A WOEFUL HEART & A DISQUIETING VISAGE: An Interview with Januaryo Hardy
This May, Kyle Newman embarks on a special four-issue interview series with four artists of different origins yet connected by a common thread called the Hanoi extreme metal scene. This is Issue #3.
I have always been fascinated by the notion of one musician being a part of multiple bands – whether in the same genre or not. In Vietnam, we have a brutalizing force of nature going by the name Trung Loki - having fronted around dozen different extreme metal bands hitherto. Looking outward into the regional scene as a whole, we’ll find a Januaryo “Ryo” Hardy who hails from the nation of a thousand islands called Indonesia.
Ryo is the frontman of Pure Wrath – one of the most well-known faces of not just Indonesian black metal, but Asian black metal as a whole, as well as a member of the South East Asian brutal death metal outfit Cadavoracity, and another handful of projects that best be reserved from this paragraph, lest we veer into verbose.
In this interview, we talk about Pure Wrath’s upcoming performance in Hanoi on May 26th, the creative process behind the scenes, and some insight on handling more than a couple handfuls of musical projects as a musician.
Kicking off by addressing the giant elephant in the room right here: we are t-minus a week until Pure Wrath takes centerstage at Hanoi Rock City, alongside local support acts including the local legends ROT and Elcrost. How are you feeling about this?
I'm beyond excited because I've never visited Vietnam before. The excitement also stems from my discovery of the extreme metal releases House of Ygra has offered to the world. I knew nothing about the Hanoi extreme metal scene until I met the guys in Bangkok last year.
The last time there was a foreign black metal act here in Hanoi was 11 years ago with Nargaroth being the one in question. While not the first in the whole annal of black metal in Hanoi, Pure Wrath is certainly the first black metal band to play here in a very long time, specifically the first of this decade. What do you have in mind regarding your rather special place in a city’s metal history?
From Nargaroth to Pure Wrath. Well, that’s awesome! I always love to play a show where most of the people in the bands are so connected to the real passion of black metal and the music's aesthetic. You can already tell how the Hanoi black metal bands take serious songwriting, lyrics, and the nuances of their outputs. Those are the best things, thus the channel of every corridor of black arts with passionate people will easily be connected.
Let us go over the behind-the-scenes business a little: how did the discussion of this particular performance come to be?
I was in a music conversation with the Imperial Cult of Elcrost. I offered the idea, and he welcomed it, saying that he would try to find the best time for this. I was hoping to meet him again to discuss the plan and play at the same show in Kuala Lumpur, but the organizer dropped them off at the last minute. Several months later, he came up with the fixed plan.
I have the impression that you and Imperial Cult have had a certain level of rapport prior to this: would you like to talk about how first contact happened between the two great contemporary black metal artists of South East Asia?
We met at the Mayhem concert in Bangkok where Pure Wrath was also billed as the opening act last year. He and the other guys came over to the merch section to say hi, and somehow, I instantly felt like I had known them for a very long time. It’s so rare for me to feel this way. They were so passionate about talking about House of Ygra and the records they have been working on. So yeah, anything related to passionate musicianship always catches me easily. We've kept in touch since that day.
Having taken into consideration that Pure Wrath’s most recent album, “Hymn to the Woeful Hearts”, was released in 2022, I presume that the setlist for the upcoming performance will remain relatively unchanged compared to those prior to it. Unless there would be new materials… Would there be any?
I've found that the songs from 'Hymn to the Woeful Hearts' are the most enjoyable to play live. We always have cool crowds headbanging, even moshing in every show we've played. At the same time, I've been trying to push this record to be heard more than the others because I feel it's the best album to attract new listeners to the Pure Wrath catalog. Well, there are songs from past albums too, but only the personal favorites. The setlist has always been my personal choice, featuring songs with strong messages. No new materials will be played.
There is a distinct European taste to the music of Pure Wrath that can be described as majestic. What are some influences and/or inspirations you take when creating aural art under this nomenclature?
Classic music and film scores have always been the strongest influences during my songwriting process. I've watched numerous ethereal films, especially those featuring music by luminaries like Hans Zimmer, Danny Elfman, John Williams, and Krzysztof Komeda, during the creation of the latest album. On the other hand, Chopin, Mozart, and Tchaikovsky were the ones who helped me through the boredom of my daytime job. Even Matt Elliott’s The Drinking Songs. Interestingly, black metal only constitutes about 30% of the entire idea.
This is most definitely a gradual shift – and I am talking about the lyrical themes here: from purely nature-related to manifesting as solemn stories that have roots in Indonesian history. How did this shift come to you?
Pure Wrath has always been personal for me, lyrically. ‘Ascetic Eventide’ mainly delves into my personal thoughts about life, connected to my romanticized obsession with living in a rural place without any other human beings. It’s close to misanthropy yet far from existential hatred. Wrath-related themes are always key in conveying what truly matters in how I perceive life. The following albums aren't far from this idea; they just explore different events and sources of wrath. Specifically, ‘The Forlorn Soldier’ and ‘Hymn to the Woeful Hearts’ are rather historical, detailing how innocent individuals were lost, kidnapped, or killed during the genocide that occurred during the anti-communist movement by the Soeharto regime, while ‘Sempiternal Wisdom’ adopts a storytelling style to depict the irony and paradox of nationalism. I would say Pure Wrath has always been about the darkest nature of humanity, but depending on how I put myself as the witness of the entire realm.
Another shift within the creative process, I noticed, was the step into a more collaborative effort: with Yurii Kononov on the drums and Dice Midyanti handling the more orchestral elements of the compositions since 2020’s EP “The Forlorn Soldier”. At what point did you make this decision, and how did the collaboration process take place?
At some point, I realized that programmed drums, piano, and strings never really deliver the organic, earth-grounded sound I desired. I was missing the real touch of talented musicians on those specific instruments, in every specific part. My admiration for Yurii’s past works with White Ward, Schattenfall, and Yotsuya Kaidan brought the idea to have him as a de facto member of the project. Dice's past band, Victorian, has an amazing album that I really love. She has an amazing passion for tragedy.
Onto the more technical aspects of recording: I saw a story on your Facebook where you were holding the guitar against your monitor speakers to generate feedback. Would it be correct to assume that you record your materials with digital plugins when it comes to recording for Pure Wrath?
The video you've seen was just a small part of the usual experiment that happens during the songwriting process. And yes, I've been using digital modelers and plugins for years in Pure Wrath and have never gone back to real amplifiers like in my death metal days, for both the songwriting and recording processes. I always love to work digitally. The workflow allows you to have so many chances for creative sound ideas, where you don’t encounter any problems recalling them the next day.
Plugins vs. Physical gears: what do you prefer?
I’d say both. Plugins are amazing when it comes to mobility and memorization. Physical gear is still highly necessary for me because some plugins cannot really achieve certain thing such as stage performance versatility. Maybe the right comparison would be: Real amp vs Modeler. I’d easily choose a modeler. I don’t need to have an amp to get a close imitation of an amp or cab sound nowadays. I also don’t want to have issues with mobility, recalling, live mixing, monitoring, or mic-ing before soundcheck again. What I believe is not about which gears are used but how strong the songwriting, arrangement, and the band’s attitude are. I always see everything in the entire picture. When a band has a full package of these elements, then they play live with their amazing music, legitimate live mixing from their dedicated sound engineer, lighting, and stage appearance…I’m hooked.
In one of the Instagram posts, you mentioned that there are yet plans for the making of a new Pure Wrath album. Would you like to tell us more about said decision?
Actually, I’m currently writing the new album. Perhaps the process is still questionable since I’m progressing slowly and currently dealing with something else. It's in progress, but you might have to wait a couple of years. Yurii and I are still undecided about the kind of recording we’re going to pursue, in which studio, and even in which country. The coolest thing about it is that Debemur Morti is still interested and has given us no deadline at all. It’ll be out when it’s out.
Pure Wrath is only one of at least a dozen different projects that you are a part of, most of which are death metal bands such as Cadavoracity, Bloodriven, and a more recent Sigil of Ruin. Would you consider yourself more of a, quote-unquote, “death metal guy” than black metal?
I don’t really know who I am. Probably, just a dog father.
And I am drawing parallels to the previous questions about influences you have in black metal here: What are some of the names you think influence you the most when it comes to death metal?
My school days were cool because of the brutality of bands like Brodequin, Disgorge, Severe Torture, Brutus, Pyemia, and Putridity. But the older I get, the slower the death metal I consume becomes. Bands like Incantation, Spectral Voice, Krypts, Black Curse, Exhumation, and Mortiferum are more my speed now.
In a way, it feels like the more melodic – and beautifully so – projects a la Pure Wrath, Insolent, and Lament act as a balancing force to the unbridled brutality found in the death metal projects you are in. Would you agree?
The ‘melodic and beautiful’ side you mentioned is actually the most emotional one in the spectrum. Most of my death metal projects are rather fictional and funny. So, vice versa, I would say.
It should go without saying that it is a tremendous amount of work to handle and maintain such an extensive lineup of creative outlets. What do you think is the hardest part regarding the balance-keeping between all of these projects, and what advice do you have for the younger artists who are thinking of taking on multiple projects at once?
Well, I’m actually fucked-up, but the most important thing is to do what you want. Do not start a band just because you want to be rock star or to get laid. Be honest, be brave. Art is beyond everything.
In the foreseeable near future, what will be the endeavor of priority for Mr. Ryo Hardy? Can you let me as well as the readers in the know?
I’m trying so hard to be healthier, stronger, and mentally stable. I eat more vegetables and less alcohol intake. Albums will not be recorded if I’m dead. So, yeah!
Before we sign off, is there any message you would like to give to everyone?
Ceasefire now! Free Palestine!
Thank you so much for joining this interview, and I most definitely cannot wait to see you with Pure Wrath onstage in Hanoi next week! See you then!
Pure Wrath will make their very first appearance in Hanoi at the black metal ritual MASS:IV on May 26th, 2024, alongside four local supporting acts.
Links:
Pure Wrath - Encyclopaedia Metallum
