Metal trio Voice of Baceprot (VOB) are on a mission to stomp out gender discrimination and salt the earth where it grew. With their meteoric momentum, and brand new anthem-in-waiting ‘PMS’, we simply pity anything, or anyone, that stands in their way.
Hailing from Indonesia, or more specifically Garut, a town in West Java, VOB sing in both English and Sudanese (Baceprot being Sudanese for “nosy” for those playing at home). Having said that, there’s an intent and an impact within their music that transcends language. Similarly, ‘PMS’ is short for ‘Perempuan Merdeka Seutuhnya’, or ‘Wholly Independent Woman’ which is a message you can get down with no matter what language you speak.
Set loose atop scorching riffage, rapid-fire beats and a punching vocal line, ‘PMS’ bears all the hallmarks of something stirred in the minds of metal alchemists. It’s all the more impressive to learn that these three particular metal alchemists penned the track when they were in high school.
Inspired by Bukan Perawan Maria (“Not Virgin Mary”), a series of short stories written by Indonesian author Feby Indirani, as well as the lived experiences of members Marsya (vocals, guitar), Widi (bass), and Sitti (drums), ‘PMS’ sees VOB acquire a target in discrimination, particularly against women, and unleash upon it the full-force of their metal fury.
Hitting the studio with Yuka Dian Narendra, VOB captured the same studio magic they did with previous single ‘[NOT] Public Property’, but with ‘PMS’, managed to bottle it in a different way, explains Marsya. “We definitely had our doubts in the beginning because it never occurred to us how a protest song could have vocal melodies of a sunnier disposition. However, once we tried it out and had a listen, we ended up loving the end results. It felt like there was another side to VOB that has never been unveiled before until now, with this approach. A fun side, yet still very much VOB.”
Forming first in 2014, VOB have done the leg work, scoring stage time at some of the biggest events in the metalheads calendar, including Wacken Open Air, and amassing a legion of fans the world over in the process. This makes their headbanging call-to-arms all the more threatening, as it’s quite clear this is just the beginning.
