As far as album titles go, Cacerolazo's The Sound of Anger and Dissent couldn't be more fitting. You see, the hardcore outfit operates out of Myanmar, a country in the northwest of Southeast Asia who's democratically elected government was ousted by military seized power in February of 2021.
The protest movement demanding the army return to its barracks was quickly crushed, with conflict spreading across the country as the resistance took arms to defend itself and fight back against the regime’s violence and destruction.
Cacerolazo recorded The Sound of Anger and Dissent amid military rule and civil war, and managed to self-release it last month. I spoke with the band to gain some insight on the horrid situation in Myanmar and how they still managed to focus their attention on hardcore music despite the turmoil there.
For those of us who aren't truly aware of what's happening over there, can you educate us a bit on the situation in Myanmar?
On February 1, 2021, Myanmar's military overthrew the democratically-elected government. This coup was rejected by the vast majority of people in Myanmar, who had overwhelmingly voted in the National League for Democracy in elections a few months earlier. They ventured out onto the streets in protest.
These were eventually crushed by force by the Myanmar military, with innocent unarmed protesters attacked and even murdered on the streets. Protesters were forced to take the path of armed resistance against the military and have been fighting a war against it since.
Much of the country is now under resistance hands, but conflict and violence remain widespread as these resistance groups hope to oust the Myanmar military as it digs its heels in and responds with brutal aggression, including attacks against civilian targets.
More than 5,000 people have been killed. Over three million displaced. Airstrikes have targeted schools, hospitals, and religious buildings. Suppression of political dissent is widespread, with the junta jailing anyone who speaks out publicly against it.
With all of the turmoil there, how did Cacerolazo come together? Also, how do you manage to rehearse and all of that kind of stuff with everything going on around you?
We were living in Yangon when the coup took place. We were friends in the punk community. We played in bands before. Writing angry music to show solidarity with the resistance and raise awareness of the situation in Myanmar was a no-brainer for us. We managed to rehearse in a place where we trusted the owner.
It was a risk, particularly as we covered a famous revolutionary song, and we kinda stuck out like a sore thumb wherever we went because many of the Myanmar punks really look the part - studded jackets, mohawks and all. But you have to remember that most of the country is with you, is on your side. You just have to be smart about it.
Playing publicly advertised shows, however, is challenging - we did one in late 2021 and it was terrifying. And we are careful not to identify the members online.
How would you describe the band's sound, and what are some of the influences that were brought into the mix?
We take influence from the snappy hardcore punk of Minor Threat and Gorilla Biscuits on tracks like Weaponise and Sick to the Back Teeth, while our love for Melvins, Helmet, and Cancer Bats shine through when we slow things down on "The Shit You’re Selling" and "The Sea is Rising."
Does hardcore/punk have a strong following in Myanmar?
It's not hugely popular, but there is a dedicated group of people who live by punk. They look the part. They embody the community ethos and do charity work in the community. They drink like fish. The scene centred around the guys in Jam It! and The Rebel Riot, with the former releasing records and putting on shows by more melodic punk bands, while The Rebel Riot and their community took influence a lot from D-beat and street punk – fast and noisy.
Since the coup, it’s been a lot more limited. Freedom of speech here has been crushed, and this has made a lot of people more fearful of putting out music and organising shows for fear they will get arrested or the shows raided. A lot of the kids with the means have fled the country either to escape arrest, avoid being conscripted into the Myanmar military to fight a civil war against their own people or even just to find better opportunities in a safer country.
As a result, there are fewer bands and fewer shows, but people still take some risks to put on bands every month or so, even playing subversive songs and making political statements between songs. This really is dangerous, and people have been arrested for a lot less.
While most hardcore/punk bands write lyrics about war, oppression, and social injustice, you guys live and breathe it! How does that translate into the lyrics you've penned on the album?
The lyrics are all pretty angry, but there's some hope there too. It would be crushing to be hopeless. The people of Myanmar have said they will not suffer anymore, and they demand a better future in which their outcomes are not restricted by some dickheads in military fatigues. Our songs try to embody that, particularly on "Shatter the World," a song of solidarity with those who have chosen to fight back.
"The Shit You’re Selling" is about the state media and the nonsense it spews. "Sick to the Back Teeth" is just about how we are sick (to the back teeth) of the actions of the military who proclaim to love Myanmar, but are just murdering its people, destroying its towns and cities with airstrikes, and obliterating people’s futures.
"The Night Will Not Be Silenced" is about the noise the people of Myanmar created from streets and homes every night at 8pm in 2021 - where we got our name- and how the will of those people could never be silenced.
What's the situation like over there right now? Is it getting better or worse? How will the band navigate that?
The situation is bad. The economy is fucked. People are starving. Airstrikes on innocent civilians are increasing. We as a band hope to continue to write music to raise awareness about what is going on in Myanmar.
There are always gaps and cracks through which punk can exist, even in the face of adversity.
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