It was 20 years ago when five students of the University of the Philippines in Diliman formed a rock group initially influenced by East Coast hip hop. Since then, the group who answers to the name Slapshock has released seven studio albums, two extended play (EP) releases, and two compilations of their best known tunes.
The band’s signature sound has also evolved from rap metal towards the more defined in-your-face metalcore. Other than an early change of lead singer from Reynold Munsayac to Jamir Garcia (who sang in all of their studio releases), the band’s lineup has also pretty much stayed the same.
What has not changed for Slapshock, however, is the firm resolve of Jamir, bassist Lee Nadela, drummer Chi Evora and guitarists Lean Ansing and Jerry Basco.
“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.”
The band also credits the unwavering support of sponsors like Dickies and Red Horse Beer for inspiring them to keep going throughout their career.
And even 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.”
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,” he further explained.
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 wanted an album on a different kind of media, something they had not tried before. So rather than releasing “Atake” in CD, vinyl, cassette and digital which they have done before, the new album is marketed as a USB flash drive only release accompanied by a free bandana (Jamir’s trademark head gear and a popular Slapshock fan item) and a guitar pick from D&D custom guitars.
“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 hangups so we know how to adjust to each other. But we also have a lot of fun when we’re 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 inspires us and give us a lot of fulfillment.”
Watch Slapshock’s music video for “Atake” here: