Rock on, NITRUS!
SUPPORT is crucial for everyone, including a band that has been around for 10 years!
Nitrus may be a familiar name for those who are tuned into the local music scene. For those who are not, it's not too late!
The band's popularity soared with the release of the Kami soundtrack in 2007. The soundtrack was inspired by Kami, the hit TV series on 8TV. Nitrus was one of the indie bands featured alongside big names in the underground scene like Love Me Butch and OAG.
If you have not heard of their hits, including Kamu, Hujung Dunia and Sisa, check out their MySpace at www.myspace.com/nitrusband.
While many artistes come and go, Nitrus has managed to maintain a rocking presence on the scene with good lyrics and music.
"We're not a technical band. If we're considered technical it'd be in songwriting and the presentation of the songs, but never in playing," said guitarist, Syed Helmy Alhabshi.
According to him, Nitrus is heavy only in terms of the interpretation of their music, especially the lyrics.
Consistent, captivating yet deep, Nitrus started out in 1999 when vocalist Eddie, real name Edriely Ibrahim, had an intense desire to start a band with his mate, Syed and two other friends.
"Better Days and Twisted were the first songs we wrote and the band finally released the songs in a compilation album titled Another Boring Sunday in 2001. By then, we had recruited two new members, bassist Mohd Azle Mohd Isa and drummer Iskandar Syah Ali," he said.
Later, the band released their first album titled Rasa, which took four years to record.
"There were a lot of fill-ins, very experimental, as at the time we weren't sure if we were capable of producing good tunes.
"Also, we didn't have any specific direction relative to where we were heading. But because of that, everything
fell into place beautifully and here we are. I guess we just went with the flow," he said.
This resulted in Hujung Dunia, which was the first song featuring Eddie as the lead vocalist. The tune was later featured in local film, Goodbye Boys.
"After that, we tried to minimise our musical arrangements. Our new goal was to make tunes that people could
easily appreciate and enjoy. We took only two weeks to record.
‘‘Previously, we took four years to finish preparing Rasa. It definitely got us to test our credibility as musicians. Plus, we learnt a lot during the recording sessions of the first album," Eddie added.
Through the years, Nitrus has developed a style of deep, sophisticated music that banks on its strong lyrics.
In August last year, Nitrus launched their second album, simply titled Nitrus.
Fans who couldn't get enough of them claimed that, "When you really like a band, you just don't compare them with other bands that share a similar sound."
Another cited, "from the first track Tunggu Esok to Benar Salahku, the lyrics are good enough to deserve a literature award for the meaningfully crafted words and good melodies."
To know more about the Nitrus, read their blog http://nitrusband.blogspot.com or follow them on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/nitrusband).
-endsRegards,
Nadirah H. Rodzi
