Adapted From : Wendi Putranto
The last few days in the polemics homeland metal scene online very hot controversy between the band the Melody Maker with metal fanatic fans at a leading international news site metal, Metal Maniacs.
For information, Metal Maniacs is a prestigious metal underground music magazine in the world, published since 1989 in New York City, United States. The magazine stopped publication in 2009 and now instead of changing the format a webzine on the internet. Until now the Melody Maker is listed as the first Indonesian band who never interviewed by Metal Maniacs.
Melody Maker is a band who claim their music as black metalcore and established in Jakarta since 2004. Had bred by J-rock community until now they have released two albums titled Revenge From the Bleeding Lolita (2007) and Symphony of Hatred (2008). Line-up band consisting of Mehdy Ahmad Ghazali (vocals), Febryo Akbar Aman (vocals 2), Zakky Aulia Ahadi (bass), Ally Azman Kurani (guitar), Dika Joseph Ciptadi (guitar), Muhammad Ibrahim Shibgatullah (drums) and Reinaldo Joshua (piano).
They claim to take the band name from a pioneer of British music magazine, Melody Maker, because the first time and often read a magazine like this to find information about the Oasis, their favorite band ever.
"We took the name of Melody Maker because it did not want to later locked in one genre of music only, so choose a name that is not too spooky but elegant," explains vocalist Mehdy Ahmad Ghazali.
The band recently did was rising name in the local metal community and even had time to perform well in Java Rockinland prestigious rock festival in August last year.
Anger the fans of extreme metal is initially triggered by some statement issued Mehdy Ghazali Ahmad in an interview via e-mail by Natalie Perez, a contributor to Metal Maniacs.
When answering questions about their tour with Swedish death metal band, Arch Enemy, Mehdy replied, "Touring with them was memorable. We play in many cities in Southeast Asia, does not believe the taste. They are great musicians and we learned a lot from them. Experience is very valuable for us to learn directly from professionals like them. "
Hundreds of readers of this interview in cash angry, protest and write their comments at length on these sites with a variety of swear words. Their comments point average if Mehdy Melody Maker lied about touring with Arch Enemy. In fact Melody Maker has appeared only once opened the concert Arch Enemy at the Tennis Indoor Stadium, Jakarta on 28 October last year. There was never a tour in many towns and any part of Southeast Asia than Indonesia.
Also in the interview that provoked outrage metal community was Melody Maker also explained they have been formed since 8 years ago and played music with a combination of influences from the bands' old school black metal "like Cradle Of Filth, Dimmu Borgir and Behemoth. In fact, in their biographies on MySpace is clearly written that the band was "patented in early 2004" and not 2008.
Later when more and more blasphemy and heats the management of Melody Maker and then issue a formal statement in English and Indonesian languages are distributed through the site is also Metal Maniacs.
"Regarding an interview between Mehdy with Perez (Metal Maniacs) stating that Melody Maker has been touring with Arch Enemy. Statement of Mehdy had been mischaracterized. The truth is, the Melody Maker is not involved in any tour with Arch Enemy and only perform as an opening act in concert in Jakarta AE. We will send a clarification on this matter to the Metal Maniacs and we will be very trying for the revision of this can be published in an upcoming issue, "the statement the band's management.
This statement is beyond expectations rather than cool the atmosphere even more and make the metal more widespread community anger and being-so. Melody Maker is considered to make the lie more by calling the Metal Maniacs has been misinterpreted or misinterpretation of answers Mehdy.
Though reportedly interview conducted via e-mail so if there is any editing done to fix the grammar and does not change the essence of the original statement, this is standard in the practice of journalism in any media. Unfortunately, until this story down the Metal Maniacs has not responded to a statement sent via e-mail about this issue of misinterpretation.
Finally, various threats to boycott and threats of violence to the Melody Maker started coming from various cities across Indonesia metal base via the site. Call it from Bandung, Cirebon, Solo, Yogyakarta, Lampung to Manado. Written there if they promise to do anything to block the concert Melody Maker in their city.
When Rolling Stone contacted via telephone, vocalist Ahmad Ghazali Mehdy claim to have never received any threats directly, sms or phone other than the site the Metal Maniacs.
"Free me if they protest or cursing us, that's their right too, it's a democratic country. But if they seriously want to play violent, frankly we do not ever scared, we will face, "said Mehdy.
According to him, there has been miscommunication between him and Natalie Perez in an interview via chat on Yahoo Messenger (not via e-mail as written before). He explained that Natalie is a contributor in several publications and one of them metal Metal Maniacs.
Initially Natalie contact Melody Maker via MySpace and they could watch the action from YouTube before applying for an interview with the band. Mehdy own admitted surprise was offered an interview in Metal Maniacs as long as this band stand they had never interviewed the foreign media. "Although this might be a blessing too controversial for our band," he explained.
"I myself was shocked to see the results of editing the English language which would cool. But frankly I've never issued a statement at all if our band bands influenced old school black metal like Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir or Behemoth. It comes from him, "he added again.
Meanwhile, when the call separately, Andyan Gorust, drummer Deadsquad commented, "If you see an answer from Mehdy like that, why not maybe it's changed as Metal Maniacs, let alone an interview via e-mail. Maybe Mehdy originally wrote that statement did not realize he's going to affect this big in the metal scene. "
After the interview published on the site happened Metal Maniacs and controversy, Mehdy had filed an objection to Natalie and asked for the article was sent down because he thought impact was not good for his band career. Natalie refuses to do so because he thought the article was already fixed and published. "But he promised to make a clarification about this controversy in the next issue of Metal Maniacs," he explained.
The controversy eventually died down after the management of Melody Maker on Thursday (7 / 1) evening re-released a recent statement via Facebook that explains as follows:
"For the interview, we admit that the choice of words contained in the interview Tour it is a potentially fatal mistake, should have a more precise is the single show as an opening band Arch Enemy concert, held in Jakarta and we apologize for the mistake. We had only appeared once as an opening band Arch Enemy in the framework of their tour in Asia, not to accompany and continued performing together throughout the tour circuit. Requests for clarification of this issue has been sent to the editor of webzine Metal Maniacs and now just waiting for a response from them. "
Interestingly, when Rolling Stone interviewed after the release of the official statement above, Mehdy still insist that he never wrote that Melody Maker once toured with Arch Enemy in many cities in Southeast Asia.
"The interview was actually not complete, still have 4 more questions unanswered than 15 questions that Natalie gave. But because he pushed the deadline he said, he asked me to entrusting it to him. Not him write like that, our Southeast Asian tour with Arch Enemy, "said Mehdy.
Whether the end who is right and wrong in this case, maybe it's good listening Mehdy comment Siksakubur guitarist, Andre Tiranda, the following, "I think if you want to be a public figure, the first thing that must be honest same elo own self first. The interview was funny, I must say confused, but she should minimize the look foolish in public because of the international media, everyone in the world would be able to read. May this be a lesson.
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