Kekal

Kekal is an Indonesian band blending extreme metal and electronic music, founded in Jakarta in 1995. AllMusic notes it was among the first heavy metal groups from Indonesia to gain international attention, and metal sociologist Keith Kahn-Harris describes it as one of the few Southeast Asian extreme metal acts to make more than a minor mark globally. Originally rooted in black metal, the band evolved into progressive metal, avant-garde metal, and electronic music, also drawing from ambient, jazz fusion, and progressive rock.

The group was started by two musicians using the pseudonyms Yeris (later identified as Jeff Arwadi) and Newbabe (later identified as Newin Atmarumeksa), initially as a one-off project. They recruited a vocalist named Harry to record a four-song demo, which circulated and attracted guitarist Leo Setiawan, who had played in a Metallica and Megadeth cover band. In June 1996, bassist Azhar Levi Sianturi joined, and the band recorded its official demo, *Contra Spiritualia Nequitiae*, using a 4-track recorder and a karaoke microphone with a bucket for reverb. The demo gained attention through tape trading and fanzines, leading to label offers. Leo joined later that year, and in 1998 the band released its self-produced debut album, *Beyond the Glimpse of Dreams*, licensed to labels in Indonesia and Singapore. Harry left after that album, and the remaining trio released *Embrace the Dead* in 1999, which Jeff Arwadi later criticized for its mainstream direction and recording quality. The band contributed a cover to a Living Sacrifice tribute album in 2000. Their third album, *The Painful Experience*, came out in October 2001, though Leo had left before recording and moved to Australia, still credited for songwriting. By 2002, the band was a duo, collaborating with Dutch band Slechtvalk on a split album and recording a Christmas cover for a compilation.

In 2003, with Leo absent, Jeff and Azhar recorded a Cradle of Filth cover for a tribute album and released the progressive *1000 Thoughts of Violence*, which earned an 8/10 rating from *Rock Hard* and was called a 2003 highlight by Powermetal.de. A best-of collection, *Introduce Us to Immortality*, also came out that year. The album’s success led to a two-week European mini-tour in March 2004, with shows in the Netherlands, Germany, and Sweden, promoted by the band’s European label Fear Dark.