Ustad Metal: Muslim cleric by day, band singer by night

In the day, Ustad Metal (above) is Quran teacher Mr Alfian, while Gugat vocalist Ms Asri teaches pre-schoolers and is a mother of two. The singers are among a growing legion of Indonesians drawn to metal music. ST PHOTOS: ARLINA ARSHAD.

BANDUNG: Wearing a black Muslim headscarf matched with a loose T-shirt that says " Never Too Old To Rock" and blue jeans, 34-year-old Asri Yuniar growls into the microphone.

"I burn with revenge and false hopes. In these falsehoods, I die in darkness. Darkness, darkness, darkness!" she screams, her eyes closed and her head swaying to the loud, rambunctious music reverberating through the tiny studio in Ujungberung, a town in Bandung, capital of West Java. Dubbed Kampung Metal, Ujungberung is the so-called birthplace of local metal music.