2025 hasn’t even started yet in earnest and we already find ourselves back in Heavy Metal country. A genre long thought dead but still alight with numerous bands plying these long-discovered routes. Interestingly, the aging biggies still are at the top of their game and have been for eons. To the point that young guns joining the fray have a helluva time to get themselves heard. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt? Well, not so fast.
Tumenggung would like a word. And they’re not necessarily the freshest on the block anymore. In 2007 they saw the light of day and were active ever since. Albeit that the band ‘only’ produced two full-length albums in their 18-year career. But this small historical tidbit ain’t any omen or portent of disaster going forward. So, in this light, let’s watch out for those high-pitched metal screams, shall we?
Judging by the album cover, one would expect some Asian vibes in the Heavy Metal on display on Back on the Streets. But not so. The Indonesians from Tumenggung stick to traditional and somewhat barebone fare with an occasional touch of the good ol’ Sunset Strip for additional spice. A sturdy mix of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock dispensed with energy to spare. By a contemporary band, not some age-old act full of grandpas on a rampage. Put differently, you’ll get a panoply of influences such as Whitesnake, Judas Priest, Riot, Dio, Iron Maiden, or Dream Evil. And while all of the aforementioned bands are straight shooters, Hair Metal gets into the way a bit too much at times. To the point that Deja Vu sounds like a crime, the ’80s version of the age-old band Europe1 might have committed eons ago.
So, what does all that abject name-calling signify? Tumenggung here operate somewhere at the crossroads of NWoBHM and Sunset Strip hair fare. Meaning, Back on the Streets sports a style very much ensconced in the juicy backwaters of the ’80s Heavy Metal high noon. This was a time when metal was still just that and full of excitement. The band’s choice of genre is interesting but also courageous. The style is hopelessly overflowing and any band’s metal needs to be up to par. You’d be mercilessly discarded to the dreaded oubliette, else. But fear naught. While Tumenggung won’t forge new pathways in metal lore, their type of alloy is sturdy enough to stand alone and shine proudly in the comforting glow of the old Heavy Metal masters.
Useless intro apart, the proverbial proof of the pudding starts already with the title track Back on the Streets. A neatly paced Heavy Metal piece right out of the playbook of NWoBHM. Living on the Edge, the heavy stomp of 1000 Tons of Metal, and the moderately speedy Symphony of Hate illuminate different facets of Heavy Metal Central. In other words, variation was much on the mind of Tumenggung. And that is a refreshing touch for a reasonably burly piece of traditional metal. But by and large, Back on the Streets keeps mainly straight in the middle of that large steely highway reserved for no-risk conventional metal. In contrast, the neat closer – Soul Reaper – sporting a dime-a-dozen structure and a serious speed trauma seems to step right out of Riot’s playbook. An influence that Tumenggung kept on throwing at us when describing their album.
In the end, Back on the Streets sent us a rock-solid Heavy Metal piece. A reasonably hot metal blurb sure in its ways and proficiently delivered. The band didn’t break any new ground, though. But the tracklist slammed on their disk contains sturdy and straightforward HM fare that will ring true to the Heavy Metal adepts out there. Oh, and what about them metal screams? Well, those are few and far between. But never fear, Tumenggung‘s metal is still meaty enough to shine all by itself. No need to constantly copy the maidens and other perpetrators.
Record Rating: 6/10 | Label: Jawbreaker Records | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 17 January 2025
- These Swedes still exist. Reunited after a long hiatus back in 2003.-↩