This book explores Indonesia's vibrant Death Metal underground, which, by many accounts, is the largest in the world. The peak of Indonesia’s Death Metal scene occurred between 2009 and 2013, centered in Bandung, the capital of West Java, a city long known for its art and culture. This book traces the development of the scene in Bandung and other East Javanese cities like Surabaya, Malang, and Kediri, as well as the more conservative Madura Island. It examines the relationships between these scenes through the lens of governing myth and mythscape, focusing on how Bandung came to dominate the national and even regional scene, and the response from East Javanese cities. Drawing on over 90 interviews with more than 60 Indonesian bands, conducted between 2011 and the present, this book offers an in-depth look at this unique musical subculture.

Kieran E. James is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Business and Creative Industries, University of the West of Scotland, UK. He researches in Indonesian popular music and society, Fiji soccer history, men and masculinities, Singapore politics, sport history, and sociology of sport.