Restless I’ve indeed been, trying to find some good gothic metal band in Indonesia. Because, you know, there’s probably not a single genre there without a good representation there. However, from a few examples of gothic metal stuff, I was slightly disappointed. The bands are trying their best, but somehow that spirit of gothic was missing. Not through any band’s fault, I have to add.
Then a friend of mine has recommended Restless from Bandung. Was there anything to lose? Of course not! If I remember correctly, I’ve checked their later material (“Andalusia” fom 2013) and yes, that’s more to my liking!!!
Unfortunately, I have a tendency to start with bands from their very beginnings…and therefore today we’re going to talk about Restless’ debut EP “Bentangan Sunyi”. Believe it or not, it was released back in 2000.
And from the very beginning there’s so much love. If you are old enough and being around some underground bands and their recordings, you’ll definitely recall the sound here. Yes, the material sounds like a demo. But if you expect me to put it down because of the sound, well, you’re at the wrong party! Nope, although the crystal clear sound is, obviously, nice, this is where you feel the band’s energy at their best. For me, this is a time-trip back to the days of demotapes and I can’t be happier.
Musically, this is as beautiful as it was in 2000 (although I am sure back in the day it was even better). The similarities with various gothic/melodic doom metal bands from Europe are many, but guys don’t forget their roots, so the music reflects also their background too. Not to mention the beautiful vocals of Mala, Restless’ first female singer.
Mentioning her, the EP’s highlight (for me, nevertheless) is “Titian Asa”, where we can enjoy her vocals to the full. I like the doubling of vocal in some passages, it’s magical. Also commendable is the music in this particular song.
In contrast, the titular “Bentangan Sunyi”, which is the longest song here (7:45) is needlessly long, with some passages being little boring with the too long repeating.
Overall, considering it’s age and it being a debut release of this gothic metal band from Indonesia, Restless can have their deserved rest. Obviously, they’ve got more experienced over the years, but they did well with their debut also.
You can check it for yourself here:
