Hinahagilap mo ang iyong puso
Humahagilap ka ng pag-ibig.
Kulong sa rehas ng panganib
dumudulog ka sa kasamaan
sumasampalataya ka sa kasalanan.
Ikaw ang Hari ng walang hanggang parusa
Ikinakalat ang kamandag sa lahat ng lupa
Ibinabalik ang itim sa dilim, sinasakal ang panaginip
upang ang lahat ng tao'y maging tulad mo.
Hinahagilap mo ang iyong puso
Humahagilap ka ng pag-ibig.
Kulong sa rehas ng pasakit
dumudulog ka sa kadiliman
sumasampalataya ka sa kasamaan.
Ikinakalat ang kamandag sa lahat ng lupa
Ibinabalik ang itim sa dilim, sinasakal ang panaginip
upang ang lahat ng tao'y maging tulad mo.
Kun mahiling mo sana— bakong an ilaw sa sala ngonian na mauran na hapon na pipagdagka ka sa katabangan kan tanawon, pwedeng maging arog man kan hiniribian mong mga aldaw sa kaakian na yaon na sana sa giromdom?
Kadaklan pano sa nagtatao satuyang pungaw dulot man sana kan sadiri tang kahugakan na maghiling. Minaralapwas sana an kada oras na dai kitang nakukua o nauukdan.
Sa sarong tanaw, makua ta kuta an kapahingaloan sa pagigi tang yaon digdi, pwedeng ngonian na sana, buda an daing kasagkodan naghahalat na satuya.
Ikaogma ta lamang kuta an pagmati na, iyo luway-luway na kitang napapara, pero bukas pa an paglaom na pwede ta pang punan na maging gilayon.
Pebrero7, 2009. Tayhi.
* * *
Kung makikita mo lamang sana ang lahat lagi sa mata ng umaalala, baka makakuha ng ganda.
Kung makikita mo lamang— di ba’t ang ilaw sa sala ngayong maulang hapon na bumabalisa sa’yo sa katabangan ng tanawin ay maaaring maging tulad din ng mga iniyakan mong mga araw sa kabataan na naroroon na lamang sa alaala?
Karamihan kasi sa nagdudulot sa atin ng lungkot dala na rin ng sarili nating katamaran na tumingin. Lumalagpas lamang ang bawat oras na wala tayong nakukuha o natututunan.
Sa isang tanaw, makuha sana natin ang kapayapaan sa ating pagiging andito, maaaring ngayon na lamang, at hinihintay na tayo ng walang hanggan.
Ikasaya sana natin ang pakiramdam na, oo unti-unti na tayong naglalaho, ngunit bukas pa ang pag-asang maaari pa nating umpisahan na maging muli.
Agom, naubos ko na saimo an gabos na similiya; dai nang kagayunan sa kinaban na dai ko pa inuyon sa saimong katawohan. Dai na akong rawit-dawit na maiaatang saimo na dai ko ootrohon an sadiri ko.
Anong pagkamuot an satuya? Arog sa tinanom na naghahagad pang pagpadaba sa daga dawa yaraya na ini sa kahinugan buda rambong?
Makangirabong isipon na dai ka, garo sarong pagbasang-basang, garo arog
Arog
Muya ko naman kutang makamati ki pag-aling hali sa iba, pero dai ko
Nugad sierto ako sa paghuna na nasala sana su satong pagkatuparan, na igwang duwang tawo sa kun sain na iyo dapat an para satuya, pero nugad man dai akong duda na inaki sana akong suhay saimo para maukdan kong hanapon ka, na an gabos tang pagmawot na makatupar ki pagkamuot para sana usulon kita na magtagbuan sa tahaw.
Maluya akong magbilang ki taon, matapo an utak ko sa pagrumdom, pero
Buda kun igwa talagang hewas na masuhay satuya, na dai ko kayang panuan, masibog akong sarong lakad. Kun harani pa an, saro pa. Saro pa kun kaipuhan. Dawa pira, sagkod sa mataram mong harayo na kita. Sagkod sa tama na an hewas para mawoton mo gilayon na otrohon an satuyang buhay.
Pebrero 3, 2009. Karangahan.
Tagalog:
Sulat
Kabiyak, naubos ko na saiyo ang lahat nang pagwawangis; wala nang kagandahan sa daigdig na di ko pa naihinalintulad sa iyong katauhan. Wala na akong
Anong pag-ibig ang sa atin? Tulad sa halamang humihingi pang pagsuyo sa lupa gayong subsob na ito sa kahinugan at lago?
