Jakarta, Indonesia – The sound of guitars strumming and drums beating fills the air as crowds of people dance in circles, headbanging to the rhythm. This was the scene at Hammersonic, Southeast Asia’s largest heavy metal music festival, held in Jakarta, Indonesia’s bustling capital city.
With 38,000 fans in attendance, Hammersonic featured 55 bands from around the world. It was a celebration of heavy metal music, a genre that has been embraced by the Indonesian people for decades.
In fact, heavy metal has been a part of the Indonesian music scene since the 1990s. According to Pri Ario Damar, dean of the performing arts faculty at the Jakarta Institute of Arts, heavy metal has always been popular in the country due to its ability to comment on society, politics, and the environment.
“We’re a moderate Muslim country and that’s why we’re more open to foreign influence, including heavy metal music, than some more conservative countries,” Damar explains.
Interestingly, even the current president of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, is a heavy metal fan and has openly expressed his love for the genre. This demonstrates that Indonesia is a country that embraces diversity and different cultural influences.
During the live performances at Hammersonic, there was a designated prayer area for Muslim fans to pray. It was a unique sight to see, as many fans wore heavy metal t-shirts while simultaneously showing their devotion to their religion and their love for heavy metal music.
Among the bands performing at Hammersonic was Lamb of God, who had previously been banned from performing in neighboring Malaysia due to concerns over the lyrics of some of their songs. But in Indonesia, they were welcomed with open arms, further demonstrating the country’s open-mindedness and acceptance of different music genres.
Dian Ranidita, a 40-year-old mother of three, was one of the fans bopping along to the music. She has been a heavy metal fan since high school and believes that heavy metal is often misunderstood.
“The stereotype of heavy music is always dark, violent, and aggressive, but actually heavy metal is not like that,” Dian says. “There are many different themes in the music that I can relate to, such as love, social issues, and even depression. It’s not just about being loud and aggressive, it’s about expressing emotions and experiences through music.”
Dian’s sentiment is echoed by many other heavy metal fans, including Denisa Dhaniswara, a 24-year-old singer from Jakarta. She believes that heavy metal is a way to connect with others and express oneself.
“A lot of my lyrics are filled with grief and greed. I want people to feel unsettled when they listen to my music,” Dhaniswara shares. “It’s a way of saying, ‘I’ve been feeling like this, do you relate?’ It’s a way to connect with others and not feel alone.”
For Adi Wibowo, guitarist of the band Sisi Selatan, heavy metal is a way to embrace different cultural influences. He believes that Indonesia is a country that is open to absorbing foreign cultures, not just in terms of music but in all aspects of life.
As heavy metal continues to thrive in Indonesia, there has been an emergence of new and talented bands in the country. This is something that makes Dhaniswara very happy.
“Indonesia has a lot of newer heavy metal bands, and that makes me very happy because we’re always emerging,” she says. “There’s always something new and creative, and everyone is so talented.”
Indonesia’s love for heavy metal music is a reflection of the country’s diverse and accepting nature. It is a genre that has brought people from all backgrounds and beliefs together to celebrate their mutual love for music and self-expression.
As the heavy metal scene in Indonesia continues to grow, it is clear that this music genre has found a home in the hearts of the Indonesian people. And this is something that should be celebrated and embraced, as it exemplifies the beauty of diversity and the power of music to bring people together.
