Photo courtesy of PolyEast Records
It's hard to imagine how a rap metal band could survive the backlash after the popularity of the music has faded. But here's Slapshock proudly celebrating their 15th year in the scene with a brand new album, their 7th in a long-running career.
In an interview a couple of years back, the band refused to disown the genre that spawned them. By the sound and volume of their latest "Kinse Kalibre," they're not backing down from the original fire and brimstone with which to slay naysayers and the scant opposition.
Actually, there's hardly any competition either from their 90s batch of loud rockers or the current factions of comparably limp-wristed metal heads. Slapshock vocalist Jamir claims, "Most our contemporaries have come and gone, and we're still around."
Aside from Jamir on vocals, Slapshock is composed of bassist Lee Nadela, guitarist Lean Ansing and drummer Chi Evora.
Back to the moshpit
They're not just the last of the screaming metal messiahs. Slapshock have also set themselves apart from their generation. They continue their winning ways.
The band won favorite live performance award at the 2011 Myx Awards, confirming their continuing relevance to a dwindling heavy rock audience. Two years earlier, they played at the Dubai Desert Rock Festival on an opening bill for the likes of Machinehead, As I Lay Dying and Korn.
"Kinse Kalibre" continues to lead the faithful to the moshpit. The opening track fires off a missive of impending noise barrage. The carrier single, "Ngayon Na," picks up in volume at once goaded by blistering guitars and a spiky backbeat. Jamir wraps the song of personal empowerment in the shifting shrieks and Darth Vader babble of emo-metal. Third track slows down the pace before the next gush of thunderous yet melodic rock sets in.
They aim to please
This cycle of noisy stompers followed by heavy then heaviest metal is to be expected from the band. It's been their stock-in-trade since their rap-metal days. They shuffled the deck once with a one-off electronica record but over the last three albums, the band has gone back to the wellspring of their inspiration—"original sound, original brand of songwriting, original heavy rock songs being replayed for years."
Jamir explains, "This album sets a phenomenon. We have the same members, we never switched record labels, we're under the same management and we still work with the same crew. That probably made us stay stronger, working with people we trust and people who trust the band at the same time."
The attempt at a little reinvention came more from a desire to please their core audience, and themselves. Jamir says, "In this album, we were challenged to produce something that will cater more to our Filipino listeners. This time, I have challenged myself to write five Tagalog songs." One song, "Asal Demonyo", folds neatly into the Slapshock canon.
It may not be much in terms of a sonic upgrade, but it's enough to keep Pinoy rock interesting and raging on for another decade.
Slapshock's "Kinse Kalibre" is available to download here.
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