This Indonesian three-headed beast will crush us like insignificant insects to the sound of their debut album, an imposing invocation of purposeful destruction.
Formed in 2024 in Pare, a town and district in the Kediri regency within the province of East Java, Indonesia, the ruthless, demented Brutal Death Metal three-headed beast Symphobia is ready to unleash hell armed with their debut opus, entitled Hideously Traumatic. Featuring a coalition of members from Demented Heart, Perveration, and Orbital Element, those being Jossi Bima on vocals, Dodik Bhre on the guitar, and Humam Aliy on drums, Symphobia will crush us like insignificant insects to the sound of their new album, an imposing invocation of purposeful destruction with devastating blast beats, a tormenting riff attack and gore-choked vocals, all boosted by the striking mixing and mastering by Tonebetter Soundlab (Vox Mortis, Nattmaran, Murtad) for a scathing, scalding sound and adorned in the eye-impaling artwork of Timbul Cahyono of BvllArt (Massacre, Nocturnus A.D., Witchburner), resulting in a sonic killing machine devoted to the destruction of every living thing.
There are only two words I can say about the opening song Hecatomb, and they’re “HOLY SHIT!”, what a fulminating tune where Jossi gnarls like a demonic pig; and Humam is definitely NOT human behind his drums in Monstrously, blasting our faces rabidly while Dodik slashes his axe in the name of savagery. Heinous is another explosion of vomiting guttural vocals, demented drums and vicious riffs by the trio, showing no peace at all, just violence and hatred, whereas Jossi’s high-pitched screeches couldn’t have sounded more demented in Spurted, or in other words, it’s simply BREEEEEEEEEEEEEE! And Deceased presents an overdose of the most demonic, vile and grotesque form of Brutal Death Metal made in Indonesia, sounding devastating form start to finish.
Jossi’s pig-like guttural will disturb your inner peace in Scattered, accompanied by another infernal performance by Humam on drums; whereas their ruthless Brutal Death Metal attack goes on in full force in Convulsively, where the Cannibal Corpse-inspired riffage by Dodik sounds absolutely awesome. It’s pedal to the metal in the beyond devastating Incessant, a song that could easily be used as the perfect depiction of the most extreme form of heavy music found in Indonesia, followed by Abominable, and a name like that demanded total chaos, violence and gore, which is exactly what the trio has to offer us in this hellish “lullaby”. Last but definitely not least, Humam will pulverize our putrid, frail bodies in Inebriated, while Jossi continues to vomit and bark the song’s unfriendly “words” (or whatever language that is).
Definitely leaving lasting scars upon your mind, Hideously Traumatic is a one listening experience that you are never going to recover from, being therefore highly recommended for fans of Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation, Immolation, and Kill Everything, just to name a few. Needless to say, you can get in touch with those torchbearers of violence and gore via Facebook or Instagram, stream their music on Spotify, and of course purchase the album from Comatose Music’s BandCamp or webstore, but be warned that their new album is not your average extreme music release; it’s indeed hideously traumatic.
Best moments of the album: Monstrously, Spurted and Incessant.
Worst moments of the album: The fact there isn’t a bassist in the band makes their sound feel a little bit thinner than what it could be.
Released in 2025 Comatose Music
Track listing
1. Hecatomb 2:43
2. Monstrously 2:41
3. Heinous 2:43
4. Spurted 2:52
5. Deceased 2:44
6. Scattered 2:40
7. Convulsively 2:31
8. Incessant 2:25
9. Abominable 2:41
10. Inebriated 3:34
Band members
Jossi Bima – vocals
Dodik Bhre – guitar
Humam Aliy – drums
THE HEADBANGING MOOSE 