Only three names come to mind when discussing Malaysian metal: Cromok, F.T.G., and the most radio-friendly of them all, XPDC. Even with their ballads, XPDC retain the genre’s fundamentals—after all, their riffs are exalted to the point of fans calling them “Metallica Malaysia”. The band’s lyrics—steeped in the ethos of everyday people with religious undertones—make them instantly relatable to local audiences. Although they’re split into two now, be it the Ali or Mael-fronted XPDC, their legacy as the people’s metal band is still a unifying bond among fans.