YAY – a band that sends a press release via Google Docs instead of PDF’s! Hallelujah! 🙂 Please bands…be like Enemy of Judas!
If we have to reminisce, Jakarta-based band Enemy of Judas (EOJ) originally consisted of four Junior High School students who simply wanted to look cool by playing in a band. But unlike other Junior High School bands in 2007 – who were choosing the path of punk rock, melodic punk, or emo as a genre, EOJ went with hardcore (HC). This genre, according to EOJ, truly represents their young souls who were hungry for more powerful music and lyrics. EOJ then grabbed influences from typical heavy-hitters like Terror, Madball, Hatebreed and First Blood.
Their decision was not wrong, in a short time, EOJ became a hardcore band that brought rad singles such as “Hardlife”, “We Are enemy”, “Popularitas Kelewat Batas” and of course; “Timur Jakarta”. Working relentlessly, EOJ did compilation projects called “Corner Street” (2008/2009) with older hardcore punk bands throughout Bekasi and East Jakarta, releasing a mini-album titled “Batas Waktu” (2010) and “Split Album” (2014) a collaboration with Grilled (Bekasi hardcore band) with its single “Timur Jakarta”. And in that time of course performed a whole bunch of shows including opening for their main influences Terror.
Conflicts and member changes did not bring down EOJ’s enthusiasm for music, but at the end of 2014, they decided to take a break. Not because of the growing competition between bands, but reality reared its ugly face and they needed to get their priorities straight; family and work. Who would have thought behind the fierceness of EOJ’s members, there is a businessman, state-owned enterprise (BUMN) employee, and even an airplane pilot in their midst.
But worry no more, this is not a sad story and there is no ‘farewell’ in EOJ’s dictionary. In 2020, EOJ finally returned to quench the thirst of hardcore fans with a comeback single titled Mati. EOJ’s music is now influenced by bands such as Code Orange, Sworn Enemy, Bury Your Dead, and Gideon. Still carries the heavy feel of OG Los Angeles hardcore, while incorporating metal and crossover elements that make their comeback music much fresher and more varied.
Check out the track below.
Very cool to see some fellow Asian extreme musicheads who live out here in the west (United Kingdom to be precise) also continuing to actually play music instead of...
REVIEW: Hong Kong Post-Hardcore Act Wellsaid Release Sophomore Album ‘Lurking’
REVIEW: Hardcore Punk Act SPIT Release Self-Titled Debut Album [Taiwan]
REVIEW: Melodic Death Metal Band Reborn Release EP [Vietnam]
REVIEW: The Most Important Punk Rock Release of 2021 – The Rebel Riot [Myanmar]
REVIEW: Metalcore Band Prompts’ ‘Magenta Smile’ Gets A Full Review [Japan]
Vietnamese Pop Punk Giants 7UPPERCUTS Release New MV [Vietnam]
“SIDE BY SIDE!” MONUMENT X Unleash Youth Crew Hit After Hit On New EP [Thailand]
Powerviolence Band NEGATIVE SUN Drop Aggressive Debut EP [Japan]
Sick New Hardcore Band KARMAX Unleash EP And Give Us a Track by Track Breakdown
Vietnamese Pop Punk Giants 7UPPERCUTS Release New MV [Vietnam]
“SIDE BY SIDE!” MONUMENT X Unleash Youth Crew Hit After Hit On New EP [Thailand]
Blackened Hardcore Beasts REXREZ Announce Japan Tour Supporting INGROWN
Powerviolence Band NEGATIVE SUN Drop Aggressive Debut EP [Japan]
Vietnamese Pop Punk Giants 7UPPERCUTS Release New MV [Vietnam]
“SIDE BY SIDE!” MONUMENT X Unleash Youth Crew Hit After Hit On New EP [Thailand]
Blackened Hardcore Beasts REXREZ Announce Japan Tour Supporting INGROWN
Copyright © 2024 Unite Asia. Designed and powered by ALT-X Agency.