Just this week I made a brand new interesting discovery.

For the first time I found a metal band with actual Chinese traditional instruments and a creepy folkloric feel to it. This band is called Voodoo Kungfu, in Chinese they're called 零壹 or 'Ling Yi'. Amongst the standard instruments featured in a black metal band (including all the blood and kvltness that yes, are instruments of darkness), there is also a Chinese traditional instrument called 'Matouqin' roughly translated as 'horse-head violin' which is precisely what makes their sound so interesting, and along with the deep and incredibly powerful vocals, it all adds up to a very innovative sound.

Though its hard to explain, they do sound a little Mongolian for a Chinese band, is that even possible? Yes it is.

The performance was quite a shock to me. All dressed up in traditional Chinese costumes, their faces splattered with fake blood and some very creepy images projected on the back of the stage made up to quite a show. I also believe they will be playing a show with Behemoth for Halloween in Beijing, lucky those who get to see them, seriously. A very nice discovery indeed, thought I, so then I decided it was time to share.

From their myspace:

"ManLee, soul leader of Voodoo Kungfu studied abroad in a mission school of European catholicism, however his rock and roll spirit of rebelling against orthodoxy resulted in his dismissing from the mission school. After returning to China, he began to organize the band. His music is both attractive and awing. The band experienced twists and turns, furthermore, as some bandmembers could not endure the belief of challenging themselves, they left.



The band one after another had to replace their bandmembers frequently in the early stage. In the first half of 2003, ManLee, the spiritual leader of the band, disappeared mysteriously. At this time, Man Lee took with him a more mysterious person, Ma Ri Sha, a descendant of Mongoliam shamanism. Ma Ri Sha was chosen as Matouqin player. In the later half of 2003, Man Lee went to Tibet three times, during this time he began to practice drahmanism, ancient taoism, ancient shamanism.



In 2004 the band determined Qin Shao Jian as the drummer, Zhao Feng in guitars, Ma Ren Man Da Ma in Matouqin and Liu Rui on bass.
The band began to be in an upward atautus (?), however, Man Lee disappeared once again, when he reappeared it was after the Spring festival in 2005. This time, he shaved his long hair, his eyes were filled with mysterious desire and hatred, from May 2006 to the present, the band has given several special performances.

Please forgive the English, for most of us its not even our mother tongue anyway.

To illustrate a little bit more, here is some more of the band's artwork and pictures of the bandmembers.













Alright, I believe that's image heavy enough, now for the music part, here is the link to their official myspace, only problem is that it's the Chinese myspace, but everything important is in English anyway, and best part is you can listen to their nice free samples over there. If anybody's interested on purchasing an album (for I know they exist!), just let me know and I'll try to hook you up.

http://www.myspace.com/01voodookungfu

Hah, and just now I'm finding out they actually played at Wacken?? Anybody happen to catch that show?
Oh well, anyway, enjoy.

FUCK this band looks BR00TAL. definitely checkin this shit out. chinese follk black metal. what a concept.

Their myspace doesn't work.

Cool caligraphy on the bodies, reminds me of the Pillow Book movie.

This must be the worst band name ever, but they seem interesting nevertheless... btw, I'm really into this strong black metal scene that has been taking shape in China letely.

Written by Guest on 19.10.2008 at 04:17

This must be the worst band name ever, but they seem interesting nevertheless... btw, I'm really into this strong black metal scene that has been taking shape in China letely.

Really? That's cool, what bands are you talking about exactly?

Btw, website not working for anyone else?

Written by Guest on 19.10.2008 at 04:17

This must be the worst band name ever, but they seem interesting nevertheless... btw, I'm really into this strong black metal scene that has been taking shape in China letely.

I'm actually surprised that China has a black metal scene. Wouldn't the government be terrified of them and spirit them away to prevent what they see as "harm" to the public?

Anyway, I listened to some of their stuff, and it was the most bone-chilling black metal I have ever heard in my life. I hereby demand larger servings, if you will.

Saw a couple of videos with them, and although the folk part of the music is good, the metal part is lousy. perhaps with time they'll make something interesting.

Written by Linak on 19.10.2008 at 06:46

Written by Guest on 19.10.2008 at 04:17

This must be the worst band name ever, but they seem interesting nevertheless... btw, I'm really into this strong black metal scene that has been taking shape in China letely.

Really? That's cool, what bands are you talking about exactly?

Btw, website not working for anyone else?

You should check The Illusion Of Dawn, Ululate, Be Persecuted and Aglare Light (a weird case of Chinese NSBM... anyway, it seems like the only country without nsbm nowadays must be Israel, as long as I know... they're very good anyway).

@Insineratehymn: yes, their scene seems to be pretty clandestine.... they shouldn't pass the chinese "art police" I guess... but anyway, the internet had made some wonders I guess... for example, just yesterday I was listening to an openly dissident punk band from Cuba.

Written by Guest on 19.10.2008 at 20:25

Be Persecuted

are my eyes cheating me, or are you actually recommending Be Persecuted, haha. i remember you used to be very negative about them.

Written by Damnated on 19.10.2008 at 22:55

Written by Guest on 19.10.2008 at 20:25

Be Persecuted

are my eyes cheating me, or are you actually recommending Be Persecuted, haha. i remember you used to be very negative about them.

They're not my favourite black metal band from China, but they had get some pretty good answer by the black metal community, so I can name them as one of the spearheads of the black metal scene from that country.

Written by Linak on 18.10.2008 at 23:35

Hah, and just now I'm finding out they actually played at Wacken?? Anybody happen to catch that show?

Take that as a yes

And here's a video of their opener at that gig. Not by me though.

I had high hopes for them winning that Metal Battle contest as they definitely were the most interesting participant. They didn't really appear like folk/black metal to me though, more like Chinese/Mongolian folk with post-hardcore. Anyway, their show was top-notch, especially the guitarist kicked ass as he was going berzerk later on, puking blood onto the band frontman and over the monitor speakers, running against the backline, so that the crew had to run on stage to prevent the speakers from falling down and jumping head front into the crowd (or rather onto the floor) after the gig, moshing his way through the tent and back again. So yeah, they are pretty interesting live and whoever has the chance to catch them live, definitely go for it!

This stuff is bizarre, but not in a bad way. The myspace link didn't work for me, but the video link did, thanks Promonex. I dunno if I'd be able to listen to a whole album of this, but it's certainly interesting enough to throw on occasionally. The traditional instruments aren't exactly integrated into the metal parts (at least not that I can hear, with only Youtube videos as examples of their sound), but it's fascinating. I agree with everyone who says it sounds Mongolian, some of this stuff sounds like it's from the soundtrack to that movie 'Mongol' about Genghis Khan. Maybe they'll grow on me, I'm interested in hearing more of their stuff even if at the moment I'm a in a 'wtf' state.

The myspace link doesnt work. I really treasure the discovery of this Chinese band. Theres not so small scene of metal in China but I havent been able to dig it enough.

Written by FOOCK Nam on 01.11.2008 at 11:53

The myspace link doesnt work.

I made it work
Perhaps that "myspace.cn" doesn't really want us to check this band, but "myspace.com" is no problem. I edited the link at the bottom of the first post.

Thanks to Wrathchild. Now it works.

Yeah, the song Ci An somewhat similar to Mongol soundtrack music. I like the screaming vocal. I think I would listen more to be enough to give opinion about the band.

Shouldn't this thread belong to the Extreme Metal forum?

This band sounds interesting i'll give it a try.

Whoa, that's some pretty bizarre stuff. I like it alot.