Edane: That was then, this is now

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vocalist Ucok has been replaced by Trison Manurung.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.