The atmosphere is eerie for a few moments. Then one of them starts pouring a drink from a jug, and the other two make themselves comfortable on a nearby couch. Whatever nervousness anyone might have felt quickly dissipates as they start to banter among themselves, revealing warm and cordial personalities.
No, it’s not a scene from a horror movie: it’s a meeting with local metal band ROH. This eclectic trio, whose fashion sense can be described as “Grim Reaper chic”, are on a mission to dispel stereotypes and encourage local music fans to look beyond their horizons.
The band comprises lead vocalist and bass player Wahed Luo Chung, keyboard player/vocalist Isnan Abdullah, and guitarist/vocalist Salsa Ov Menara. And yes, these are their stage personas: the trio are tight-lipped on who are truly behind the masks.
“One good thing about this – we know our fans like us for our music, not just for who we are,” Isnan told FMT. “For example, if I took off my mask and revealed myself to be Awie, I think there’d be very different reactions to us!”
“We believe everyone has different personas,” Wahed chimed in. “When you go to work, you act a certain way; when you’re with your friends, you act differently. So we are different personas on stage. Our audience can either relate to us or despise us. They can imagine who we are.”
“Even though we are covered up, this persona is the one that is the most ‘me’. Every day we put on ‘masks’. But this actual, physical mask really allows me to be who I am,” Salsa said.
She added that she is often subject to societal preconceptions over being a female guitarist, so going behind the mask is a useful way to deal with that.
ROH – which stands for “Rite ov Honour” (sic) – was formed in 2019. Their musical stylings, which they dub “NewSantauRock”, are brewed from a diverse blend of influences.
Expect to hear elements of rock, pop, and ethnic music, as well as more unique sounds such as the gamelan and “luk thung” (Thai country music).
“Our core is definitely rock,” Wahed pointed out. “But ultimately, our music is a mixture of every different genre.
“We did an interview once where someone asked us straight up: ‘Are you black metal?’ I would say, yes. But at the same time, we are also keroncong, we are also k-pop, we are everything in between.
“Our songs even have reggaeton and traditional music influences. And in future songs, we want to expand, put in dance breaks or rap verses.”
Much of their music juxtaposes poetic, layered lyrics on topics such as death and disillusionment with tuneful melodies. This, together with the dark and dreary look of the band, creates interesting contrasts.
“We want to break barriers,” Wahed added. “We like a lot of heavier stuff, but we also like very catchy, melody-brite songs as well. So we try to find places where dark-sounding things can sound happy, or have happy songs with morbid lyrics in them.”
Salsa concurred, saying it’s not every day you get to do mainstream songs about death without being labelled a certain way, or to combine “happy” chord progressions with heavy themes.
“It’s something I’ve always dreamt of doing, which is why I enjoy being in this band.”
So far, ROH has primarily released their songs on social media and music platforms, although they plan to start doing live performances after Raya. Their music has hit over 10,000 streams on Spotify, with listeners coming from as far as Malta and Hungary.
Their first single, “Joget Ilusi”, came out in August. This melodic yet meditative ode on the futility of existence combines a joget-like drumbeat with pantun-style lyrics.
This was followed up with “Tele Talbis”. No, the song has nothing to do with colourful children’s show characters, although slightly distorted versions of them appear on the single’s cover.
Rather, its title combines the word “televangelist” and the Arabic word “talbis”, which translates roughly to “deception”.
The tuneful critique of corruption and complacency was released on election day last year. “Some people asked us, are you trying to link this song with politics or something? We just say, take it as you will,” Wahed said with a laugh.
A third single, “Bila Kau Tiada”, was just released in March. ROH are also working on an album, a “celebration of diversity” through collaborations in different styles.
So, are the band concerned that their distinctive look might turn off certain audiences?
“They have every right to [be turned off] – it’s human nature to have preconceived tastes on anything,” Wahed opined. “But if you don’t give new things a chance, you end up missing out on a lot.”
To learn more about the spirit of ROH, follow them on Facebook and Instagram. Don’t forget to check out their music on Spotify.