Nakakapangilabot isiping wala ka, parang isang iskandalo, parang tulad sa taong-bituin na napatid sa kanyang sasakyan palutang-lutang sa walang dulong dilim ng kalawakan. Tama bang sabihing nakasanayan na kita kaya ganun na lamang ang pagbuntot ko saiyo?
Tulad ng isang bangungot akala ko wala nang iba sa labas mo. Akala ko ang susunod na ay kamatayan.
Nais ko na rin sanang makaramdam ng pag-aruga mula sa iba, ngunit di ko alam kung mapapantayan nila ang iyong pag-aruga.
Minsan, sigurado ako sa akalang nagkamali lang ang ating pagtagpo, na may dalawang tao sa kung saan na siyang dapat para sa atin, ngunit, minsan wala akong duda na isinilang lamang akong hiwalay sayo para matutunan kong hanapin ka, na ang lahat ng ating pagnasang makatagpo ng pag-ibig ay para lamang itulak tayo na magsalubong sa gitna.
Mahina akong magbilang ng taon, marupok ang utak ko sa pag-alala, ngunit alam kong tumanda akong kasama ka, alam kong naghirap ako, nasaktan, nasugatan, nawasak, nahilom, at lumigayang lubos.
At kung meron talagang lawak na hahati sa atin, na di ko kayang punan, aatras ako ng isang hakbang. Kung malapit pa yan, isa pa. Isa pa kung kinakailangan. Kahit ilan, hanggang sa masabi mong malayo na tayo. Hanggang sa mainam na ang lawak para naisin mo uling ulitin ang ating buhay.
Photo: Detail “LADY WRITING A LETTER WITH HER MAID” by Vermeer
http://karangahanonline.blogspot.com/2009/02/karangahan-vol-iv-pebrero-2009.html
Just Click the link. Featured writers:
ESTING JACOB
GIOVHANNII C. BUEN
JAIME JESUS BORLAGDAN
For submissions, email: waterpatterns@yahoo.com
BIKOL WORKS ONLY.
AN LALAKING MUYANG LUMAYOG
ni Jamie Jesus Borlagdan
Igwa daang sarong lalaking muyang lumayog. Tolong banggi siyang nag-isip na daing katurog, buda dawa sa katurog naiisip niya an paglayog pero daing kasimbagan. Sa pang-apat na banggi tinaram saiya kan Bantay sa Pinto kan Pangiturugan, na an bathala kan mga bayong igwang harong sa gurang na Piling marambong sa ika-tolong liko kan salog kan Baranghawon. Tibaad makatabang daa kun inio dumanon niya. Kaya insigida pagmuklat, daing duwa-duwang sinungko niya su rona.
“Bayong, bayong, muya kong libuton an kinaban, muya kong lumayog pero dai akong
Nagpahiling su Bathala
“Dai taka kaan mapapaonrahan, sagkod an samong tataramon kaya mong itaram.”
“Pano ko man an mauukudan?”
“Lingawan mo an boses na saimong
“Pano man, dai ko ngani marumduman kun pano ko ini naukudan.”
“Sa puon
Bilog na buhay niya paglayog
Arog
“Mala ako an nagdara saimo digdi, tatawan taka pang tsansa na baguhon an saimong disisyon.”
Inagda
“Pag ininum mo an laog kan kopitang ini, papaliwuyon ka na garo ka naglilihi, an duwang namit sana kan bunga kan Pili an makakahali kan saimong pagliwoy. Manatok an lantahon, masapog an ilog. Pagmata mo mananamitan mo an hamis
“Pag ininum mo man an yaon digdi, garo ginusgos ki langaton an dila mo, bubuahon ka
Sa tarom
“Muya ko sanang lumayog, buda mahiling an kinaban, dai akong paki-aram kun dai na ako makataram. Muya ko sanang lumayog...”
Ginawgaw saiya
Pagmuklat dai na siyang boses. Pagnagtataram siya, an nagluluwas katoninungan. Imbes kamunduan, namatean niya an nganang ogma, ta nagrarani na siya sa pagkahaman
Nag-apod siya sa puon
Nag-apod siya sa puon
Nag-apod siya sa puon
Nag-apod siya...
Sa puon
Pebrero 1, 2009. Karangahan.
