Suaka, the name of this American metal band with Indonesian roots, means ‘sanctuary’ or ‘shelter’ in Indonesian. “It is inspired by my mom and the people I met while working in New York; people who came from all over the world looking for a better life. It’s about immigrants struggling,” vocalist and guitarist, Rully Rochmat, tells us. The band heads to Bengaluru this week to perform at the Lethal Thrash Fest.
Suaka, that includes bassist, Patrick ‘QQ’ Salomo and drummer, John Meredith, started making music in the mid-2000s in New York. They try to blend musical sensibilities from Indonesia and the US. “Growing up in Indonesia, I listened to a lot of metal and didn’t always pay attention to traditional music. But when I moved to the States, I realised I missed those sounds,” Rully says. When it comes to sound, they draw inspiration from classic ’80s thrash and ’90s metal. “John brings post-punk influences from bands like Drive Like Jehu, Jawbox and Bad Brains. QQ listens to Sepultura and In Flames,” he adds.
At the gig, the band will play music from their new EP Suakatrocity, that draws on themes of immigration and race. “For example, our song, Pemicu Kebencian (Bringer of Hate) is about the bigots and fanatics who want to make us hate one another. It is about the world right now — our crazy president, racism and violence,” Rully explains.
Rs. 600. April 28, 6 pm. At Fandom, Koramangala
anagha@newindianexpress.com @anaghzzz