Doomsvein, rising hard and fast from PNG's heavy metal underground

In the last four weeks, Doomsvein, a heavy metal band from the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea, has drawn quite a bit of attention from the US underground heavy metal scene.

Two radio stations have played their YouTube released track, Excommunicado. They've also received a request for the song to be added to a compilation album with other overseas heavy metal groups.

Guitarist, Freddy Maneo, 51, is the band's most senior member and a veteran of Papua New Guinea's heavy metal underground. He said Doomsvein started when he reached out to bassist, Nigel Tabinaman, asking if he wanted to start up a serious band.

Building a band

As with many bands in Papua New Guinea, members are highly mobile, moving to seek better opportunities. Maneo was looking to form a band that would focus on practicing the craft.

"I said, look mate, everyone has left. The instruments are here and I'm all alone. Do you want to start a serious band?

"At the time, Joey Kanaka, our future singer, was there with him, and Joey was also looking for a band."

Maneo had created and led other bands. His last before Doomsvein was Ozmium. Nigel Tabinaman was the Ozmium bassist. Joey had grown up watching Maneo and other older musicians play.

Doomsvein innovation

The quality of Doomsvein's music is an example of the raw talent of self-taught musicians, vocalists, and "bush" engineers, creating masterpieces with very limited resources.

Finding good vocalists has always been one of the biggest challenges for heavy metal bands in Papua New Guinea. But Joey Kanaka brought with him powerful vocals and poetry.

"When I first heard him sing, I said, 'That is power. Like thunder'," the band's drummer and sound engineer, Bojar Tsigoto, said.

Then came the challenge of recording. The band recorded in an outdoor cooking area with pieces of music recorded directly into a laptop for mixing.

"We don't have a studio. We didn't record in a studio. I had Joey stand outside and sing, we ditched the condenser mic and gave him the normal one. He has a strong voice and channels his emotions.

"I always say, the quality of music is 97 percent talent and 3 percent gadgets."

Into the underground

Papua New Guinea's pool of underground talent developed over the last 50 years.

Many of the early rock bands like Port Moresby's April Sun, Whagi Hellcats led by Simbu rocker, Pat Siwi, and Bluff Inn Soles fronted by Eddie Elias in Port Moresby, played both covers and original material.

On Bougainville, bands like Sirosis, led by Alun Beck, who later went on to establish, PNG's second TV station, recorded influential albums that found their way into local radio stations.

Meanwhile, music influences from mine workers, filtered into the nearby communities with youngsters developing palates for 80s hair metal and heavier legendary groups like Black Sabbath and Judas Priest.

As audience tastes evolved, recording studios who had a production monopoly at the time, rejected music from very talented musicians with heavy metal leanings.

"We've really struggled," Maneo explains.

"We belong to something that people don't really understand. Even studios would not let us record because that's not where the market is.

"Even radio stations would not give us play time."

Building community

Carmel Pilotti, a heavy metal fanatic who runs Tritones Music out of Port Moresby, has been promoting the talent by organising concerts for bands from various parts of the country. She said there is top talent that is still undiscovered.

"It blew my mind back then. This was 12 years ago. I think as the guys mature, their music style, their lyrical themes are also maturing as well. They become better over the years.

"I mean, we've always had great musicians but what the guys are now putting out is quite amazing."

Doomsvein is one of many groups that have emerged from the Papua New Guinea heavy metal underground.

In recent years, bands like Port Moresby's Red Is The New Black, fronted by vocalist Michael NeroBlack and guitarist Scottie Kata, have played in gatherings organised around the heavy metal community by Tritones Music.

The invitation has always been extended to Heavy Metal HQ, Bougainville where bands like Darkaside, Doomsvein and many others hail from.

The internet and the future

With new opportunities presented through social media, AI apps and recording software, older musicians once written off by recording studios are re-emerging, many times in collaboration with younger musicians who grew up watching them play.

Facebook, YouTube and Soundcloud are helping their create their own audiences in PNG as they reach out to a wider underground community overseas.

Older musicians who lived the hard and fast rock and roll life are mentoring the young by providing positive leadership.

"People say it's dark music. But we actually tell young musicians not to take drugs and alcohol," Tsigoto said.

"Our music is technical. You need a lot of discipline if you want to become better."