Kekal
Encyclopedia
Kekal is a heavy metal
band formed in 1995 in Jakarta
, Indonesia
. According to Allmusic, Kekal was one of the first heavy metal bands from Indonesia to make international inroads, and according to Keith Kahn Harris was one of the few extreme metal bands from Southeast Asia
to ever make more than a minimal impression on the global scene. Founded by two musicians known simply Yeris and Newbabe, the band underwent some shifts in lineup in its early years, but emerged with a consistent lineup of three key-members, guitarist/vocalist Jeff Arwadi
, bassist Azhar Levi Sianturi
, and guitarist Leo Setiawan
. Most notably known as an avant-garde metal, Kekal plays a diverse range of musical styles, which has been described as black metal
, extreme metal
, progressive metal
, and hard rock
, and has included many other music genres such as ambient
, electronic
, jazz fusion
, and progressive rock
.
Throughout its entire career, the band has released eight full length studio albums, an EP, two compilation albums, two demo tapes, a split album with Slechtvalk
, and several contributions to various collaborative albums, and in 2004 engaged in a successful Europe
an mini-tour. As of August 12, 2009, all key-members have officially left Kekal, but continue to contribute material. Though the band currently has no active members, former members of the band contributed to an eighth studio album entitled 8, which was officially released in December 2010 and was made available to purchase on January 23, 2011, and a free digital
-only EP was released in 2011.
ish thrash metal
" band called Obliteration with some of his high school friends, but Jeff quit this group in 1991 to better learn guitar. Kekal was officially formed on August 15, 1995, by two friends, simply named Yeris and Newbabe (revealed years later as Newin Atmarumeksa), as a more straightforward extreme metal
band. The name Kekal was coined by Newbabe, and is Indonesian for 'Immortal' or 'Eternal'. The band was intended as a one time project, and recruited a vocalist known simply as "Harry" to help record a four-song demo tape. This demo began to circulate and caught the attention of future guitarist Leo, who expressed some interest in the band.
In June 1996, Azhar Sianturi joined Kekal and the band recorded its official demo, entitled Contra Spiritualia Nequitiae, using the songwriting and production talents of Jefray Arwadi, who was also a member of the groups Excision and Inner Warfare. With the help of underground tape-trading circles and local fanzines, the demo soon caught the attention of the metal scene outside Indonesia and South East Asia, and few record labels began offering deals. Later that year Leo Setiawan
joined the band, and in 1998 Kekal released its self-produced debut album, Beyond the Glimpse of Dreams
. The album was licensed to and released by two record labels, allowing for Kekal to be known internationally, especially in the underground metal circles around Europe and North America. Harry left the band after this recording, and the remaining trio released Embrace the Dead
the next year. A third album The Painful Experience
followed in October, 2001, and the band contributed to a Living Sacrifice
tribute album with a cover of that band's song "Mind Distant." Shortly after this album was released, Leo Setiawan left the band and moved to Melbourne
, Australia
.
tribute album called "Covered in Filth", and shortly after they released the highly progressive and experimental 1000 Thoughts of Violence
which was also well received and led to a two-week European mini-tour. The tour was arranged and promoted by their record label in Europe at the time, Fear Dark, and the band played a string of shows in Holland, Germany and Sweden in March 2004.
Upon return to Indonesia, Kekal was back in the studio to record a fifth album Acidity
which included guest musician Didi Priyadi
on guitars, as well as playing some local shows with him as an additional live guitarist. Acidity was released in 2005 and was an official reunion album for the band, which marked the return of Leo, and a vocal contribution of a founding member Newbabe. The album was well received, and in 2006 the band started recording their sixth album, The Habit of Fire
.
while the rest of the members were in Indonesia, leaving the band unable to play shows and do touring. At the same time they left their longtime record label Fear Dark and status of the band was in question. After few months of uncertainty and rumors of break-up went around among their fans, they all decided to remain together and to keep the band only as a studio project. They quickly signed licensing deals with two record labels to release The Habit of Fire in 2007. The album was received very well and was named CD of The Month by UK's music technology magazine Sound on Sound
, as well as being nominated as The Best Avantgarde Metal Album in 2007 by Metal Storm. Later in 2007, Jeff announced on the band's Myspace
blog
that a new Kekal album was on the way, which he had been working on all by himself. It was revealed later on that the new album was entitled Audible Minority
, and it was meant to be released officially on December 25, 2008 as two versions: A free download and a limited edition Digipak
with total 11 songs including an A-ha
cover song. Unfortunately the CD version was never released, and the album ended up being offered only as a free download instead.
Many of its fans perceived that Kekal had technically split-up/disbanded at the moment band leader Jeff announced his departure from the band, despite the fact that Kekal as an institution still existed and the institution itself was not affected by any founding member leaving. To end the confusions among the fans, the band issued a statement posted on its official Facebook Page: "KEKAL IS NOT DEAD!!!! When Jeff left Kekal it doesn't mean the band is dead!" The band's MySpace and Facebook pages are still active and currently being moderated mainly by volunteers from the band's Street Team members, as well as Azhar and Jeff themselves.
On August 15, 2010, a remastered, limited-edition version of the band's second album, Embrace the Dead
, was released as a free-download for up 1000 downloads in celebration of the band's 15 year anniversary.
Kekal's newest album, 8, was made available for pre-order on December 22, 2010 by Whirlwind Records, which included an offer of free shipping within Europe
up to December 24. The album was released on January 23, 2011.
On March 2, 2011, Jeff Arwadi announced on the Kekal Facebook page that he and Leo are recording new music, and said that another album will probably be released sometime in 2012. On April 2, Kekal announced that a download-only EP
would be released in June or July, and would contain two brand new tracks recorded in 2011, as well as separate guitar and vocal tracks of "Tabula Rasa" for the purpose of remixing by the general public. On April 26, Jeff uploaded a music video for the song "Futuride" from the upcoming EP, which was promised to be released in July. The official release date for the album, July 10, 2011, was announced over Facebook on June 23, 2011. The title of the EP is Futuride EP, and three tracks from the album are made available for public use under Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike
license.
, but even with its debut album the band demonstrated a unique style, and on its third album, The Painful Experience, the band fused its black metal style with progressive metal. In a 2001 interview, Jeff expressed ambivalence to what style the band was described as, as long as it was "metal." On its fourth, highly technical album, 1000 Thoughts of Violence, the band plunged into ultra-progressive experiments, and its well received fifth album, Acidity, used double bass drum blasts and saw the band incorporating styles such as electronic
, black metal, progressive metal, progressive rock
, classic rock
, indie rock
, psychedelic rock
, trip hop
, jazz
, ambient
, and avant-garde
. Jeff Arwadi responded to the "avant-garde" label in an interview with Ultimate Metal.com: “For us, avant-garde is not a classification of music. It is a state of being, a state of becoming... ...once your music can be classified easily, I don't think the word progressive or avant-garde fits. So that's why we mention in our bio that “avant-garde” is an ideal state for us, and not a classification.”
On the next album, The Habit of Fire, the band maintained its use of styles such as electronica
, psybient
, and jazz fusion
, but shed its black metal roots and introduced atmospheric soundscape
s and an industrial
vibe.
and early metal scenes, and considers itself a “street-progressive” band that is aesthetically more akin to Sonic Youth
or The Mars Volta
than to bands like Dream Theater
. The band claims roots in 1980’s forms of heavy metal
as pioneered by bands like Iron Maiden
, Bathory
, Trouble
, Helloween
, Celtic Frost
, Sodom
, Death, and Massacre. Dimebag Darrell
has also been cited as an influence, and the band claims that one of its ‘trademark’ riffs was invented by Darrell.
Currently, Kekal has cited an influence from many styles of music and now lists a large host of artists as an inspiration, including a-ha
, Amebix
, Autechre
, Björk
, Black Sabbath
, Camel
, Celtic Frost
, Chroma Key
, Cocteau Twins
, Chick Corea
, Miles Davis
, Depeche Mode
, Discharge
, Duran Duran
, Gazebo, Godflesh
, Iron Maiden
, Joy Division
, King Crimson
, Led Zeppelin
, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Massive Attack
, Curtis Mayfield
, Merzbow
, Pat Metheny
, Wes Montgomery
, Gary Moore
, Napalm Death
, N.E.R.D., Outkast
, Pan Sonic
, Paradise Lost
, Parliament
, Pet Shop Boys
, Pink Floyd
, The Police
, Portishead, Radiohead
, Red Snapper
, Return to Forever
, Rush
, Soft Machine
, Talk Talk
, Tangerine Dream
, U2
, and Voivod
.
programming. He also mentioned the efficiency of using the hybrid drumming compared with getting a drummer: "About the drummer, it is still very hard to find a right drummer because Kekal music is ranging from very extreme-metal with blast beats and fast double-kicks, to powerful rock
beats that demand steady tempo, and to some polyrhythm
ic playing and time-signature shifts in the characteristics of jazz and prog drumming. We would need 2 or 3 kinds of drummer for Kekal. That's why the best thing for the recording is to make the hybrid drumming." In other interview, Jeff mentioned the process of recording of The Habit of Fire, starting from collecting samples
and creating MIDI information, then manipulating the sounds to create what he called the 'skeleton'. Then riffs, MIDI-triggered instruments, synthesizer
s, and melodies would be added and the structure re-arranged once again. Once the song structure was set, the guitars would be re-recorded, then bass and drum tracks would be put on top, then vocals. Jeff also mentioned during the interview about the 2011 Futuride EP, that he has experimented with additive synthesis
on the recent songs he has recorded and uses guitars to counter-balance the sounds generated by the additive synthesis.
ideology, and has been described as one of the first black metal bands to profess Christian beliefs. Known to have fans from different religious backgrounds, the band has stated on its Facebook page that as an institution it is not a Christian metal
band and does not endorse any particular religion or ideology, and has always maintained that it is about music, life, and universality, and stands against any form of elitism
and exclusivism
in today's culture. Kekal has been with associated the unblack metal
scene, but in a 2001 interview Jeff stated that the band didn't really care what it was labeled as. Although Christianity has comprised a part of the band’s lyrics, the band has said that from The Painful Experience
onward its lyrics have not been associated with religion or ideology at all. In an interview with HM Magazine
, Jeff Arwadi said that the band had never been involved with a church or ministry, and that it never would. He also asserted that in Indonesia there was no specific Christian metal scene, and Kekal was considered just like any other “secular” band. He further stated that while it was “cool to know” that the band was accepted by the Christian metal scene, at the time of the interview that scene was less than 50% of the band’s audience.
Jeff Arwadi in particular has expressed a belief that Christianity is not a religion, as in his opinion most religions are about laws, organizations, rites, and dogmas, while Christianity is about Faith. In an interview with Avant-garde Metal.com, Jeff clarified that for him personally, faith is something that drives the human life, and, just like diet and exercise, does not have to be associated with religion whatsoever. When asked by Lords of Metal webzine to clear up the "confusion" surrounding the band's stance regarding God, Christianity, and religions in general, Jeff responded that his views about religion are "very different than the view in western countries," and further said that "in Indonesia, religion is not an issue of faith nor tradition. It’s more the constitutional issue, that means the legal and political ones. I am not anti-religion person, but I do against [sic] religion in a political and legal context."
