Congratulations! You are the first reactor who pronounce the band's name correctly right away :)...cheers..by the way, School Revolution is a great song..after all, all their original songs are fantastic...Of course..Widi on bass guitar gives a special dimension to each of their songs...she is a fascinating bass player
Hello MK and welcome to Voice of Baceprot! Outstanding observations and analysis! Sooo much to unpack here, as they represent so much more than just music! Imagine growing up in a small, relatively poor, rural/agricultural environment, not much internet access, no constant barrage of social media/influencer BS or even much of the outside world at all, and dominated by a religion that can be overwhelming and that almost the entire country follows. For young females, their future is young marriage, or maybe a shopkeeper/cashier, etc, very few in the villages have options. These three noisy (baceprot), stubborn "troublemakers" met in BK (the Indonesian version of detention/special needs) and there they met a school counselor that changed their lives forever. This counselor, instead of trying to discipline them into submission and compliance, saw their spark and turned them on to rock/metal music, chaneling their spirit into a perfect outlet, kicking out the jams! They formed a band, and now have made history, becoming the first rock/metal band wearing/practicing hijab to reach the world stage (having toured the US and Europe and of course are all over YT)! They have shown that being "religious" doesn't have to mean "conservative" and that religion, at its essence, can be used for the good of ALL people, not just the "chosen" ones, etc.
Written when they were 15/16 years old (musically, they had help from their counselor with the lyrics), this song is about their dissatisfaction with their school system, specifically how rigid the curriculum was, leaving few options or space for dreams/creativity (and certainly no way for students to have input on changes), almost entirely focused on academic knowledge and often ignoring non-academic knowledge. On the blackboard: "I promise not to disobey, even though my heart is lame/crippled/hobbled" On the mannequins: pudar/samar - dull/faded/faint Lyrics: "Morning school, for sure my body run (I sprint to school every morning) Forcing dreams, not a single one I understand (Forced to dream about things I don't understand) Head thrown, forced to be brainy (They push my brain to get smarter) Stranded moral, tempted by the frenzy (Moralities abandoned, seduced by flashy dreams) Don't try to judge us now X 4 Behind the wall, minds as if being locked Thousands of dogmas are stricken til you're crooked If you shout "freedom", get ready to get hit or abused And my soul is empty And my dream was dying My soul fall in the dark side And I lose my life It was dubbed as the most beautiful prison But doesn't provide any evidence Just a bunch of rules with zero implementation Leaving history that's been forgotten Don't try to judge us now X 4 Many people are only pitting perceptions Oppress each other for reasons of vision and mission Sacrifice the dreams that ended up stranded away Thrown to the obscure and eventually starting to fade away And my soul is empty And my dream was dying My soul fall in the dark side And I lose my life Only focused people can survive Who have a dream and dare to make it realized Can succeed without making principles sacrificed Who have the spirits and positive minds Don't try to judge us now X 4 And my soul is empty And my dream was dying My soul fall in the dark side And I lose my life"
Oh, you discovered VOB!! They are really impressive. Did some metal covers, Rage Against The Machine, Metallica, Slipknot, but I suggest you stick with their original material, it is way better, I think. They are activistic in their lyrics, definately. Also great on a stage - in a musical sense, that is - quite short people actually. Check some live footage and enjoy!
I seldom have anything to add to what BW says, but I have three small comments that relate to specific things you said: Yes, there is a Malala connection - there's a very positive article on the Malala Fund website about them. Search for the title: For Indonesia’s all-girl heavy metal band, music is the ‘voice of resistance’ Are they a metal band? - to my knowledge, they've never labeled themselves as such. They combine elements of rap, punk, funk, hard rock, metal and Indonesian music. However, the music press labels them metal and they were invited to (and played at) Wacken, which is generally thought of as a metal festival. They were originally inspired by System of a Down's Toxicity and SoaD is generally considered a metal band (although, like VoB, SoaD combines different musical elements). Does Indonesia have a metal scene? - big time. But you'll probably learn more about that as you learn more about VoB.
Thanks - all good info, and I agree that at least the one song I've heard so far isn't really metal. But I can also see how some people who are on the periphery might think that. I'll check out that article. Thanks!
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