BORNEO METAL RELIGION: Interview Session with KAMBING SAKTI on the 19 Oct 2013

While I was attending Twisted Metal on the 19th day of October, 2013, I was presented a chance to approach KAMBING SAKTI while they were having drinking session at a 5 foot way. I have been anticipating this moment as they are the most talked about band in Sarawak at this moment.

Me: Helo pok, how are you guys? It was a great show and I like your attitude very much.

Usop: Eh (shaking hands), biasa ja pok. Have a shot, here….

Me: KAMBING SAKTI…. It looks like you blokes are a sell-out in any gigs in Kuching nowadays. But may I know how does KAMBING SAKTI came into being?

Usop: Okay, actually at first, in 2009, KAMBING SAKTI only consisted of three members, which are Miller, Kenny & I (Usop), then came Dedek. After quite awhile, we recruited Jambul as our second guitarist and he is from a death metal band called NIANG. I am sure you have heard of this band. It was hard to convince him at first because he was playing death metal. But after we suck his cock (LOL), he agreed. Then there you are, KAMBING SAKTI!!!!!!

Me: KAMBING SAKTI is an interesting name to be exact and whose idea was it?

Usop: It had been suggested by Dedek (DRUMMER)) that the name of the band was JESUS but I laughed at it. In the end I came up with the idea that KAMBING SAKTI is an interesting name. So the other mates agreed to it.

Me: May I know your influence?

Usop: We are very much influenced by CRADLE OF FILTH but we add a little bit of difference into our music. That is to say that we are very much inspired by CRADLE OF FILTH.

Me: You put Black Metal as a basis for your band. A lot of bands today play Black Metal. How do you consider your kind of Black Metal to other bands who are practicing black metal at large?

Usop: Our music is melodic black metal oriented but in my opinion other black metal bands have their own distinctive features and I respect that very much.

Me: I hope it’s not over the limit to mention that KAMBING SAKTI is an anti-Christ band. How do you justify that notion?

Usop: In fact it is just a gimmick, a mere fantasy to say the least. I am myself a Buddha whereas other band members are Christians. We are not living in Norway or some other Scandinavian countries that despise Christianity because their ancestral religion was Viking, and we are not GORGOROTH. We are just sending a message in our lyric to respect ancestral religion in which we were pagans before the arrival of Christianity.

Me: Listening to your first demo ROTTEN IN HELL released in 2009 has always interest myself that I came to wonder who KAMBING SAKTI was all these while and I heard that you had done a split EP with bands from MALAYA. Can you tell more about it?

Usop: (Speaking iban) Ni kunci moto ku ngambi CD dulu. (After a while) Here you are, it is a 4 way split of Evil Spirit consists of KAMBING SAKTI (SARAWAK), AJAL (KL), KERUNTUK (SARAWAK) and ANTABOGA (SELANGOR).

Me: Thank you pok. I will make a review on this soon. Oh, back to your performance (at TWISTED METAL) just now, It was an awesome performance, and draws flak from the audience. But looking at our underground scene, what is your opinion on that?

Usop: This is another sad story in Kuching and in Sarawak as a whole. Bands are divisive, claiming who are true or not. Now come on, who are they to call people as posers? We really are posers but we have other responsibilities as well. This is just our hobby, our passion, and this is not our occupation. We do not “black metal’ for a living. Don’t expect us to wear corpse paint 24 hours and that’s utter bullshit. This is a message that I’d like to send to some “penauk” (people who seems to know everything but in truth knows nothing) out there.

Me: So when is your next demo going to be materialised?

Usop: We are now writing some new material and we hope that you expect more from KAMBING SAKTI soon.

Me: Lastly, what is your message to your fans out there?

Usop: Whenever there is an event of gigs held, just come to support and attend irregardless of any genres. This is a small world, and don’t try to be a hero in a scene, by saying you are true or not. What is true nowadays? That is all.

Me: Thank you pok for your time.

Usop: Welcome and thank you for this interview. Now, have a shot again..ooohaaa