Band: Demon Seed
From: Kotamobagu, Indonesia
Their formation story:
Raufan (vocals): "When this band first started, I was just a kid who regularly showed up at punk and hardcore gigs, enjoying the music and the scene. My older brother was already playing in a hardcore band called Discriminate, and he invited me to start another hardcore band called Demon Seed. Most of the lineup stayed the same, but this time I stepped up as the vocalist."
Reyhan (bass): "There weren't many bands in our area playing '90s NYHC-style beatdown hardcore. We grew up loving that sound and style, so we decided to start our own band."
Matthias (guitar): "Most of us are in another band called Discriminate, and the idea came from wanting Raufan (our vocalist) to sing in a band because he moshes really hard and looks cool. Reyhan, our bass player, is his older brother. This is also the first time Reyhan has ever played an instrument.
"We immediately wrote two songs, and those became our first demo."
Their sound in their own words:
Reyhan: "DS's sound is heavily rooted in the spirit of '90s NYHC, packed with badass, swagger-filled breakdowns and rough, rap-influenced vocals. Our influences come from bands like Bad Seed, Soul Search, Madball, Irate, King Nine, and 25 ta Life."
Raufan: "Old-school beatdown hardcore, drawing inspiration from bands like Bad Seed, Soul Search, King Nine, and Cold World from the US."
Matthias: "Yup, we love those '90s NYHC/Castle Heights bands as well as Wilkes-Barre hardcore bands. We basically mixed everything together and wrote music based on the skills we have [laughs]."
Latest release info:
(Raufan): "Our first release was a demo in 2026 featuring two tracks, 'Burn It Down' and 'Not Falling.' We recorded and released everything DIY, staying true to the spirit of hardcore. Both songs are available on streaming platforms.
"More recently, we released two new tracks, 'No More Fear' and 'Turn 2 Fire,' through Brightside Records, a label based in Malang, Java. Those songs are also available on all major streaming platforms."
(Reyhan): "So far, we've released four tracks—two demo songs and two promo tracks for our upcoming EP. One funny little detail is in one of the promo songs, 'Turn 2 Fire.' For the outro, we threw in a small piece of music from a Nintendo game, haha. It's a bit goofy and annoying in the best way, but somehow it fits Rawpunk, our vocalist's, vibe perfectly."
(Matthias): "The new material is more cohesive and stays closer to our influences. We also had a lot of fun writing the vocal parts."
Future plans:
(Raufan): "We're working on new merchandise and planning to tour outside Sulawesi, with Java being our next destination."
(Reyhan): "Our plan for the end of the year, insyaAllah, is to tour across Indonesia with Discriminate and release our EP before the tour. Also, we'll be playing our first MBHC Fest on June 20. Stay tuned!"
What other bands from their region should we check out?
(Matthias): "If you're keen to learn more about Kotamobagu Hardcore, check out our other bands, Discriminate and Dilarang Berisik. Our neighbors in the Manado Bay Hardcore scene are also bringing a lot of heat right now. Check out Fury of Reapers, Cease, and Fistful Threats."
(Raufan): "Defy, Dazzle, and Martil."
(Reyhan): "There are a few bands you should definitely check out. First, Make You Pay—if you're into '90s NYHC-style hardcore punk, this one's a must-listen.
"Second, Hit the Chains. They bring a strong Youth Crew/NYHC vibe, so go give them a listen. Both bands are from Manado, North Sulawesi.
""And there are plenty more great bands around here—just check out the label No Match Records directly and dive in!"
Demon Seed on social media: Instagram
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