Razorback – Hebigat Sounds Vol 1. Retrospective

Razorback – Hebigat Sounds Vol 1
( a special retro report, first printed in Scrawlshop zine, 2011 )
by: Unkle FENRIZ666
with assistance from R I

By 1995, Razorback have honed their chops with constant playing at legendary rock bar joints (namely the now defunct “Kalye”) that they were so finessed up and ready to record what was to become an important gem in 90’s Pinoy Hard Rock.

This was the 1995 kvlt hard rock album “Hebigat Sounds Vol 1”, a volatile drink mix of grand rock and roll proportions, consisting of the finest pinoy classic rock licks and solos blended with grooving bass and hard hitting drums plus a dash of rock and roll vocals (sung in tagalog, yes) that told tales of rock and roll excess – the 90s sex, drugs and alcohol era – and non sober adventures in ten classic songs.

Razorback never knew how much of an understated impact they brought upon unsuspecting kids when this album was released, because there was so much going on in that era. They slowly crept their way to the top of the rock n roll heap though.

Started by high school buddies in La Salle Greenhills in 1990, school buddies Tirso Ripoll and Miguel Ortigas jammed with some other buds playing around the city. David Aguirre, the younger brother of Miguel Ortigas joined in after getting heavily into rock and roll and metal. Bassist Louie Talan completed the nucleus and it was with this lineup that the band became unstoppable.

Original vocalist (the aptly named) Jose Mari Cuervo had more of a dark hard rock / heavy metal vibe, as seen on old school YouTube videos of the band on the late night show RSVP on Channel 7. He was dropped out of the lineup due to frequent absenteeism and was soon replaced by Kevin Roy, who brought new meaning to the term “rock and roll excess” with his lyrics and a new dimension to their overall sound and personality. Already a well known bar favorite, rocking out packed clubs full of women, booze, decadence and partying, they served as a soundtrack to a wild night at the uptown rock scene.

They stood out from the “local” stuff and maintained a higher level or rocking and musicianship. Razorback didn’t care or give a flying for they were living the life playing and giving the 9-5 lifestyle the finger. And they were good too, and they knew it. Alpha Records, responsible for locally releasing such local radio rock staples like Bryan Adams and Styx, took notice, signed them and commissioned their debut long player.

Drummer Miguel Ortigas was once interviewed about the recording experience, and he mentioned that they were shooting for a heavier, “metal” sound on this album. But because this album was recorded on the old analog consoles of the Alpha Records in-house studio with a more traditional engineer, the results were different.

Razorback were now playing more towards classic rock/hard rock anyway, and the recording studio gave them a bright analog sound. A sound leaning towards classic pinoy rock, but updated for the 90’s. This effectively brought their excellent musicianship to the fore, making them both rock fans and critics’ faves.

They were invited to the then Channel 2’s hip and youth friendly APO noontime show to launch the album, and their arrival sparked a new generation of kids to pick up instruments and appreciate classic rock, most especially pinoy classic rock. In the age of grunge, metal, punk, hardcore, indierock etc. of that era, these dudes forged another path – classic rock played by kids with the drive and ferocity of 90’s pinoy hard rock / heavy metal. They became regulars on now defunct music and talk shows such as RSVP and The Music Bureau and guests at variety shows, leading the heavier rock explosion of the mid 90’s.

The album succeeded and Razorback plowed through towns like travelling rock and roll shamans, dispensing mega doses of real Pinoy Rock. Flashes of Sabbath, Led Zep, Juan Dela Cruz Band, Maria Cafra, Southern Rock, boogie and pinoy soul were a-swirling in a kaleidoscope of drug references, band in-jokes, alcohol / alcohol related mishaps, burnouts, wasteoid heroes and hot, evil women immortalized in the colorful lyrics of Kevin Roy who definitely shone the best when using the vernacular (he even used the archaic word kansulsilyo in “Diwata” for chrissakes).

Although Razorback never made it as big as The Eraserheads, they were equally as good and as talented, playing something different from the wave of 2nd generation bands in the 90’s. As far as they’re concerned, they already left a sizable and lasting mark on pinoy rock history.

The album fades in to a rumbling sound as the engineer signals “standby… rolling” – the guys start the festivities by cranking up opener “Tabi ng Bulkan” but lyrics like “Hindi na ako kakain ng gulay sa tabi ng bulkan” and never learning a lesson cemented the band’s reputation on this lead off track (and as well as several others).

“Pepe The Hepe” (undoubtedly a tribute to Pinoy Rock Living Legend Joey “Pepe” Smith) follows it up, kicking the rocking a notch higher, with equally hilarious lines about the rock legend who has consumed almost all kinds of reality warping drugs, and lived (and rocked out) to tell the tale, enhanced by kickstart riffs, melodic groove bass and feelgood drumming.