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band formed in 1995 in Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. According to Allmusic, Kekal was one of the first heavy metal bands from Indonesia to make international inroads, and according to Keith Kahn Harris was one of the few extreme metal bands from Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
to ever make more than a minimal impression on the global scene. Founded by two musicians known simply Yeris and Newbabe, the band underwent some shifts in lineup in its early years, but emerged with a consistent lineup of three key-members, guitarist/vocalist Jeff Arwadi
Jeff Arwadi
Jefray Arwadi is a musician, music producer, and graphic artist from Jakarta, Indonesia, who now resides in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He is most notable as the former guitarist and front man for avant-garde/progressive metal band Kekal, and as the co-founder of experimental death metal project...
, bassist Azhar Levi Sianturi
Azhar Levi Sianturi
Azhar Levi Sianturi is the former bassist for avant-garde/progressive metal band Kekal. He also has his own grindcore project called Mournphagy.-Kekal:...
, and guitarist Leo Setiawan
Leo Setiawan
Leo Setiawan is a former guitarist for progressive metal band Kekal.-History:Leo joined Kekal on 1996, just after the band released their official demo, Contra Spiritualia Nequitiae...
. Most notably known as an avant-garde metal, Kekal plays a diverse range of musical styles, which has been described as black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
, extreme metal
Extreme metal
Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. The term usually refers to a more abrasive, harsher, underground, non-commercialized style or sound nearly always associated with genres like black metal,...
, progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
, and hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
, and has included many other music genres such as ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
, electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, jazz fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
, and progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
.
Throughout its entire career, the band has released eight full length studio albums, an EP, two compilation albums, two demo tapes, a split album with Slechtvalk
Slechtvalk
Slechtvalk is an extreme metal band from The Netherlands, formed in 1999. Previously signed to Fear Dark Record and currently to Whirlwind Records, the group has released four albums, a split-CD with Kekal, a single and a DVD...
, and several contributions to various collaborative albums, and in 2004 engaged in a successful Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an mini-tour. As of August 12, 2009, all key-members have officially left Kekal, but continue to contribute material. Though the band currently has no active members, former members of the band contributed to an eighth studio album entitled 8, which was officially released in December 2010 and was made available to purchase on January 23, 2011, and a free digital
Digital audio
Digital audio is sound reproduction using pulse-code modulation and digital signals. Digital audio systems include analog-to-digital conversion , digital-to-analog conversion , digital storage, processing and transmission components...
-only EP was released in 2011.
Early years (formation to 2002)
The early history of Kekal started out in 1990, when 16-year-old musician Jefray Arwadi formed a self-styled "punkPunk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
ish thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
" band called Obliteration with some of his high school friends, but Jeff quit this group in 1991 to better learn guitar. Kekal was officially formed on August 15, 1995, by two friends, simply named Yeris and Newbabe (revealed years later as Newin Atmarumeksa), as a more straightforward extreme metal
Extreme metal
Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. The term usually refers to a more abrasive, harsher, underground, non-commercialized style or sound nearly always associated with genres like black metal,...
band. The name Kekal was coined by Newbabe, and is Indonesian for 'Immortal' or 'Eternal'. The band was intended as a one time project, and recruited a vocalist known simply as "Harry" to help record a four-song demo tape. This demo began to circulate and caught the attention of future guitarist Leo, who expressed some interest in the band.
In June 1996, Azhar Sianturi joined Kekal and the band recorded its official demo, entitled Contra Spiritualia Nequitiae, using the songwriting and production talents of Jefray Arwadi, who was also a member of the groups Excision and Inner Warfare. With the help of underground tape-trading circles and local fanzines, the demo soon caught the attention of the metal scene outside Indonesia and South East Asia, and few record labels began offering deals. Later that year Leo Setiawan
Leo Setiawan
Leo Setiawan is a former guitarist for progressive metal band Kekal.-History:Leo joined Kekal on 1996, just after the band released their official demo, Contra Spiritualia Nequitiae...
joined the band, and in 1998 Kekal released its self-produced debut album, Beyond the Glimpse of Dreams
Beyond the Glimpse of Dreams
Beyond the Glimpse of Dreams is the debut album by the Indonesian black metal band Kekal released in 1998. Vocalist Harry left the band after the album's release.-Recording:...
. The album was licensed to and released by two record labels, allowing for Kekal to be known internationally, especially in the underground metal circles around Europe and North America. Harry left the band after this recording, and the remaining trio released Embrace the Dead
Embrace the Dead
Embrace the Dead is the 2nd album by the Indonesian extreme metal band Kekal. It reached sold-out status in 2004. On August 15, 2010, a new, remastered limited edition entitled Embrace the Dead 1999 was released as a free download, for up to a 1000 downloads.-Recording:Embrace the Dead was,...
the next year. A third album The Painful Experience
The Painful Experience
The Painful Experience is the 3rd full-length studio album by the Indonesian progressive black metal band Kekal. The title refers to the recording sessions for Embrace the Dead. Shortly after the release of the album, Leo left the band when he moved to Australia.-Reception:Kekal experimented...
followed in October, 2001, and the band contributed to a Living Sacrifice
Living Sacrifice
Living Sacrifice is a Christian heavy metal band that formed in September 1989 in Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. The band has released seven studio albums, out of which the first three were recorded under R.E.X. Records with their original vocalist Darren Johnson as a more thrash metal and death metal...
