fitterkarma Find Beauty In The Grotesque In ‘The Album’ Concert – Review

Following the release of their debut album kung tayo’y nasa isang horror na pelikula, tiyak ako ang una mong papatayin, horror-themed alt-rock band fitterkarma brought their sound to the Manila Metropolitan Theater.

Arriving at the venue and taking my seat in the orchestra left, I realized then and there that every artistic decision had been carefully thought out.

Choosing the Metropolitan Theater, an Art Deco-themed hall that typically hosted orchestral performances, already indicated that the group was after something more than performing ear-catching tunes. Their decision to collaborate with the Manila String Machine only further confirmed this (although admittedly, their acoustic instruments were drowned out by the band’s electric ones during most numbers).

The stage was also an artwork in itself. Candlelit tabletops, white cloths draped over every piece of furniture, gowns and fabrics alongside a chandelier hanging from the ceiling all gave off a ghostly vibe. The whole thing was reminiscent of an interior in a Victorian ghost story

But before this was unveiled in its full splendor, the curtains covered the stage as fellow band Karilyo, who later revealed they were friends with the group in music school, opened the evening. Theirs was mostly a dark, bluesy sound that reminded me of something like Ray Charles’ “Hit the Road Jack.”

After the opener, a horror-themed public advisory projected curtains, before the stage opened to reveal the group.

A translucent filter partially hid the band as the meditative opening track “999” set the mood. All this played off as a prelude before the actual music, which began as soon as the filter lifted. Drummer Sanders Bayas commenced with “Purgatoryo’s” hard-hitting introduction on the drums. The number was followed by “Pag-Ibig ay Kanibalismo I,” where vocalist Joao de Leon’s screaming vocals were visually complemented by the blinding spotlights that danced around the stage.

The next portion belonged to bassist Sophia Miranda, who took over the mic to sing”666” and “Pag-Ibig ay Kanibalismo II.” This section was my personal favorite for two reasons — firstly, how the two mellow tracks followed the intensities of the previous two properly showcased the group’s understanding of contrast. One factor that made the evening memorable was how the group frequently shifted between two extremes, from loud to soft, bright to dim, and intense to serene.

Secondly, it had my favorite track of theirs, a poetic number that commits to the metaphor of love as cannibalism. “Pag-Ibig ay Kanibalismo II” exhibits what the best practitioners of the horror genre do: the understanding that fear and disgust aren’t the be-all and end-all of the game, but that beneath the grotesque is always an underlying beauty. Behind all the literary depictions of violence, blood, and drugs, the song speaks about an undying, albeit obsessive, love. Other than its sound, I believe this is why the song remains on the Billboard Philippines Hot 100.

Being that this was an album concert, the audience, including myself, anticipated the chart-topping hit “Kalapastangan” to follow. But the group, perhaps wanting to subvert expectations, followed with their older tracks from before they took the name “fitterkarma.”

Admittedly, I am only a recently inducted “Kanibal” (which is what they called their fans), so I couldn’t appreciate this section with the nostalgia that the fans next to me had. I could, however, appreciate how far the group had grown from an indie folk-sounding band to an artistic emo-grunge-indie blend.

The transition from the old to the new was sudden when the electrical opening of “Parusa, Para Sa’yo” filled the hall. After this, the Manila String Machine took the spotlight with the soft orchestral title track.

With their devotion to contrast, the stage once again erupted with noise as Novocrane frontwoman Kai Sevillano jumping onto the stage to join the group in singing “Aswang sa Maynila.”

Another memorable moment was their performance of “maryclaire.” Here was another number where the Manila String Machine could shine. By the song’s latter half, I saw de Leon’s talent and versatility as a vocalist as the singer impressively shifted from harsh screaming to a tender, imploring tone.

When “Kalapastangan’s” familiar string opening broke through the silence, the audience cheered. As the program neared its end, de Leon expressed his gratitude to everyone attending the event before requesting that they take a group photo with the audience.

As de Leon finished addressing the audience, the group began the program’s last number, “Bampira.” The track was a nice ode to end the evening. The performance felt like de Leon was devoting the song’s lyrics to the audience.

There were many factors that made this album concert stand out from a simple listen on SpotifySpotifyA digital music, podcast, and audiobook streaming platform that lets users listen to millions of tracks and shows on demand across multiple devices.Go to Spotify Glossary: the community of grimly garbed fans, the addition of their old songs, and the band’s chemistry on stage. But by far, what made the night special was the spectacle. The stage, the members’ garments, and the lights made every number a visual trip.

In retrospect, this shouldn’t have come across as a surprise considering the artistry that goes not only into their songs, but into their album art and music videos as well. fitterkarma is a group that evidently has something to say that goes beyond the aural and into the visual, something they showed as they ended the evening.