Gazing into the fire

Published on October 8, 2007

Since emerging from the underground scene and signing with Warner Music Thailand three years ago, hardcore rockers Ebola have both surprised and upset their disciples by serving up the kind of music that while heavy, doesn't exactly erupt with apocalyptic fire.

Ebola's 2004 album "Pole" earned the band a following among more mainstream listeners. "Enlighten", released the following year, confirmed the trend, showcasing their skills as musicians and revealing a more mature sound.

"It all had to do with the timing of the albums," says Kittisak "Ae" Buapan, whose trademark roar was toned down on both albums.

"While we were an underground band, we delighted in playing our influential heavy music and that's what we showcased on our self-produced albums. As time went on, we developed as musicians. While we working on 'Enlighten', we didn't just listen to hardcore metal but a variety of sounds and we started following the music trends of that era."

"I think we were also unintentionally focusing on the mass audience, making them our first priority," adds Kittisak's brother, guitarist Surapong aka Oe.

"We have attempted to adjust the production process, though. For example, we originally only recorded 'Sing Thi Chan Pen' [on 'Enlighten'] as an acoustic pop song."

"Enlighten" won the band the Hamburger Award 2005 for Best Rock Album and Best Producer at the Seeds Awards.

This year, the Buapan brothers headed back to the studio with Ebola stalwarts, guitarist Wannit "Golf" Punthrikapa, bassist Chaowalit "A" Prasongsit and drummer Pongpan "Pan" Photinimit to record "The Way".

The album, to which all members contributed tracks, was

released in August and, unsurprisingly, echoes the softer elements of their last two outings. Guitar riffs are enhanced by violin, viola and cello in addition to piano, most notably on "Duangdao Sudthai" and "The Way".

But Kittisak is quick to defend the band's latest project.

"When we started working on our new album, we didn't look back to our previous ones. This album isn't a repeat of 'Enlighten' but is a collection of our experiences - both of life and music - from our debut to the last album," he says.

"It a long musical journey through our way of life, our thoughts and our working processes."

"We've taken the strengths of all our previous albums - the stunningly beautiful melodies that our fans liked - and mixed them with new sounds," adds Surapong.

"I've replaced guitar with violin to ensure the sound really flows."

And, to be fair, among those softer tracks, there are hints of Ebola's original raw sound.

"We have often experimented with different sounds during the 10 years we've been playing and we've woven all of those into 'The Way'," says Surapong.

"We've all dedicated our lives to music and to Ebola."

What direction is the rock band planning for their next album?

"There'll be a change for sure. We are growing musically all the time, but our trademark sound won't completely disappear," says the guitarist.

"Our songs are still about fighting, encouragement and love. And we still rock."

The new album is produced by Warut Rintranukul, recorded at Kamol Studio, and mastered at Collins Audio in Los Angeles by Dave Collins who was behind the success of Linkin Park's "Minutes to Midnight."

"It helps the overall sound to have more impact," says Surapong. "The mastering cost is reasonable and it's not as expensive as a complete mix."

The post-production work has certainly paid off, and the sound of the CD is much sharper than you'd expect from a local disc.

"Fans probably won't even be aware of the mastering but we get the credit for experimenting with something new," grins the guitarist.

"What we want to do now is to play music with our friends. We've been together for 10 years now and we're happy with where we are."

Kitchana Lersakvanitchakul

The Nation