tribute album with a cover of that band's song "Mind Distant." Shortly after this album was released, Leo Setiawan left the band and moved to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
International scene (2003-2006)
In 2003, with the absence of Leo as a guitarist, the remaining members Jeff and Azhar Levi recorded a cover song "Dance Macabre" for a well received Cradle of FilthCradle of Filth
Cradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band, formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style evolved from black metal to a cleaner and more "produced" amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic black metal, and other extreme metal styles, while their lyrical themes and imagery are heavily...
tribute album called "Covered in Filth", and shortly after they released the highly progressive and experimental 1000 Thoughts of Violence
1000 Thoughts of Violence
1000 Thoughts of Violence is the 4th album by the Indonesian progressive black metal band Kekal, released in 2003. The central theme of the album is moral decline and the violent nature of humanity...
which was also well received and led to a two-week European mini-tour. The tour was arranged and promoted by their record label in Europe at the time, Fear Dark, and the band played a string of shows in Holland, Germany and Sweden in March 2004.
Upon return to Indonesia, Kekal was back in the studio to record a fifth album Acidity
Acidity (album)
Acidity is the 5th album by the Indonesian band Kekal. It was recorded in celebration of the band's 10th anniversary, and was an official reunion album for the band. It marked the return of Leo to the band, and includes the vocal talents of founding member Newbabe...
which included guest musician Didi Priyadi
Didi Priyadi
Didi Priyadi is a musician and songwriter from Jakarta, Indonesia who is most notable for his brief stint as a guest guitarist for avant-garde metal band Kekal, his pop punk band Happy Day, and for his role as front man for progressive goth metal band In Memoriam...
on guitars, as well as playing some local shows with him as an additional live guitarist. Acidity was released in 2005 and was an official reunion album for the band, which marked the return of Leo, and a vocal contribution of a founding member Newbabe. The album was well received, and in 2006 the band started recording their sixth album, The Habit of Fire
The Habit of Fire
The Habit of Fire is a 2007 album by the Canadian/Indonesian avant-garde metal band Kekal. Released on May 15 in North America, Japan & Australia and March 15 in Europe & South America, it is their 6th full-length album...
.
Jeff's move to Canada (2006-2008)
In 2006, right after the recording of The Habit of Fire, founding member Jeff Arwadi moved to CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
while the rest of the members were in Indonesia, leaving the band unable to play shows and do touring. At the same time they left their longtime record label Fear Dark and status of the band was in question. After few months of uncertainty and rumors of break-up went around among their fans, they all decided to remain together and to keep the band only as a studio project. They quickly signed licensing deals with two record labels to release The Habit of Fire in 2007. The album was received very well and was named CD of The Month by UK's music technology magazine Sound on Sound
Sound on Sound
Sound on Sound is an independently-owned monthly music technology magazine published by SOS Publications Group, based in Cambridge, UK. The magazine includes product tests of electronic musical performance and recording devices, and interviews with industry professionals...
, as well as being nominated as The Best Avantgarde Metal Album in 2007 by Metal Storm. Later in 2007, Jeff announced on the band's Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
that a new Kekal album was on the way, which he had been working on all by himself. It was revealed later on that the new album was entitled Audible Minority
Audible Minority
Audible Minority is the seventh full-length studio album by Canadian/Indonesian experimental metal band Kekal. According to the band, the album is titled "Audible Minority" because the music on the album is of extreme minority status, and is "entirely bleak, gloom and dark." They also said that the...
, and it was meant to be released officially on December 25, 2008 as two versions: A free download and a limited edition Digipak
Digipak
Digipak is a patented style of CD, DVD or BD packaging, and is a registered trademark of AGI World Ltd., an Atlas Holdings company.-Features:...
with total 11 songs including an A-ha
A-ha
A-ha were a Norwegian pop band formed in Oslo in 1982. The band was founded by Morten Harket , Magne Furuholmen , and Pål Waaktaar...
cover song. Unfortunately the CD version was never released, and the album ended up being offered only as a free download instead.
Departure of band members (2009)
In March 2009, Azhar Levi decided to step down from Kekal. Jeff Arwadi said that although this closed a door, Kekal would continue as a musical unit in a "new era" of the band's history. On August 12, 2009, Jeff announced that he and Leo had left Kekal, and that the name would continue but without active members. He said that, as well as unspecified personal reasons, he decided to leave the band because, after being closer to nature and in a less densely populated city in Canada, he was unable to continue to make dark and angry metal music which he did in the past with Kekal. Shortly after, Kekal put up an offer of three albums for free download on its website, including its best-selling album to date, 1000 Thoughts of Violence.Many of its fans perceived that Kekal had technically split-up/disbanded at the moment band leader Jeff announced his departure from the band, despite the fact that Kekal as an institution still existed and the institution itself was not affected by any founding member leaving. To end the confusions among the fans, the band issued a statement posted on its official Facebook Page: "KEKAL IS NOT DEAD!!!! When Jeff left Kekal it doesn't mean the band is dead!" The band's MySpace and Facebook pages are still active and currently being moderated mainly by volunteers from the band's Street Team members, as well as Azhar and Jeff themselves.
Current activity (2010-present)
On January 13, 2010, Kekal announced that a new album was in the works, and that former members Jeff, Leo, and Levi were all contributing. Then, on February 15, Jeff posted a music video on his Youtube channel for an, at that time, untitled new album. The music video was for a song entitled "Tabula Rasa", which was also released for streaming. On June 23, 2010, the band announced on its Myspace and Facebook that it would release its eighth album entitled 8 in late 2010, and that further details would be forthcoming.On August 15, 2010, a remastered, limited-edition version of the band's second album, Embrace the Dead
Embrace the Dead
Embrace the Dead is the 2nd album by the Indonesian extreme metal band Kekal. It reached sold-out status in 2004. On August 15, 2010, a new, remastered limited edition entitled Embrace the Dead 1999 was released as a free download, for up to a 1000 downloads.-Recording:Embrace the Dead was,...