Hindi ko alam kung nasobrahan ako sa ube flan, at pinipig na malagkit, dahil nang nagpapababa ako ng kain, naisipan kong buklatin ang isang magasin na ang pagkagusot ay halos tila pamalot na ng tinapa (sa dami malamang ng kamay na lumamas) at magbasa. Ang pamagat ng basahin ay Pinoy Big Jokes (kung sakaling meron kayo nito ang pabalat niya ay yaong si Tarzan na nakasabit sa isang anaconda habang nakakapit sa baba niya (hindi sa kanyang paa) ang isang matsing, na nakabukaka sa nganga ng isang buwaya. May sinasabi si Tarzan na "Dadalawa na lang yan, babasagin mo pa!" Okey, di siya nakakatawa. Pero binasa ko pa rin habang pinapatugtog ang folder ni Ray Charles na kadodownload ko pa lang mula sa mp3-code.com (salamat Eric Lim) sa aking, guess what, mp3.
God. Ewan ko ba. Siguro, pag an tagal mo nang seryoso bumababa ang tolerance mo sa joke, I mean, parang sa inuman pag an tagal mo nang di tumotoma, madali kang malasing. Shet, ewan ko ba, mababaw lang talaga siguro ang tawa ko ngayon. Matagal na akong mukhang tanga (kahit di naman madalas) sa bahay nina Ca, dahil para sa kanila weirdo NA ako (sa lagay kong to). (Malamang pagnakilala nila ang iba kong kaibigan, irerevise nila ang denotation nila ng weirdness) Anyway. Yun, nasabi ko yun kasi, sa ibang panahon, nakikita nila akong nakatulala sa harap ng notebook, o kaya nuong may relihiyon pa ako, nagyoyoga sa drying court o nagmumutter mutter ng ka-bullshitan, ayon sa kanila, at ngayon na naman, tumatawang mag-isa. Buti na lang si Radha lang at pamangkin ko ang nakakita...busy yung grown ups sa pag Kukung haye Fatchoi nila somewhere sa dining area. Anyway. Yun, maulan, at dapat sana tinatapos ko na ang History of Rock N' Roll na hiniram ko kay Eric, dahil Disc 2, Beatles at the British Invasion pa lang yun, at marami pa akong papanuorin, blah, blah, pero obligasyon kong sunduin ng sasakyan ang pamilya ko, so andito ako. Buti na lang may joke book. Dala ko naman ang notebook ko, pero tigang pa ako sa garapata sa patay na aso, kaya wala akong masulat, matutulala lang ako sa harap ng notebook at pagtatawanan pero walang lalabas. Kaya nagbasa na lang ako. At natawa, habang umuulan at kumikidlat sa labas, habang kinikiliti ni Ray Charles ang tenga ko, habang tinititigan ako ng aking anak at kalaro niya, habang nagyeyear of the earth cow ang matatanda sa kung saan. Natatawa ako hihihihi...
Okay, so para mabigyan naman kayo ng ideya kung anong mga jokes ang nasa bente pesos na joke book, etong isa sa mga di ko makalimutan:
"Ako lang ang makapagpapadugo sa ilong ni Manny Pacquio!" --English
Okey, pero para sa akin eto ang killer:
"Hindi makapagtimpla ng juice si Inday.
Tahimik lang siyang nakatitig sa bote ng juice.
Dahil nakasulat: Concentrate."
aaaaaaaa. Alam niyo, then and there, nangarap akong makapagpatawa. Alam kong di ako makakaisip ng nakakatawang terset na tulad nun. Sana di lang ako nakakatawa, marunong din akong makapagpatawa. Ang feeling kasi ng tawa, napaka-real. Yumuyugtog ang buo mong katawan, sumasakit ang dibdib mo, pero masarap. Minsan gusto kong uminom para lang tumawa, yung tila mas-stroke ka na sa intensity. Sarap nun. Parang Huuusssaaah! Primal scream eklat. Napaluha kasi ako sa last parts ng Indian film na "Water", mag-isa naman ako, na frustrate ako kasi di ko pa itinuloy sa hagulgol, parang kailangan ko yun. Anyway, sige na nga wala nang bullshitan, eto talaga ang nagpaligaya sa akin:
Apple of my eye/ mango of my pie/ palaman of my tinapay/ keso of my monay/ teeth of my suklay/ fingers of my suklay/ blood in my atay/ bubbles of my laway/ sala of my bahay/ seeds of my palay/ clothes in my ukay-ukay/ calcium in my kalansay/ kalamansi in my siomai/ vitamins in my gulay/ tungkod when I'm pilay/ feeling when I'm high/ shoulder when I cry/ cure to my aray...
