As one of the few non-Malay singers who performed in Malay, T-Rex stood out, and was quickly embraced by fans.
His husky, gravel-lined voice anchored hits such as “Luhur”, “Tawa Dalam Tangisan” and “Pergi Selamanya”, which helped propel the band to success.
As the years passed, the local heavy metal scene began to lose momentum, and Kamikaze gradually faded from the limelight.
So did T-Rex, stepping back from mainstream attention, and performing instead in clubs and venues such as Genting Highlands.
Over two decades may have passed, but this T-Rex has proven to be far from extinct. He recently released a new five-song EP, fittingly titled “Revive”, along with a catchy, upbeat Chinese New Year track called “Rock In The Horse Year”.
“A music producer, Melissa Ng, contacted me, asking why I was keeping such a low profile on social media. She said I hadn’t been doing anything for the last 25 years. Wasn’t it time for me to make a comeback?” T-Rex, whose real name is Terence Law, told FMT Lifestyle with a laugh.
“I’ve definitely missed being on the scene, and it feels nice to be back again,” the 51-year-old said.
A former sound engineer, T-Rex was thrust into the spotlight in 1996 after joining Kamikaze. Other members in the group were guitarist Shamril Mohd Salleh, bassist Rahmad Ayob and drummer Amy.
His band mates felt T-Rex’s original name “didn’t have the right vibes” for their hard rocking music. Playing on his initial “T”, coupled with his love of eating (“just like a dinosaur!”) his band mates bestowed upon him the name “T-Rex”.
“Rock In The Horse Year” is a high-energy festive tune about welcoming the Year of the Horse with energy, momentum and a fresh attitude.
The music video, which sees T-Rex performing alongside local theatre actor Jerry Pang, was shot at various scenic parts along Jalan Alor and Petaling Street here.
The video is produced by Dark Circle Entertainment and Abooleowaer Productions, in collaboration with Lagenda Records.
“Shooting the video was a lot of fun. I realised many Chinese New Year songs have guest performers, it’s not just one person singing the whole time. So, I thought the song would be more interesting if we had Jerry in it too,” T-Rex said.
This song also marks the first time the Limbang, Sarawak-born singer of Chinese-Bidayuh ethnicity has released a track in Chinese.
Singing “Rock In The Horse Year” has been tricky, T-Rex said, as it contained parts in Cantonese, Mandarin and English. Thankfully, his experience singing in multiple languages as a club singer helped him navigate this multilingual challenge.
He also hinted at releasing a Malay song for the upcoming Hari Raya celebrations.
T-Rex said that a Chinese New Year song had long been on his bucket list.
During his club-singing days, there were many discussions about collaborating with other artistes on a festive track, but none of these panned out. Until now. And he is especially pleased with how “Rock In The Horse Year” turned out.
Might his fans, used to seeing him perform heavy metal songs, be surprised to hear him belting an upbeat Chinese New Year anthem?
“I did wonder about their reactions! But thankfully, the feedback I’ve received after launching the music video has been positive,” he quipped.
Asked about the possibility of a Kamikaze reunion, T-Rex said there were no plans yet. Although he hasn’t been in regular contact with his former bandmates, he didn’t rule out the chance of a future concert together.
“It’s been a while since I’ve done this, so I’m slowly getting back into the scene. I’m very grateful for all the support I’ve been getting from fans, and hope to meet and thank them. I hope to do more shows soon!” T-Rex concluded.
Listen to more of T-Rex’s songs on YouTube.