Profile: STOLEN VISIONS

STOLEN VISIONS is a hardcore/metalcore band from Malang, East Java, Indonesia. Founded as a side project in 1997 by siblings Iwan Achmad Susetyo and Firman Susetyo, both are founding members of punk band Ingus, and guitarist Mayko.

After releasing Ingus’ debut full-length album Hard Life in August 1996, The Susetyo Brothers would like to experiment with a more slayerish hardcore band, regarding to American thrash metal act Slayer, whom the brothers listened a lot that time.

Iwan asked fast punk band Disaffection’s drummer Ismail Yusuf to join his new venture titled Stolen Visions. To fulfill the predetermined slayerish sound, then Strength Of Unity guitarist Agus “Suga Morron” was recruited. Agus is now part of Malang-based comic hardcore band Primitive Chimpanzee.

The original line up consisted of Iwan (vocals), Firman (bass), Mayko (guitars), Mail (drums) and Agus (guitars).

They Make Me Stronger

With most materials came from Iwan, the quintet wrote seven songs in late 1996. Now-defunct Malang-based independent label Youth Front Line Records secured a deal to release Silent Visions future debut EP They Make Me Stronger.

The band entered Natural Studio Surabaya in early 1998. Founder Youth Front Line Records Nafis and Iwan produced the entire album.

They Make Me Stronger was released on August 11, 1998 in cassette format, considered as the first “hardcore infected by metal” physical release in Indonesian music spectrum.

The album lyrics tells about someone who is against what popular or mainstream in the society, would have faced pressure and scorns. But, all criticism just make him/her getting stronger and stronger since one takes them positively.

Track Listing:

1. Phatos
2. Diverge
3. Morning Up Temporary
4. Superbundance
5. Back To Your God
6. Hope And Destroyed
7. Evolve

The band joined an international compilation album released by 172 Magazine Singapore, that year.

New Stolen Visions

The Stolen Visions was put on hiatus in 2000 due to all members but the siblings, relocated to other towns to pursue their own careers.

After a long pause, Iwan and Firman reformed Stolen Visions in December 2011. On February 15, 2012, its official fan page announced guitarist Indra Zulkarnain has joined the band. Indra Zulkarnain is owner of Forget The Pain Inc, a record label from Malang, and currently plays bass for Fallen to Pieces, a hardcore act.

In October 2014, EP They Make Me Stronger was re-released in CD format by Forget the Pain Inc., Rock n’ Terror Records, Barongsai Records, Matixkutu Record, Hell is Other Records, Tarung Recs n Distribution, The Paimo Distribution,  Mass Hysteria Records, Youngkru Merch and Necrology Records.

In late 2015, they recruited young musicians Bima Priantana Dewantara (drums) and Yudhistira Adimas (guitars).

Drummer Bima Priantana Dewantara is from grindcore act Bungkam and has a role as its frontman, and Yudishtira Adimas plays guitar for Hold It Down.

The current line up started to re-record their previous works. The recording session took place at Virtuoso Studio Malang around October to November 2016. The songs were engineered, mixed and mastered by Laga.

Two official music videos were made for Back To Your God (published on November 22, 2016) and Diverge (published on December 16, 2016).

On April 22, 2017, Stolen Visions teamed up with Yogyakarta-based hardcore/metal veterans Hands Upon Salvation to release a split album titled Comprehensive Chaos and The Seek of Immortality. Four tracks were listed in the album i.e new versions of Back to Your God and Diverge, new material Mourning, and a cover of  now-defunct Bremen-based hardcore act ACME’s song “Attempt”.

The cassette format is released by FTP Inc, and CD versions are released by Yogyakarta’s Samstrong Records and Heartcorner Records (Purwokerto).

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Frontman Iwan Prasetyo in his recent interview with www.Musik.or.id stated Stolen Visions is heavily influenced by Congress, Liar, Sektor, Eleven Thirty Four and Slayer.

Iwan revealed he was confused when deciding what name fit his then new hardcore venture, since he could not make up his mind to pick words like strength, strong, united, unity, youth, front, fight, back, brotherhood, etc, which were used as common hardcore band names during 90’s in Indonesia.

He still thinks Silent Visions is not a hardcore band name at all.

MEMBERS

CURRENT MEMBERS

Iwan Achmad Susetyo – vocals (1997 – present)
Firman Susetyo – bass (1997 – present)
Indra Zulkarnain – guitars (2015 – present)
Bima Priantana Dewantara – drums (2015 – present)
Yudhistira Adimas – guitars (2015 – present)

PAST MEMBERS

Mayko – guitars (1997 – 2000)
Mail – drums (1997 – 2000)
Agus “Suga Morron” – guitars (1997 – 2000)

DISCOGRAPHY

1998 – EP They Make Me Stronger (Youth Front Line Records, Malang)
1998 – VA – 172 Magazine Compilation (172 Magazine, Singapore)
2017 – Split Comprehensive Chaos and The Seek of Immortality (with Hands Upon Salvation)

VIDEOGRAPHY

2016 – Back to Your God
2016 – Diverge

CONTACT INFORMATION

Facebook: Stolen Visions
Bandcamp: Stolen Visions
Youtube: Stolen Visions
Instagram: @stolenvisionsofficial
Booking: 0859-5432-3666
Email: stolenvisionsdarkhc@gmail.com

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