HEREAFTER
Government Conspiracy CD
(self-release)

Just like everywhere else, the current re-run of “thrash metal” has been in full-swing over here for the last few years. For an old metal-poser like me, it’s a welcomed return to the heady, glory days of mid-to-late 80s where PUNISHER and NEMESIS and their note-for-note covers were so infectious that not a single body who were at their shows would go home without suffering from lingering whiplash.

The head-banging hair-farmers with their denim-jackets festooned with colourful retro patches and copious amount of dandruff are back. Mind you, they are not the balding, fat veterans coming back for that precious second wind, but fresh-faced, pimply, skinny thrashers barely out school; ready to rock, to ruck and to rut!

A very good reason to be cheerful, I know, but so far there are only a couple of these retro-thrash bands who managed to hold me transfixed, at least for a full song, if not for the full album, and got me reveling mad in their vicious, rampaging war-riffages. Very, very rare indeed.

In fact, local metal bands, well, some of them, including the older ones (tsk, tsk, tsk), have also been messing with my usually sedate sensibilities when they would constantly appear on-stage with dodgy, crappy, racist bands and their ultimately laughable, boring Swastikas.

Why are they doing this? Why would you wanna share the same stage with these morons? I mean, if you are so desperate to play, so damned hungry for a gig that you would just take anything offered, at the very least, go up on that stage, take a stand and verbally rip a new asshole on dem brain dead, supremacist el-stupidos!

But no, that never happened. Really, some of you guys can rock the shit out of that richter scale, but when it comes to the real thang like having a stand against the bullshit, you guys are disappointingly lame.

Anyway, what we have here is a power-trio by the name of HEREAFTER. Have they ever shared the stage with the boneheads? I wouldn’t know, but judging by the lyrics of these seven songs, I would doubt it. HEREAFTER’s Government Conspiracy is largely concerned with the eternal confusion of the masses, the public’s befuddlement by way of sly, double-edged, double-speaking long knives and cloaking devices wielded by our so called political masters.

“Corrupting the majorities (sic), and silencing the views, contaminate the laws, contaminate the world,” sing the band on This War is Our War. The second song, Secrecy of the Government features these lines, ”too many nonsense which we didn’t know, just follow the leaders whether friend or foe.“ He Who Knows Doesn’t, an instrumental reminding me of early Megadeth’s chunky hesitant riffs, is laden with clips of conflicting statements from local politicians, including Samy Vellu, Najib, Dr. M and Nik Aziz!

The crowning glory, at least for this collection of seven driving tunes, is the raging Orang Jahat, the one and only song in Bahasa that’s resolute in its stand as that happy outsider. Tired, disoriented and disillusioned with what’s going on, the protagonist rejects that confused state of existence, he opted out to uphold his conscience, guided by his own rules, unyielding to the manipulations. As a result, he and his bunch of like-minded souls were labeled and accused as ”orang jahat“ (unsavoury characters, bad people) but HEREAFTER celebrates that nonconformist state with relish, complete with an extended evil laughter ending the song. Metal up yr ass! Sweet!

Before this review made this band out to be rather too special, I would like to point out that they are a lot of glitches in the offering. The most glaring need here is a better, tighter and robust production. The guitars sound rather weak compared to the playing and delivery. If the band would go for fatter, tensed-up and tighter sound, I would be very happy indeed.

Wait, there are more: the vocals sometimes would be reaching too far beyond the singer’s capability, there are sentences with too many words falling over the edges; the English used, while acceptable, are ridden with unnecessary errors, while the political view on hand is ultimately (typically) simplistic.

All of that added to a flawed release but seeing that these are new days yet for HEREAFTER, I believe the future is rather promising and bright for the trio. I will be looking forward to their upcoming releases and shows. A good one, boys!

HEREAFTER – Orang Jahat
[audio:https://thericecookershop.com/mp3_wp_rc/2010_12_hereafter_ojahat.mp3]

[rating: 7/10]

contact: hellishred@yahoo.com
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