Kung sino ka mang sumulat nito, isa kang henyo, putang ina ka!
The Naga trip was a sort of brutal shake to our stagnating little lives. That day, was sorta "our most productive" day for years, as a band. You can't help but miss the time when you were just coming together, wide-eyed and full of hope and happy thoughts that you'll be okay. But then shit happens, once, twice, until you don't notice how often it happens, until you no longer even give a rat's ass if it does happen. Until that fateful Friday.
It started off from the beginning. By nature and by human frailty we were becoming hopelessly late for the long trip. Rain and heavy drinking the night before ditched our scheduled 7:30 departure to a mind rattling 10 am. Yadda, yadda, yadda, long trip, silent, long, sleepy, landscapes of green and smell of carabao dung, we arrived in Naga, a little before lunch. More private detours, then we started looking for the Canamaan studio.
Yadda, yadda, yadda, questions for directions, missed turns, shouting, arguments, until we finally found the place. And the first thing that'd come to one's head would be: what the fk happened to the city? It was a little like the middle of nowhere. The transpo left us, and we started looking for food. The drummer from Negative 13th Xray, met us and thanks to him, we sorta have a connection with the world as we knew it. He "assisted" us with the ups and downs of the place, until we all realized it's all downs, and by down, we mean, there was no place for lunch!
It's one of those mistakes "yanos" commit when they speculate that anyplace Metro is a "complete" spic and speck place. And on that day we made the same tragic mistake to think that Canamaan is still part of the glorious Metro Naga. So on that day, the menu was cup noodles, and a pack of soap-flavored crackers. Plus we have to disturb the studio guy for borrowing all sorts of utensils while Negative was laying down their tracks.
For a while with our filled bellies we calmed down. But another predicament arrived. The catch was, the studio things were rented by Bob Marlin for a reggae mon gig later that day, in other words, we have to like record as if the world is at the end of a burning wick if we want to produce something that day.
And of course the pressure was on, and showing. Eric the guitar whiz, had to repeat his tracks a couple of times (which I guess naman is normal in more humane situations), and, I don't know and I don't really wanna know, who kept on farting an unmoved baggage-fart, INCONSIDERATELY, in the air-tight room.
When exhaustion was bending us down, all we wanted was to wrap it up and finish the task. And so we did.
Skip, skip, skip to the Wharf gig. And Flat Earth played their last song for the nth time (heheh). Time to assemble for the mattress. Cheeky goodbyes, drunken banter, high fives, we are the best yowls, and then it was over, doors were closed, paths home were taken...finally. Then the realization: someone was left behind.
Then the drama. And a little blood. And a long, dragging night of arguments in repeat mode. The endless cycle of apology volleyed by drunken minds. Tirelessly a dead end was sought. Until finally sleep took us all.
In the morning, if you had seen the movie "Almost Famous" that part where there was a crazy party where Still Water's guitarist jumped off from the roof to the pool, shouting "I am a golden god" and his friends picked him up in his boxer shorts, and they were all silent inside their tour bus--we had a moment like that. Unfortunately we didn't have an Elton John song for us to sing with and make everything cool again. So there.
1.
I got a weird Quill/UP Diliman college days feeling tonight, while in my cultural group's regular gig Urag-urag. A lot of familiar people were there (although the event was a commercial flop) that I felt I haven't seen for a long time. This afternoon today it looked as if it's gonna rain hard, but tonight the stars were out, and it was just one irrisistable saturday night. I laughed trully for months or even years. It was a good night; I wasn't that drunk, I played my fill, and sweat a lot while playing--it was good. I'm not going to edit this although a voice behind me keeps on whispering linguistic crap in my ear. This is a "Christie Road" moment I got here. (refere to previous blog on Greenday Kerplunk!)
This is just one artsy fartsy night, and I'm in it. Around me people were talking about short films and plans for plays, while a band cries out thier original songs. The bar is bare, yes, but who cares? I just asked where could all the teenagers in Tabaco be tonight, to a friend. And he had no idea. Wow. Where could all the young people be tonight in a night like this?
