KUALA LUMPUR — The organiser of the cancelled black metal Easter Sunday concert in Kuala Lumpur has given up on the gig.

Goatlordth Records said the cancellation of Singaporean band Devouror’s “KL for Satan” concert was final.

There will be no attempt to hold the concert on a later date.

“With the heat that has been going on, I am afraid that it is my final say – to cancel the show. No plans of postponement,” the label told The Malaysian Insight.

Goatlordth Records announced on Tuesday (April 16) night in a statement that the concert, which was to be held this Sunday at the Angkasa Event Space in Bandar Tasik Permaisuri, was cancelled.

The announcement came after the Malaysian Council of Churches (CCM) called on Putrajaya to cancel the show, saying Devouror’s songs have anti-Christian and pro-Satanic themes.

CCM general secretary Reverend Hermen Shastri said allowing the concert to proceed on Easter, one of the holiest days in the Christian calendar, would be an affront to followers of the faith.

The Kuala Lumpur-based label expressed frustration and said they meant no harm.

It explained that heavy metal or extreme music was meant to be “expressive and provocative”, adding that it was also unfair to label fans of the genre as “a bunch of cults”, “religion-hating pricks” or “dirty liberals”.

Asked if Goatlordth Records would put in efforts to correct the misunderstanding against the genre, the label said it had none because it was all down to people’s individual interest.

“Many who like extreme music are very reserved themselves."

“Even when we trade and share music from our favourite bands, we rarely discuss our understanding of the genre or elements that come with it.”

Heavy metal music has several sub-genres, including the extreme “death metal”, which Devouror performs.

Death metal has lyrical themes that may sometimes invoke violence, religion, satanism, occultism, mysticism, mythology, philosophy, science fiction, and even politics.

According to UniteAsia.org, an underground Asian music news website, Devouror was formed in November last year in Singapore.

It was founded by death metal artiste Ariffeen Deen, who is also known by his stage name Shyaithan. He also co-founded the band Impiety, one of Singapore’s first extreme metal bands, in the early 1990.

The other four Devouror members also come from death metal bands. THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT