Burning Island isn’t afraid to talk (and sing!) about politics 

The Philippine Star
Date: May 14, 2018
By: Nathalie Tomada (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines — Three Taiwanese heavy metal bands formed part of this year’s line-up of foreign acts for Pulp Summer Slam. We were told by organizers of the longest-running metal festival in Southeast Asia that it was the bands’ decision to join the event held recently at Amoranto Stadium in Quezon City even without a charge just so they could share their music and play before Pinoy fans.

The hardcore metalheads would know that metal music is a big part of the music fiber of Taiwan. The article Headbanging in Taiwan tells the story of how the Taiwanese got “caught in the mosh,” or as       fans would term it. The authors Hsiang Chiu and Gabriele de Seta said that heavy metal music arrived in Taiwan in the early ‘80s through “the precarious mediation of daoban (pirated) tapes and foreign television channels, and in the course of three decades, it has moved from a niche and hardly accessible genre to an established ensemble of scenes, subgenres, bands, venues, record labels, booking agencies, distributors, rehearsal spaces and audiences.”

The STAR got further insight into the present-day metal music scene through an interview with the bands Flesh Juicer, Bloody Tyrant and Burning Island. These rockers talked about how heavy metal has expressed not just their creativity, but has also been used to reflect their folk traditions, culture and even political leanings. And, if we have actors becoming politicians, Taiwan made international news by electing a prominent heavy metal frontman and activist as legislator. Here are excerpts from the interview:
[FULL  STORY]