What could they be doing tonight? I met new faces sharing with us the same preoccupations, and I just remembered that its still summer. And I remembeed all my previous summers. Particularly that summer of 96, when me and my friends did nothing but make and play songs. What grasshoppers we were. And this summer had that taste. Only now i'm older. For a stretch of forever I didn't feel anxious...or I might have but i quickly forgot about it while blabbering away with someone over the loud music. I feel so packed like Spam or an airtight pillow. What will I ever lose by dying? But please not yet, O Lord.
2.
I only drank one beer and my tongue is loose.
I guess this is to warn our dear LCC shoppers—the whole month of May is feared to be exciting and meaningful. No longer will the
All this is new found substance, is brought to us, without a shred of shame (and loving it), by the musical cult-supported event by the infamous name of Urag-urag (grievance). Urag-urag is the brainchild of the arts and culture group ABKAT; it is also its more familiar project among a teeming of others still unnoticed. It was started several years ago, attracting bands with varied musical genres united only by the fact that they are to play nothing but original songs. Not only the event was a smashing success, but it shattered the age-old tradition of non-creativity and cheap coverage of radio or MTV-established numbers. Some bands, though, despite the good example, still remain to be stubborn slackers of cover-playing for easy recognition. And of course, they are supported to the point of fandom by the audience who can only appreciate—guess—cover-playing.
But if ever there is a real cultural revolution in this City, this is it. For with the conception of the Urag-urag, Tabaco has made its first baby step, and joined other communities in a conscious pursuit of having a real musical culture.
The last massacre of indifference to the musical culture revolution in Tabaco, just happened last Sunday. People were awed and had their mouths in a wide O, saliva streaming down their cheeks in some, for the two solid hours of unheard of renditions, straight from the underground. Some were shocked, pissed, and wanted to spit in the bands faces, given the chance, but I am sure among the audience present there in that historic event, someone had said: I want to have worth—I’m tired of playing someone else’s song. And that my friends is the beginning of fulfillment. Most of the bands in this number aren’t paid, yet they keep on—what fuels their drive to play for free? That my friends is the secret happiness shared only by those who had the balls to play their own songs in front of a hundred people or so. Let’s cut this showband attitude of playing for food, enough with the cheap boy-band antics, and chick magnetry. It’s time to ask one’s self, when. When will I ever make something that is me?
I am not saying that all the bands in the Urag-urag bandwagon are all good, the world is not as perfect as that. And Tabaco Original Sound is still a fleeting ideal. We’ll give our detractors that, but we believe that the path is already set toward that direction, and it is only a matter of time before its eventual attainment.
So this is also a sort of call to my fellow bands, and bands still out there lurking in the limbo of impersonality. Don’t just play for kicks, or because you love playing—you’ve already done that. Try playing for something else. Something that will benefit not only you or your band mates, but also those that know what good music is, and what music is, period. Something that endures even when your band disintegrates into bits of warring points, something beyond you or time itself. Something like an original sound, a sound that is us alone. A sound that was handed to us by tradition or sung to us when we were young. Something that we know with all our hearts. Lets try to touch that area. It is not enough that we are composing originals. It’s always having an original sound that counts, at least for me.
Ok, I may have cried a bit in that portion. Any way here are the bands who performed in the last Urag-urag at LCC: Play As One, YParusa, Krear Bathala, Flat Earth Society, Kalbaryo, Amadeus, Rash, Time Rosary, and Green Diary. Yay to us all.
Yay also to our kick-ass, host Richard Madrilejos.
Yay to Julius Bariso for the pictures.
Yay to Jun Lim for the Engineering.
And yay to Kuya Erwin, for just being gay and ignoring us.
The word
The symbol representing
The ordinary waking, or material state:
The state of deep sleep:
The dream state:
Absolute conscience, or the awakened state:
Other versions of the Omar include:
Sikh Ek Onkar
Vedic (ancient Hindu) Om
Tibetan Om
Another news is we have already released two singles HARI NG WALANG HANGGANG PARUSA and the classic CLOWNS.We have recorded it this year (2006) in Santo Domingo, courtesy of F3 (Mudflow). Its a little rough, but more intelligible than a cassette recording. So there.
And a few months ago we won the TAU GAMMA PHI battle here in plaza, besting another classic Tabaco band Dark Dungeon. Anyway, so there, just keep holding on.
By the way, check out this site: you tube type haunted garage
The latest thing to happen to the Garage boys is the third installment of Roots by The Hopeless Culture Productions of Tabaco Ciy. The same bands will be there and Garage will play (if possible) two new songs. The event will be on the saturday after this one. So I appeal to the garagehaunters to be there to support our national band Haunted Garage!
