Edane: That was then, this is now
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Face it: Music trends are changing, including in rock. Gone are the glorious days of '80s rock with big hair, the metalheads and Seattle grunge.
Those who reign supreme today are the likes of Limp Bizkit, Slip Knot, Linkin Park and P.O.D..
Older rockers then can either insist on doing their kind of thing even though it does not sell, take a long hiatus until the wheel turns again, or else, compromise.
Local group Edane is going with the latter option.
Back in the early 1990s, Edane was one of the most respected hard rock bands in this country. Established in 1991 by Eet Sjahranie, one of the leading rock guitarists here, it comprised Eet, bassist Iwan Xaverius, drummer Fajar Satritama and vocalist Ecky Lamoh (he was later replaced by Heri "Ucok" Batara).
The band was known for their Van Halen-esque music. They also put a lot of thrash metal elements into their sound.
That was then, this is know. Listen to their latest single, Kau Pikir Kaulah Segalanya?/Kau Maniz Kau Ibliz (So, you think you're everything, huh?/You're Pretty You're the Devil).
Taken from the group's latest album 170 Volts, it is almost impossible to recognize that the song is from Edane. Former lead vocalist Ucok has been replaced by Trison Manurung.
Musically, not only has Edane toned down the hard rocking element, they have also come to sound more like Korn and Limp Bizkit than Van Halen.
"Well, as they say, the more we grow up, the more we have to compromise, and it's true," Eet or Zahedi Riza Sjahranie admitted.
The compromise mainly came from a reality check. The band's last two albums, 1996's Borneo and 1999's 9299, were flops. According to Eet, it was not due to a lack of good material.
"The record company then asked us to find another company because we didn't sell. That's a nice way to kick us out, huh?" laughed Eet.
Sony Music then expressed interest in the band, with its name firmly established on the rock scene. But the company requested that they offer something different from the old stuff.
The band took care of business, and the first measure was finding a new vocalist.
"We were thinking of making music with a wider range of sound than we previously did. As a consequence, we needed a vocalist who matched the criteria," Eet said.
Through auditions, they finally chose Trison, a former vocalist of Roxx band.
"In the audition, they asked me to sing several different songs from Pantera, Korn, Limp Bizkit, AC/DC, Aerosmith, and of course, Edane," Trison said.
"At first I found it quite difficult to adjust to the new band. But later on, it's OK," he added.
Trison wrote most of the lyrics on the new album, continuing Edane's tradition.
"Naturally, it's the vocalist who should write the lyrics. That way, they can get the soul of the song," Eet said.
In the new album, Edane has not said a complete goodbye to its hard-rocking roots. Take the title track, which, according to Eet, is a tribute to Led Zeppelin.
With the changes, is Edane better than before or a limp imitation of its younger self?
At least their first single is enjoying high airplay on the radio. The video of the single -- where Eet jumps around, imitating AC/DC guitarist Angus Young -- is also getting frequent broadcasts.
Inevitably, there has been criticism that the band has sold out, but Eet took the criticism light-heartedly.
"Well, if you trace back to the previous albums, we have changed our sound a bit in Borneo. But now, the change is more obvious.
"So what if people call us a Limp Bizkit rip-off? We don't mind. It's a good thing," he laughed.