recently released their debut album in vinyl format. Their blend of mile-a-minute old school hardcore and thrash metal is not for the fainthearted nor the asthma-prone but has no problem inciting a mosh.

Similarly, Jakarta based Tersanjung 13 — a name poking fun at a long-running local soap opera — plays music that would not exactly be recommended listening when stuck in traffic. Growling vocals that harken back to 1980s death metal and a crunchy rhythm section has made it a crowd favorite.

Singaporean band Vaarallinen admits to being inspired by “Scandinavian hardcore punk,” but its sound does not betray the influence, with echoed yelps and pulsating drumbeats creating a chaotic landscape.

What all the performers share seems to be a sense of respect toward WMHM Records owner Saiful Haq.

“I tip my hat to Saiful and his record label. He has done almost everything by himself — and not just the record label but the WHMH festivals too. It is rare in the independent scene for an individual like him to exist,” said Urie from Ghaust.

“It is just great that there is someone that is as bold … as him.”

WHMH Fest vol. 2
Rossi Musik Fatmawati
Jalan Fatmawati No. 30
Rp 25,000 (at door)
Rp 20,000 (pre-sale)
Tel. 0813 1862 0606