Where: Club Reverb, Magayon Hotel Legazpi City
When: February 21 2004, 7 pm
What: Roots III
Why: Because Haunted Garage will be there stupid!
The Garage performed five soul-soaring metal songs, (Ode to a rotting city, Almighty, Fallen from Vaikuntha, Stale, Clowns) and blew the minds away of the audience which included my parents (nyahaha).
My parents had fun, though they suffered temporary deafness and hyperventillation due to the excessive puffing of smoke and weed.
To cap the night up, if you were not there, you were never there...(what the hell does that mean?)
Band of the Month:
Iced Earth
Album of a blast beat band you must hear:
Slaughter of the Soul by At the Gates
New found Metal:
Symphony X (Not so original licks though, pero ok na rin)
Till then, my brethren to the Cult of the Haunted Garage.
Love the One who gave you Love. Haribol Forever!
His Hauntedness Jimple
at Overload and the first installment of Roots
People in the house!
The Haunted Garage has just performed in Club Reverb last January 23 at Overload, Astrodome Albay, and 24 at Club Reverb. For those who have seen us, thanks. To those who pat us at our backs and said we fuckin rock, thanks. To those motherfuckers who think we suck at Overload, thanks. We are doing all we can to deliver you a direct, and hard kick in the behind if we can't give you enough, allow us to try next time. So long.
Bathala
Stale
Ode to a Rotting City
Fallen from Vaikuntha
Almighty
Diyos ng Paglipad
Scenic Background.
2003 music scene in the the commercially dubbed "city of love" of Albay, Tabaco City, is reigned by musical cousins Punk and Ska and their mutations, namely punk-ska, hardcore punk, etc. Heavier bands digging Black, Death, Prog, Gore, Trash were swept to the corners with the emergence of these "skater-beach-groove". Although no one can totally proclaim that the heavy music is dead, the least we could say is it is dormant. Hibernating in some cold dungeon, waiting for the total kill. The marker in my opinion for the "demise" of the Dark Sound was the laying low of (in my opinion) the past reigning emperors of dark music, Dark Dungeon. Back then, wearing black used to mean a lot of things. Now, everybody's wearing black. Everybody's trying to get in to the bandwagon of playing anything not for the music but for kicks. But let's cut the sentimental crap and focus in our aim. One thing is clear, the Ballbreakers were gone. The days of the twin guitars (and I mean real guitars) were gone. All we have are jumping kids in addidas sweaters, and baggy pants ranting about they're not perfect and their parents hate them...the cheesy angst of teenage losers. But the Cause is yet not lost. There maybe some bands out there watching all the cheap circus of these amateurs. One that emerged out of sulking is Haunted Garage.
The Band.
Haunted Garage is a four-piece pack of terror-mongers. They cometh to ruin your prom. Not with slime or gore though, not with satanism and the worship of evil, not with pentagrams and sacrificial sabers. They didn't even change their names to latin to sound like Azagtoth or Euronimous or whatever, but they do worship those guys. They're just four ordinary pricks fighting for their right to party...in their version of good time. The present line-up includes the brothers Jimzzy (left-handed drums) and Jimple (guitar/vox), Waks (guitars) and Nat (bass). Of the four Jimple is the original Garagehaunter, we will know later; Waks claims himself to be the great sessionist, for he has played all sorts of instruments for other bands like Necrophilia, Pain Theory, Sacrifice, Emperor (just kidding, not in a million years) and a lot more; Nat plays bass for the post-Legalize Cannabis and jams with Octopus Bong and other ska tribute bands, and Jimzzy has a band which is still in the process of being named.
Before we proceed, Haunted Garage now isn't what it was before. Let us dissect its shadowy past. The name Haunted Garage alludes to a real "garage" which is infested with "hauntings". The original band members play on this garage, which is a room in an old ancestral house of the Borlagdan clan, abandoned and uninhabited for almost 20 years, along the sleepy stretch of Karangahan Blvd. The garage was proven haunted when the original members, Nukie (bass, vox), Rodel (drums) and Jimple (guitars), together with members of other bands who jammed at the garage, told hair-raising tales of spirits making themselves known thru touch and wiffs of chill, and occasional back-up voices. The band was formed by the three original members to augment a band they have formed in their highschool days called August Six. The first Garagehaunters jammed songs from their youth and a few Radiohead songs as it was the planned "sound" of the band supposedly. The two original members Nuke and Rodel, due to confidential reasons left the band. Jimple then took the present Garagehaunters to form the present Haunted Garage. But what is most ironic is that the new Haunted Garage has never played on the garage, for before Jimple was able to form with the new members they were evicted and barred from playing there by the tenants.