“Let it Rain” kicks in, and this is the first of the English songs the dudes offer. They do an ok job, but it kind of pales to the intensity of the double trouble opening tracks. “We Gotta Move” is next, and is pinoy southern rock boogie with pianos, which kind of sounds like The Black Crowes jamming with Juan Dela Cruz, and is a tasty number.

“Walang Silbi” is a rocking, bum-reprimanding tune but done so in a more hard rock vein, coming back to their hard driving riffs. Strangely, the second mighty riff totally sounds like the riff in Rage Against the Machine’s song “Know Your Enemy”. I don’t know if someone has brought it up on their old interviews, but ironically still, they opened for RATM when they played here in the late 90’s…

“Giyang”, the best beer rock jingle to be written and never used by San Miguel Beer, rocks steady, with the alcohol-thirst quench ditty ending with the dude diving to the ground, crashing down as a finale of hard drinking takes its toll. Awesome tune. This is followed by a blues infused but slower ditty, “Summa Cum Laude” in tribute to a misunderstood wasteoid friend who is championed by the band and looks up to him endearingly.

They set up for the kill with another badass in the form of “My Bano Song” a probable by-product of a wild night and a weird trip to the bathroom upon getting up in the morning (or afternoon, or maybe evening) accentuated by bastos rocking riffs, awesome lead solo tradeoffs and as always, vocals that fit the song perfectly to a T.

“Black Heart Woman” follows next, the 3rd other English ditty in this record, with some ok results followed by the funktafied backbeat of “Diwata” closing the album in fine fashion. Razorback excels in tagalog rock hard songs, with the most rock n roll lyrics.

Ironically, during that era of the mid to late 90’s, some show off politicians trying to make a name for themselves suddenly targeted local rock and metal bands for lyrics and their ever growing influence on Generation X.

In 1995, The Eraserheads got axed first as one of their hit singles off the legendary album “Circus” took off, just as “Cutterpillow” their landmark album has just dropped and was making huge waves in the local music scene: the hit song “Alapaap” was scrutinized (in light of an anti-drug campaign) by ironically, Senator Tito Sotto, former actor / comedian who was a buffoon in his past movie roles, in his Iskul Bukol TV series role as one of the Escalera Brothers, and as part of the comedy trio Tito, Vic and Joey (who also released records, lewd comedy albums mind you).

The rock and roll and underground scenes were Sotto’s new target. Although some releases and some bands got banned for a while, none of the malicious ploys by uncool authority figures could fly. Other local bands and releases were also shaken up just to make them look good, but it failed as the whole younger generation turned its back on their gimmicks. Record labels pushed and ignored rulings to make record sales steady.

Famous journo Conrado De Quiros mocked Sotto in The Inquirer, and people wondered how he has fallen in persecuting rock and roll. Later he paid for it through a weird Eraserheads song alleged to be about Pepsi Paloma – a name Sotto wants to forget.

Where does Razorback fit into this awful picture? What’s really funny is that The Eraserheads and other acts took the blame. Ironically, it is Razorback who managed to escape the holy rock inquisition, playing more TV appearances and sold out shows, jamming with Joey Pepe Smith, playing and still partying everywhere, totally getting away with their more “obvious to stoners and psychedelic warriors and drunks” type lyrics and stage antics.

They eventually got invited by a gov’t station to play a really drunk but rocking set at the 1996 EDSA Rockattack Independence Day celebration with their buds Wolfgang. They were presented by none other than mustachioed lounge lizard crooner Richard Merck, for chrissakes. Kevin Roy wastedly downed a water bottle full of beer on national TV, got some sandals thrown at his face and pissed off the crowd because he has a lot of beer as the band rocked out. It was Razorback’s way of showing their hahahas to the bullshit that was happening around them, laughing and rocking their way into superstardom.

Drummer Miguel Ortigas sadly left the band in 1996 to pursue other interests, and was replaced by equal powerhouse drummer Brian Velasco. Razorback released more albums such as the killer “Beggar’s Moon” and “Star” and drifted a bit from the sound of their debut, but definitely maturing, becoming even better musicians and lyricists and gaining more fans.

Looking back on this record, Hebigat Sounds Vol. 1 brings back the early to mid 90s era of filipino rock n roll. Razorback kicked out of the volcano and rocked out in sound and lifestyle with no one seemingly blocking their path to glory.

Amidst the weirdest of circumstances and having an original sound, Razorback set themselves apart from all the “tunog kalye” 90s pinoy rock guys by outdrinking, outsmoking, and outrocking them (and stealing their gfs). And also by playing good and not giving a F what’s popular. And maybe some luck and a brave leap of faith by playing with their hearts and leaving it to destiny. This record could have come out in 1975, 1985 or 2005, and it will still rock out.