, was released as a free-download for up 1000 downloads in celebration of the band's 15 year anniversary.
Kekal's newest album, 8, was made available for pre-order on December 22, 2010 by Whirlwind Records, which included an offer of free shipping within Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
up to December 24. The album was released on January 23, 2011.
On March 2, 2011, Jeff Arwadi announced on the Kekal Facebook page that he and Leo are recording new music, and said that another album will probably be released sometime in 2012. On April 2, Kekal announced that a download-only EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
would be released in June or July, and would contain two brand new tracks recorded in 2011, as well as separate guitar and vocal tracks of "Tabula Rasa" for the purpose of remixing by the general public. On April 26, Jeff uploaded a music video for the song "Futuride" from the upcoming EP, which was promised to be released in July. The official release date for the album, July 10, 2011, was announced over Facebook on June 23, 2011. The title of the EP is Futuride EP, and three tracks from the album are made available for public use under Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike
Creative Commons licenses
Creative Commons licenses are several copyright licenses that allow the distribution of copyrighted works. The licenses differ by several combinations that condition the terms of distribution. They were initially released on December 16, 2002 by Creative Commons, a U.S...
license.
Style
Although most notably known as an avant-garde metal or experimental metal band, Kekal has origins in black metalBlack metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
, but even with its debut album the band demonstrated a unique style, and on its third album, The Painful Experience, the band fused its black metal style with progressive metal. In a 2001 interview, Jeff expressed ambivalence to what style the band was described as, as long as it was "metal." On its fourth, highly technical album, 1000 Thoughts of Violence, the band plunged into ultra-progressive experiments, and its well received fifth album, Acidity, used double bass drum blasts and saw the band incorporating styles such as electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, black metal, progressive metal, progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
, classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
, indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
, psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
, trip hop
Trip hop
Trip hop is a music genre consisting of downtempo electronic music which originated in the early 1990s in England, especially Bristol. Deriving from "post"-acid house, the term was first used by the British music media and press as a way to describe the more experimental variant of breakbeat which...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
, and avant-garde
Avant-garde music
Avant-garde music is a term used to characterize music which is thought to be ahead of its time, i.e. containing innovative elements or fusing different genres....
. Jeff Arwadi responded to the "avant-garde" label in an interview with Ultimate Metal.com: “For us, avant-garde is not a classification of music. It is a state of being, a state of becoming... ...once your music can be classified easily, I don't think the word progressive or avant-garde fits. So that's why we mention in our bio that “avant-garde” is an ideal state for us, and not a classification.”
On the next album, The Habit of Fire, the band maintained its use of styles such as electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
, psybient
Psybient
Psybient, also known as ambient psy, psychedelic chillout, psychedelic ambient, ambient goa, ambient psytrance and more commonly within the Goa/psytrance scene as psychill and psydub, is a genre of electronic music that combines elements of psychedelic trance, ambient, world music, new age and even...
, and jazz fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
, but shed its black metal roots and introduced atmospheric soundscape
Soundscape
A soundscape is a sound or combination of sounds that forms or arises from an immersive environment. The study of soundscape is the subject of acoustic ecology...
s and an industrial
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
vibe.
Influences
Kekal has identified itself with the punk rockPunk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and early metal scenes, and considers itself a “street-progressive” band that is aesthetically more akin to Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
or The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta is a Grammy award winning American progressive rock band from El Paso, Texas. Founded in 2001 by guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala, the band incorporates various influences including progressive rock, krautrock, jazz fusion, Latin American music, and...
than to bands like Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
. The band claims roots in 1980’s forms of heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
as pioneered by bands like Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, Bathory
Bathory (band)
Bathory was a Swedish heavy metal band, formed by Quorthon in 1983. They are regarded as pioneers of both black metal and viking metal. Quorthon remained the main songwriter and member of Bathory for more than two decades. Bathory was permanently ended after Quorthon's death in 2004...
, Trouble
Trouble (band)
Trouble is an American doom metal band noted as one of the pioneers of their genre, alongside bands such as Candlemass and Saint Vitus. The band created a distinct style taking influences of the British heavy metal bands Black Sabbath and Judas Priest, and psychedelic rock of the 1970s...
, Helloween
Helloween
Helloween is a German power metal band founded in the mid 1980s by members of Iron Fist and Powerfool. The band was a pioneering force in the European Power Metal movement and their second and third studio albums, Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt...
, Celtic Frost
Celtic Frost
Celtic Frost was a metal band from Zürich, Switzerland. They are known for their heavy influence on the extreme metal genres. The group was first active from 1984 to 1993, and re-formed in 2001. Following Tom Gabriel Fischer's departure in 2008, Celtic Frost decided to break up again...
, Sodom
Sodom (band)
Sodom is a German Thrash metal trio from Gelsenkirchen, formed in 1981.Along with the bands Kreator and Destruction, Sodom is considered one of the "big three" of Teutonic thrash metal...
, Death, and Massacre. Dimebag Darrell
Dimebag Darrell
Darrell Lance Abbott , also known as Diamond Darrell and Dimebag Darrell, was an American guitarist. He was best known as a founding member of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan. Abbott also contributed to the album Rebel Meets Rebel, a collaboration between Pantera and David Allan Coe...
has also been cited as an influence, and the band claims that one of its ‘trademark’ riffs was invented by Darrell.