Nevertheless, the band went on, their first major breakthrough was when they played at DBPMC Gym, last August 25. That was the start of their hauntings and many followed.
The Sound.
Nat, the bassist has strong leanings on ska/punk/reggae; Jimzzy on hardcore, grunge, a few metal; Waks is a true blue Black Metal dude; Jimple on Melodic Metal, Iron Maiden-ish and Prog; what do you think would you get after you have mixed all of these? Although influences are vital to the creative process as it is what differentiates the individual from the band, filtering is more vital. You can't have so much Black Metal riffs if you are not a Black Metal band. You may crucify me for stereotyping but please spare me the hypocrisy, there is truth in this. Maybe "a little of this, a little of that". a little of Slapshock here, a little of Emperor there, how about some Goldfingerish bassline on the intro? or a little Maiden twin guitar attack on the solo? It happens dude. We all have our heroes. But this is not the Haunted Garage Sound. People have a hard time labeling them, not like "oh, you're a punk band, cause you play New Found Glory; oh, you 're ska cause isn't that Royal Oil you just played?" Maybe, just maybe they are the first ones to have the Haunted Garage Sound. Why? Because they play their own songs idiot! Sorry about that. That's a joke, cause although you make your own songs you may sound like your influences, right? Right. The least I can say about this band is that they don't do covers as what most bands do. So their sound? If you like the dark, melodic canticles of old school metal you'd certainly like "Clowns", this is the song you'd probably sing to God when you're pissed off; if you find fast, grinding epic progressions laced with melodious guitar work, "Bathala" and "Stale" will blow you out of your wits, these are two songs about the pains of being betrayed by someone you have placed in an altar. "Ode to a rotting city", a song about this soul-slaughtering city, is so far the major song in the line-up,this is the definitive sound of the band, this is the band's idea of true High Metal following the footsteps of the thematic projects of Metallica in "...and justice for all" and Dream Theater. The text (or lyrics as you call them) and music on all the songs are composed and written by Jimple the band's songwriter, and is modified by the band to fit the Haunted Garage Sound. The Haunted Garage Sound is not for easy listening, and you don't just listen, you think. You can't play this while you drive, or while you're making out with your chick.
2003 Somewhere between July to August
Jimple, Nukie and Rodel decided to regroup after their highschool band, August Six ceased to grow.
Nukie and Rodel bought a second hand drum kit and "housed" it at Jimple's grandmother's abandoned house. Thus the name Haunted Garage was coined. Factually the haunted garage wasn't really a garage per se, but an old room in that old mansion where the band usually jammed. But many said that it was haunted alright.
The band covered Radiohead songs and some of the band's first originals like "Clowns", "Bathala" and "Stale". They played their very first gig at Nukie's houseparty at San Antonio.
Later in that month, the band encountered a lot of personal friction between the members and eventually deteriorated. Simultaneous with the band's eviction from the haunted garage.
Jimple decided to keep the band and its name. During the San Antonio gig, he had the opportunity to meet other bands and musicians. Binat Pelaez (bass), Waks Ko (guitars) joined Jimple in the new Haunted Garage line-up. Jimzzy, Jimple's brother filled the drummer's slot.
The Haunted Garage sound is basically metal, though some observers notice its melodic and prog-rock timming. The band doesn't really care how they are labelled, for the band trully is a high-breed band composed of many influences from its members, namely black metal, ska, hardcore and the old school metal. What they are really proud about the band is that they are probably the first break-through band writing their own songs in the city of Tabaco. There are other bands out there who write their songs but they don't have the balls like this band to let it out and be heard.
Here are their major gigs so far for 2003:
August 23 - Daniel B. Pena Gymnasium
September 22 - Camp of the Tribes, B. U. Main campus
September 30 - Agawak Concert at Santo Domingo
October 15 - Sound Defined Battle of the Bands, where they emerged as champion
November 20 - Ground Zero, B. U. Main Campus
December 21 - Disturb the Peace, Tiwi Gymnasium
The band is currently working on their debut album tentatively titled Ode to a Rotting City, which includes 8 or more originaly composed songs by Haunted Garage.
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