Members
Mohd Falmi Esman (drummer)
Syed Mahdzar (bass)
Mohd Hafidz (vocals)
Bibliography
"I feel the earth move..." Stomping Ground on their release of their debut album.
Since Stomping Ground's inception in 1989, they along with Global Chaos, Rotten Germs and the now defunct Mindrape Protestants, signalled the arrival of the hardcore punk underground.
This new rock trend grew from a community of fans who shared their passion for obscure underground sounds by blasting their boom boxes at Forum Galleria. Stomping Ground's 1991 funk and hardcore fusion demo, Grey, recorded on a $300 budget, sold out its 100 copies in a matter of weeks. This month (Oct 1995) sees the long awaited first album Measured By The Richter Scale.
If you have to ask, the band, guitarist, Suhaimi Subandie, 29, drummer Mohd Falmi Esman,21, bassist Syed Mahdzar, 23 and vocalist Mohd Hafidz, 24 - plays anthemic hardcore music. They were also more eclectic thna other bands. In their earlier gigs, they would cover Motorhead, Jimi Hendrix and even Steive Wonder. Plus Hafidz' gravity-defying stage antics was a crowd puller. This made them the opening act for punk-pop legends, The Buzzcocks, and the Rollins Band in 1992.
The band inspired many others to join the local hardcore scene, coined by Suhaimi in BigO's 1993 compilation, Lion City Hardcore. Featuring Four Sides (which coincidentally features Suhaimi's younger brother, Aydll, on drums), Voice Out and Rectify. Stomping Ground opened the CD with new tracks, the industrial strength precision of Stompintro and the ecologically conscious Man...Machine. They set the pace, to paraphrase their 199 debut EP on Skin/Pony Canyon. But for the next two years, there was nothing but silence from the band.
But why the long wait with Measured By The Richter Scale? "Most of the other acts were also delayed, not only us," says lanky Suhaimi. He is dressed in a Victory Records T-shirt, faded blue jeans and an X-Files Baseball cap. " We had plans to release an album independently. But we are thankful that Pony Canyon is releasing it, especially on the new Smoke label," Smoke is Pony Canyon's latest label, tailored for alternative bands who are more comfortable with rawer sound production. With a logo designed by underground artist Daren Lauchengco, future Smoke projects include a compilation featuring hardcore and punk bands, Voice Out and Obstacle Upsurge.
Not surprisingly, Measured By The Richter Scale is filled with ground trembling sonics from the straight edged chord structures. The basslines are frenzied and the ever-changing drum patterns will even put the heaviest grindcore band to shame." I listen to a lot of different types of music, " says Ayong, "and I fuse the best into my own style."
"The new album is very clear once you're true with the 10 tracks," Suhaimi says," Lyrically we are still teh same. we want people to look around and see what's happening and we prefer to be direct as opposed to being abstract. Musically, we try to cross over boundaries to include every musical style possible, sharpening into a style of our own."
There is a cover of Minor Threat's classic punk anthem Betray, a fan favourite during their shows. But it is the new batch of originals that really stand out. From within, an ode about false friendships and peer pressure, trots merrily with its searing guitar washes - enough to set adrenaline pumping instantly. As Hafidz sings:" My existence may seem meaningless to you/But I'm just like you/I live my life too/I need to live/Turn their backs against me/But I'll still be free." Ages is a life story" through the eyes of an old man abandoned by his loved ones." Meanwhile, Better Day is dedicated to the scene (actually, it was inspired by a Kuala Lumpur gig in January 1994 where they wer booed off stage by a group of Nazi punks). "If you always have competition in the scene," Suhaimi says," things won't ever work out. What is important is unity, something that should be highlighted now."
According to Wati Rahmat, their indie label's promotions executive," everyone has been asking when their album will be released. Nobody realises that there is actually a following for them. This is why we had the concept of Smoke. It's for bands who find the production for the Skin label a bit too slick," Despite its obvious radio-unfriendly sounds, they are confident that it well be well received. Her colleague jokingly adds,"not all good music is played on the radio!"
In the works are the label and album launch to be held at SLF auditorium, probably with two other bands, on Oct1. Other gigs slated for the band will be the third installment of Ngee Ann Polytechnic's Radio Heatwave concert on Oct 6. Playing with them will be punk band Psycho Sonique and retro-surf revivalists Force Vomit.
Suhaimi says he is aware of the amount of influence the band has. He even says that this can be pressurising at times,"Doing it as a trend and not for the value of it is a very dangerous thing," he warns," We try our best to use the right word in our music to make listeners know that it is the value of teh words and not only the music that should drive them. We are not a trend. That's why we are still together after six years."
-Zulkifli Othman (BigO Oct 1995)
