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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Slapshock counts 20th with new studio album

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They say the more things change, the more they stay the same. 

That’s exactly the case with Pinoy metal core legends Slapshock. Not only has the core line-up of the band pretty much stayed the same since it was founded 20 years ago, the firm resolve of front man Jamir Garcia, bassist Lee Nadela, drummer Chi Evora and guitarists Lean Ansing and Jerry Basco has not at all changed. 

“We still feel like a new band, still hungry and still ready to prove what we can do as a band,” Jamir declared. 

“There were some changes, of course. We did cut down on our partying. We have more tattoos now and we now get to sleep a little more.” 

And after 20 years, Slapshock shows no sign of slowing down as evidenced by the release of Atake, their first studio release of original songs since their 2014 EP Night Owls and their first full length album since 2011’s Kinse Kalibre. 

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TWO DECADES OF MUSIC. Slapshock members Amir Garcia, Lean Ansing, Jerry Basco, Chi Evora and Lee Nadela celebrate their 20th year in the business.

In describing their new album, Jamir says, “Atake is all about pushing forward no matter what happens in life. The album as a whole matches the aggression that we bring when we perform onstage. The title comes from the phrase, ‘Atake Na’ which we use when we invite our fans that we call the Slap Armies to our shows.”

Jamir added that Atake also refers to the state of the band after 20 years. “We are still very much in attack mode and not compromising our sound which is even heavier than before.” 

Although the members consider Slapshock as an “old school band,” they did not just want a fresh release, they want an album on a different kind of media, something they have not tried before. So rather than releasing Atake on CD, vinyl, cassette and digital, which they have done before, the new album is marketed as a USB only release accompanied by a free bandana (Jamir’s trademark head gear and a popular Slapshock fan item). 

“We want to show that we can continue to innovate by embracing technology and doing things first and that’s what we did with this album,” Jamir further pointed out. 

As with every new release, the band subsequently embarks on a tour to support the album. Since Slapshock is also celebrating 20 years of being together, they have just concluded their 20th anniversary tour with 20 concerts nationwide. 

This year, the band has also successfully performed in many parts of the world including Miri in Malaysia, Sarawak in Borneo, Dubai and several East Coast cities in the United States. 

“Touring is something we still enjoy up to now. I guess it’s what keeps us bonded even while we’re away from our respective families.

We know each other’s hang ups so we know how to adjust to each other. But we also have a lot of fun on tour,” Jamir confessed. 

We get to meet new friends when we’re overseas and we’re also able to see our fellow Filipinos especially the OFWs. Just to get our kababayans out of their normal routines and make them feel at home for even for a little bit when they’re watching our shows inspire us and give us a lot of fulfillment.” 

On another note, Slapshock will continue their tour with Dickies as part of their 20th anniversary until the end of the year. Slapshock is also one of the main bands at the on-going 2017 Red Horse Beer Pambansang Muziklaban that culminates this January 2018.

                    

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