Currently, Kekal has cited an influence from many styles of music and now lists a large host of artists as an inspiration, including a-ha
A-ha
A-ha were a Norwegian pop band formed in Oslo in 1982. The band was founded by Morten Harket , Magne Furuholmen , and Pål Waaktaar...
, Amebix
Amebix
Amebix are an English crust punk/heavy metal band. Formed as "The Band with No Name," Amebix's original run was from 1978 to 1987, during which time they released three EPs and two full-length LPs...
, Autechre
Autechre
Autechre are an English electronic music duo consisting of Rob Brown and Sean Booth, both natives of Rochdale, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1987, they are one of the most prominent acts signed to Warp Records, a label known for its pioneering electronic music and through which all Autechre albums...
, Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
, Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
, Camel
Camel (band)
Camel are an English progressive rock band formed in 1971. An important group in the Canterbury scene, they have been releasing studio and live recordings steadily, with considerable success, since their formation.-1970s:...
, Celtic Frost
Celtic Frost
Celtic Frost was a metal band from Zürich, Switzerland. They are known for their heavy influence on the extreme metal genres. The group was first active from 1984 to 1993, and re-formed in 2001. Following Tom Gabriel Fischer's departure in 2008, Celtic Frost decided to break up again...
, Chroma Key
Chroma Key
Chroma Key is the name under which ex-Dream Theater keyboardist Kevin Moore records. Although primarily a solo project, several other musicians have recorded as part of Chroma Key such as bassist Joey Vera, drummer Mark Zonder, and guitarist Jason Anderson....
, Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins were a Scottish alternative rock band active from 1979 to 1997, known for innovative instrumentation and atmospheric, non-lyrical vocals...
, Chick Corea
Chick Corea
Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, and composer.Many of his compositions are considered jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis' band in the 1960s, he participated in the birth of the electric jazz fusion movement. In the 1970s he formed Return to Forever...
, Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
, Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
, Discharge
Discharge (band)
Discharge is a British hardcore punk band formed in 1977 by Terry "Tezz" Roberts and Roy "Rainy" Wainwright. They are often considered among one of the very first bands to play hardcore punk, and to mix punk with metal...
, Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
, Gazebo, Godflesh
Godflesh
Godflesh are an English industrial metal band from Birmingham, England. Originally known as Fall of Because, they formed in 1988 by Justin K. Broadrick and G.C. Green and disbanded in 2002. Godflesh's innovative music is widely regarded as a foundational influence on industrial metal and post-metal...
, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
, King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Massive Attack
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
, Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly...
, Merzbow
Merzbow
is the main recording name of the Japanese noise musician , born in 1956. Since 1979 he has released in excess of 350 recordings.The name "Merzbow" comes from German artist Kurt Schwitters' artwork, "Merzbau”. This was chosen to reflect Akita's dada influence and junk art aesthetic...
, Pat Metheny
Pat Metheny
Patrick Bruce "Pat" Metheny is an American jazz guitarist and composer.One of the most successful and critically acclaimed jazz musicians to come to prominence in the 1970s and '80s, he is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works and other side projects...
, Wes Montgomery
Wes Montgomery
John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery was an American jazz guitarist. He is widely considered one of the major jazz guitarists, emerging after such seminal figures as Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian and influencing countless others, including Pat Martino, George Benson, Russell Malone, Emily...
, Gary Moore
Gary Moore
Robert William Gary Moore , better known simply as Gary Moore, was a Northern Irish musician from Belfast, best recognised as a blues rock guitarist and singer....
, Napalm Death
Napalm Death
Napalm Death are a death metal band formed in Birmingham, England in 1981. While none of its original members remain in the group, the lineup of vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway, bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch Harris and drummer Danny Herrera has remained consistent for most of the band's ...
, N.E.R.D., Outkast
OutKast
Outkast is an American hip hop duo based in East Point, Georgia, consisting of Atlanta native André "André 3000" Benjamin and Savannah, Georgia-born Antwan "Big Boi" Patton. They were originally known as Two Shades Deep but later changed the group's name to OutKast...
, Pan Sonic
Pan sonic
Pan Sonic was a Finnish experimental electronic music duo consisting of Mika Vainio and Ilpo Väisänen.-Music:...
, Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost (band)
Paradise Lost are a heavy metal band that formed in 1988 in Halifax, England.-History:Their first three full-length albums are examples of the death/doom style, although the latter two incorporated some melodic and gothic elements...
, Parliament
Parliament (band)
Parliament was a funk band most prominent during the 1970s. It and its sister act Funkadelic, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
, Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
, Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
, The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
, Portishead, Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
, Red Snapper
Red Snapper (band)
Red Snapper are a British instrumental band founded in London in 1993 by Ali Friend , Richard Thair , and David Ayers . The three core members are also joined by various guest musicians and vocalists on different records...
, Return to Forever
Return to Forever
Return to Forever is a jazz fusion group founded and led by keyboardist Chick Corea. Through its existence, the band has cycled through a number of different members, with the only consistent band mate of Corea's being bassist Stanley Clarke...
, Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
, Soft Machine
Soft Machine
Soft Machine were an English rock band from Canterbury, named after the book The Soft Machine by William S. Burroughs. They were one of the central bands in the Canterbury scene, and helped pioneer the progressive rock genre...
, Talk Talk
Talk Talk
Talk Talk were an English musical group, active from 1981 to 1991. The group had a string of international hit singles including "Today", "Talk Talk", "It's My Life", "Such a Shame", "Dum Dum Girl", "Life's What You Make It" and "Living in Another World"....
, Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream is a German electronic music group founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese. The band has undergone many personnel changes over the years, with Froese being the only continuous member...
, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, and Voivod
Voivod (band)
Voivod are a Canadian heavy metal band from Jonquière, Quebec, Canada. Their musical style has changed several times since the band's origin in the early 1980s...
.
Songwriting and recording techniques
Jeff has stated that starting from the album The Painful Experience they incorporated their own approach to record drum tracks in the studio which they call "hybrid drums", a mix of real-time performance and software-based matrixMatrix decoder
Matrix decoder is an audio technology where a finite number of discrete audio channels are decoded into a larger number of channels on play back...
programming. He also mentioned the efficiency of using the hybrid drumming compared with getting a drummer: "About the drummer, it is still very hard to find a right drummer because Kekal music is ranging from very extreme-metal with blast beats and fast double-kicks, to powerful rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
beats that demand steady tempo, and to some polyrhythm
Polyrhythm
Polyrhythm is the simultaneous sounding of two or more independent rhythms.Polyrhythm in general is a nonspecific term for the simultaneous occurrence of two or more conflicting rhythms, of which cross-rhythm is a specific and definable subset.—Novotney Polyrhythms can be distinguished from...
ic playing and time-signature shifts in the characteristics of jazz and prog drumming. We would need 2 or 3 kinds of drummer for Kekal. That's why the best thing for the recording is to make the hybrid drumming." In other interview, Jeff mentioned the process of recording of The Habit of Fire, starting from collecting samples
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
and creating MIDI information, then manipulating the sounds to create what he called the 'skeleton'. Then riffs, MIDI-triggered instruments, synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s, and melodies would be added and the structure re-arranged once again. Once the song structure was set, the guitars would be re-recorded, then bass and drum tracks would be put on top, then vocals. Jeff also mentioned during the interview about the 2011 Futuride EP, that he has experimented with additive synthesis
Additive synthesis
Additive synthesis is a technique of sound synthesis that creates musical timbre by explicitly adding sinusoidal overtones together.The timbre of an instrument is composed of multiple harmonic or inharmonic partials , of different frequencies and amplitudes, that change over time...
on the recent songs he has recorded and uses guitars to counter-balance the sounds generated by the additive synthesis.
Kekal and DIY ethic
Kekal claims to have followed a strong DIY ethic throughout the majority of its career. Kekal owns the copyrights of the band's recording masters and has 100% artistic control over music, production and artwork. Kekal has recorded and produced most of its albums in its own studio/workstation, manages the band itself, does its own photo sessions, and designs its own album artwork and covers. As Jeff stated "So far, we've been known as an independent band who never want to get signed by record label, to maintain our independency and control over our artistic freedom, and also to own our recording masters and copyright.. Instead of band signing, we always prefer to license our finished albums to record labels."Kekal and Christianity
Kekal has acknowledged in interviews that the band members, at the time interviewed, subscribed to a ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
ideology, and has been described as one of the first black metal bands to profess Christian beliefs. Known to have fans from different religious backgrounds, the band has stated on its Facebook page that as an institution it is not a Christian metal
Christian metal
Christian metal, also known as white metal, is a form of heavy metal music usually defined by its message in a song's lyrics as well as the band's dedication to Christianity...
band and does not endorse any particular religion or ideology, and has always maintained that it is about music, life, and universality, and stands against any form of elitism
Elitism
Elitism is the belief or attitude that some individuals, who form an elite — a select group of people with intellect, wealth, specialized training or experience, or other distinctive attributes — are those whose views on a matter are to be taken the most seriously or carry the most...
and exclusivism
Exclusivism
Excluvisism is the practice of being exclusive; mentality characterized by the disregard for opinions and ideas other than one's own, or the practice of organizing entities into groups by excluding those entities which possess certain traits like Christopher Columbus..-Religious...
in today's culture. Kekal has been with associated the unblack metal
Unblack metal
Unblack metal is a term used to describe musically black metal sounding artists whose lyrics and imagery promote Christianity. Such artists are controversial, mainly because black metal's pioneers, especially those of the Second Wave, intended to encourage hostility towards Christianity...
scene, but in a 2001 interview Jeff stated that the band didn't really care what it was labeled as. Although Christianity has comprised a part of the band’s lyrics, the band has said that from The Painful Experience
The Painful Experience
The Painful Experience is the 3rd full-length studio album by the Indonesian progressive black metal band Kekal. The title refers to the recording sessions for Embrace the Dead. Shortly after the release of the album, Leo left the band when he moved to Australia.-Reception:Kekal experimented...
onward its lyrics have not been associated with religion or ideology at all. In an interview with HM Magazine
HM Magazine
HM: The Hard Music Magazine is an American bimonthly publication focusing on both Christianity and hard rock. Articles include news, album and festival reviews, posters, artists to watch, indie artist reviews, devotionals and interviews with Christian artists...
, Jeff Arwadi said that the band had never been involved with a church or ministry, and that it never would. He also asserted that in Indonesia there was no specific Christian metal scene, and Kekal was considered just like any other “secular” band. He further stated that while it was “cool to know” that the band was accepted by the Christian metal scene, at the time of the interview that scene was less than 50% of the band’s audience.
Jeff Arwadi in particular has expressed a belief that Christianity is not a religion, as in his opinion most religions are about laws, organizations, rites, and dogmas, while Christianity is about Faith. In an interview with Avant-garde Metal.com, Jeff clarified that for him personally, faith is something that drives the human life, and, just like diet and exercise, does not have to be associated with religion whatsoever. When asked by Lords of Metal webzine to clear up the "confusion" surrounding the band's stance regarding God, Christianity, and religions in general, Jeff responded that his views about religion are "very different than the view in western countries," and further said that "in Indonesia, religion is not an issue of faith nor tradition. It’s more the constitutional issue, that means the legal and political ones. I am not anti-religion person, but I do against [sic] religion in a political and legal context."
Former members
- Jeff ArwadiJeff ArwadiJefray Arwadi is a musician, music producer, and graphic artist from Jakarta, Indonesia, who now resides in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He is most notable as the former guitarist and front man for avant-garde/progressive metal band Kekal, and as the co-founder of experimental death metal project...
(Altera EnigmaAltera EnigmaAltera Enigma is an experimental death metal supergroup formed by Jason De Ron, the former guitarist and front man of Paramaecium, and Jefray Arwadi, former guitarist, vocalist, and front man of Kekal. Both of these musicians have a career that has seen them record and release nearly 20 albums...
, Armageddon Holocaust, Doctor D, Excision, Inner Warfare) - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...
, drum machineDrum machineA drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
, samplesSampling (music)In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
& loopsMusic loopIn electroacoustic music, a loop is a repeating section of sound material. Short sections of material can be repeated to create ostinato patterns...
(1996–2009) - Azhar Levi SianturiAzhar Levi SianturiAzhar Levi Sianturi is the former bassist for avant-garde/progressive metal band Kekal. He also has his own grindcore project called Mournphagy.-Kekal:...
(Mournphagy) - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
(1996–2009) - Leo SetiawanLeo SetiawanLeo Setiawan is a former guitarist for progressive metal band Kekal.-History:Leo joined Kekal on 1996, just after the band released their official demo, Contra Spiritualia Nequitiae...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(1996–2001, 2005–2009) - Harry - vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
(1995–1998) - Newbabe - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
(1995–1996, 2004–2005) - Yeris - guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
(1995–1996)
Guest musicians
- Didi PriyadiDidi PriyadiDidi Priyadi is a musician and songwriter from Jakarta, Indonesia who is most notable for his brief stint as a guest guitarist for avant-garde metal band Kekal, his pop punk band Happy Day, and for his role as front man for progressive goth metal band In Memoriam...
(Happy Day, In Memoriam) - session and live guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, live vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Kenny Cheong (Altera EnigmaAltera EnigmaAltera Enigma is an experimental death metal supergroup formed by Jason De Ron, the former guitarist and front man of Paramaecium, and Jefray Arwadi, former guitarist, vocalist, and front man of Kekal. Both of these musicians have a career that has seen them record and release nearly 20 albums...
, Soundscape) - fretless bass - Jason DeRon (ParamaeciumParamaeciumParamaecium was an Australian death/doom metal band formed in 1991. There is use of instrumentation like flutes, cellos and violins on some albums. Paramaecium is one of the few doom metal bands that focus on Christian lyrical themes and Christian concepts...
, Altera EnigmaAltera EnigmaAltera Enigma is an experimental death metal supergroup formed by Jason De Ron, the former guitarist and front man of Paramaecium, and Jefray Arwadi, former guitarist, vocalist, and front man of Kekal. Both of these musicians have a career that has seen them record and release nearly 20 albums...
, inExordium) - guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker... - Doctor D - vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, noises and samplesSampling (music)In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
, programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock... - Safrina Christina (Excision) - vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, keyboards, programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock... - Hans Kurniawan (Inner Warfare) - KeyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
- Habil Kurnia - Keyboards, engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
, mixingAudio mixingAudio mixing may refer to:*Audio mixing *Audio mixing *Live sound mixing... - Hana - female vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, synthsSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones... - Vera - female vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
Full-length albums
- Beyond the Glimpse of DreamsBeyond the Glimpse of DreamsBeyond the Glimpse of Dreams is the debut album by the Indonesian black metal band Kekal released in 1998. Vocalist Harry left the band after the album's release.-Recording:...
- 1998 - Embrace the DeadEmbrace the DeadEmbrace the Dead is the 2nd album by the Indonesian extreme metal band Kekal. It reached sold-out status in 2004. On August 15, 2010, a new, remastered limited edition entitled Embrace the Dead 1999 was released as a free download, for up to a 1000 downloads.-Recording:Embrace the Dead was,...
- 1999 - The Painful ExperienceThe Painful ExperienceThe Painful Experience is the 3rd full-length studio album by the Indonesian progressive black metal band Kekal. The title refers to the recording sessions for Embrace the Dead. Shortly after the release of the album, Leo left the band when he moved to Australia.-Reception:Kekal experimented...
- 2001 - 1000 Thoughts of Violence1000 Thoughts of Violence1000 Thoughts of Violence is the 4th album by the Indonesian progressive black metal band Kekal, released in 2003. The central theme of the album is moral decline and the violent nature of humanity...
- 2003 - AcidityAcidity (album)Acidity is the 5th album by the Indonesian band Kekal. It was recorded in celebration of the band's 10th anniversary, and was an official reunion album for the band. It marked the return of Leo to the band, and includes the vocal talents of founding member Newbabe...
- 2005 - The Habit of FireThe Habit of FireThe Habit of Fire is a 2007 album by the Canadian/Indonesian avant-garde metal band Kekal. Released on May 15 in North America, Japan & Australia and March 15 in Europe & South America, it is their 6th full-length album...
- 2007 - Audible MinorityAudible MinorityAudible Minority is the seventh full-length studio album by Canadian/Indonesian experimental metal band Kekal. According to the band, the album is titled "Audible Minority" because the music on the album is of extreme minority status, and is "entirely bleak, gloom and dark." They also said that the...
- 2008 - 8 - 2010