Slapshock
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | February 14, 1996 in Metro Manila, Philippines |
| Headquarters | Metro Manila , Philippines |
| Products | Music albums, singles, live performances |
Slapshock was a heavy metal ensemble originating from Metro Manila, Philippines, established in 1996. Initially recognized as a nu metal group with a sound reminiscent of Korn, they eventually evolved towards metalcore.
Background
The band came together on February 14, 1996, formed by students at UP Diliman. The original lineup included vocalist Reynold Munsayac, who was soon succeeded by Jamir Garcia, the cousin of guitarist Jerry Basco. Drawing inspiration from American East Coast rap, they cultivated their following through performances at Manila venues like Mayric's and Club Dredd, gaining popularity across both underground circuits and mainstream audiences.
First Major Deal and 4th Degree Burn
In 1998, Slapshock secured a contract with EMI Music (PolyEast Records) Philippines, releasing their debut album 4th Degree Burn, which achieved platinum status. This record featured iconic tracks such as "Agent Orange," a youth anthem that won Best Engineered Recording at the 13th Awit Awards. The band also received multiple accolades at the NU Rock Awards 2000, including Best New Artists, Listener's Choice, and Music Video of the Year for "Agent Orange".
Headtrip
Their sophomore album, Headtrip, was unveiled on January 26, 2001, at U.P. Bahay Ng Alumni. This release garnered several nominations at the 2001 NU Rock Awards, where the band claimed titles for Artists of the Year, Listener's Choice, and Lee Nadela earned Bassist of the Year.
Project 11 41
In addition to their own projects, Slapshock appeared on Rivermaya's inaugural live album, Live and Acoustic, recorded during the May 18, 2002 "Double Trouble: Akoustik Rampage" concert held at the Music Museum in Greenhills.
Their third album Project 11-41, released in 2002 and achieving platinum sales, further cemented their position in the market. That year, they repeated as Artists of the Year at the NU Rock Awards. On August 30, 2002, Slapshock made history by becoming the first rap metal band to sell out all 8,000 seats at Folk Arts Theater.
A repackaged edition of Project 11:41 was launched in January 2003 featuring a limited bonus AVCD containing live recordings and a music video. During the same year, they were nominated for Favorite Artists: Philippines at the MTV Asia Awards and presented the Favorite Rock Act prize to Linkin Park.
Novena
In 2004, Slapshock released Novena, which attained gold certification. The album included the popular single “Mistero”, accompanied by a music video directed by renowned filmmaker Lav Diaz. It earned Best Album Packaging honors at both the 2004 NU Rock Awards and the 18th Awit Awards in 2005.
Silence
The band’s much-anticipated album Silence arrived in 2006 and featured the successful single “Direction”, which broadened their appeal among younger listeners. Additionally, "Adios" was chosen as the theme track for the E-game Supreme Destiny.
Recollection, Dubai Rock Fest, and Project EAR
On December 12, 2007, Slapshock issued their second compilation titled Recollection, which combined their greatest hits with a new song called "Sigaw" (Shout).
Slapshock achieved a milestone as the first Filipino and Asian group to perform at the Dubai Desert Rock Festival on March 7, 2008. They shared this international stage with prominent rock bands such as Korn, Killswitch Engage, Velvet Revolver, and Muse.
Moreover, Slapshock played a pivotal role in forming the Asian supergroup PROJECT E.A.R (East Asian Revolution), uniting leading musicians from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore. This collective debuted at the 2009 MTV Asian Music Awards.
Cariño Brutal
The highly praised album Cariño Brutal (2009) included notable singles such as "Like Eskimo" and the title track, which emerged as the top rock hit of 2010. That same year, the group earned the Rock Artists Of The Year accolade at the 2nd PMPC Music Awards.
In 2010, the Macau Cultural Center chose them to represent the Philippines at the MACAU Hush Music Fest held in November. Additionally, they appeared as guest VJ artists on MYX in August. On February 13, 2010, Slapshock opened for the American heavy metal band Trivium at A-Venue Events Hall in Makati.
Kinse Kalibre
Released in 2011, their seventh studio album, Kinse Kalibre, featured the lead single "Ngayon Na," which dominated the Myx Daily Top 10 chart for three consecutive weeks. The follow-up hard rock track "Langit" was also well received. The album earned Best Album Package at the 25th Awit Awards in 2012.
That year, Slapshock served as opening acts for prominent international bands Deftones (February) and Korn (August) during their Manila shows. They also performed alongside renowned metal groups including Death Angel, Sepultura, Shadows Fall, Trivium, Lamb of God, Megadeth, Cradle of Filth, Lacuna Coil, The Word Alive, and Testament. Moreover, they shared stages with Asian artists from cities such as Beijing, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, and New Delhi. In 2012, they opened for Avenged Sevenfold at Araneta Coliseum.
On July 31, 2013, Slapshock supported American metalcore band Killswitch Engage at Skydome, SM North Edsa. The following year, they represented the Philippines at Music Matters held in Clarke Quay, Singapore.
Slapshock holds the distinction of having appeared on more Pulp Magazine covers than any other band.
International Record Deal & Night Owls
In 2013, Slapshock inked a deal with apl.de.ap's label BMBX Entertainment and traveled to the United States to record their subsequent album, which was released in early 2014. On April 7 of that year, they launched the single "Night Owls," followed by the full album on April 26. The recording, mixing, and mastering took place in Los Angeles. Production was handled by Apl.de.Ap (Black Eyed Peas) and Shavo Odadjian (System of a Down), with mixing by industry veterans Ben Grosse and Terry Date.
In January 2014, Slapshock put out "Unshakeable," featuring JD Wong from Pop Shuvit on guitar as a tribute to those affected by Typhoon Haiyan.
20th Year Anniversary “ATAKE” (Final Studio Album)
Marking two decades in 2017, Slapshock unveiled the music video for their lead single "Atake" on May 16. Their ninth studio album, ATAKE, containing ten new tracks, was released on November 11 under their own imprint Alley Road Records. Later singles included "Luha" (released November 22, 2017), "Lason" (with its music video debuting July 16, 2018), and "Bandera," which served as the official theme for the indie fighting game Bayani: Fighting Game; its video premiered on April 15, 2019. The album’s final single "Sinungaling" came out on September 13, 2019. In support of ATAKE, the band announced an Australian tour in 2018.
Last Active Year, 2019 — 2020
In July 2019, Slapshock revealed plans for a Canada Tour aimed at promoting their latest release.
Acknowledged as one of the Philippines’ top-earning rock and metal acts, Slapshock extensively toured domestically from 1999 through 2020 and performed internationally across North America, the Middle East, Australia, and Asia.
They represented their home country at Singapore’s Bay Beats Music Festival and played for Filipino audiences at Yes 24 Live Hall in Seoul in 2019.
Their final live show took place at UP Fair Diliman on February 10, 2020, where they also announced work on a forthcoming album.
Slapshock headlined and acted as brand ambassadors for Red Horse Beer’s Pambansang Muziklaban—the nation’s longest-running rock band competition—and endorsed multiple brands including Dickies, Macbeth Footwear Philippines, Sennheiser, Schecter Guitars, Sabian Cymbals, Cleartone Strings, and D&D Custom Guitars.
On May 10, 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, they released "Sana Pag Gising," a song conveying hope.
Later that year on August 29, they issued a rendition of Sylvia La Torre's kundiman "Cariñosa" as part of Red Horse Beer’s Rock n Collab initiative.
Formal dissolution and Jamir Garcia's passing
Bassist Lee Nadela confirmed in October 2020 that Slapshock had officially ceased operations. This disbandment came after allegations emerged accusing frontman Jamir Garcia of making unauthorized withdrawals from the band’s digital royalty earnings and misusing guitarist Jerry Basco’s talent payments, which led to legal action.
Tragically, on November 26, 2020, just one month following the band's breakup, Jamir Garcia took his own life.
Subsequent developments
On January 22, 2021, Project EAR unveiled a music video for "Dark Times," the final song recorded featuring Jamir Garcia.
Later, on August 20, 2021, Rico Blanco along with Balcony Entertainment revealed plans to produce Garcia’s posthumous solo album. The album’s lead single, "Paraiso," was made available on September 5, 2021.
Towards the end of 2021, former Slapshock members Lean Ansing and Chi Evora established a new band called Chelsea Alley, joined by Ariel Lumanlan (guitar) and John Borja (vocals). Their inaugural single "Heneral," dedicated as a tribute to Garcia, was released on December 25, 2021, followed by a music video premiere on April 25, 2022.
On February 14, 2022, Chi Evora, Lean Ansing, and Jeffrey Tam honored Garcia and other late Filipino musicians through the "Wala Ka Na" music video.
On March 28, 2022, Project EAR collaborated with Reg Rubio of Greyhoundz, Ian Tayao from Wilabaliw, and former Slapshock members Ansing and Evora to release "Fade to Black," a tribute to both Jamir Garcia and rapper D-Coy.
Balcony Entertainment announced the release of the second single from Garcia’s posthumous album titled "Di Maipaliwanag" on September 5, 2022.
Chelsea Alley declared on August 12, 2023, that they would hold a birthday event on September 5 at Social House in Makati to commemorate Jamir Garcia’s legacy and showcase four previously unreleased songs recorded before his passing. These tracks were officially released for streaming on September 7, 2023.
Members
- Last lineup
- Jamir Garcia – lead vocals (1997–2020; deceased 2020)
- Lee Nadela – bass guitar (1996–2020)
- Lean Ansing – lead guitar (1996–2020)
- Jerry Basco – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1996–2009, 2013–2020)
- Chi Evora – drums (1996–2020)
Previous member(s)
- Reynold Munsayac – lead vocals (1996–1997)
Studio albums
- 4th Degree Burn (1999)
- Headtrip (2001)
- Project 11-41 (2002)
- Novena (2004)
- Silence (2006)
- Kinse Kalibre (2011)
- Atake (2017)
Compilation albums
- Back to the 2 Inch (2003)
- Recollection (2007)
Extended plays
- Cariño Brutal (2009)
- Night Owls (2014)
Singles and music videos
- "Agent Orange"
- "Evil Clown"
- "Madapaka"
- "Get Away"
- "Shezzo Wicked"
- "Numb"
- "Wake Up"
- "Queen Paranoia"
- "Anino Mo"
- "We Are One"
- "Misterio"
- "Miles Away"
- "Direction"
- "Waiting"
- "Adios"
- "Stranded"
- "Sigaw"
- "Cariño Brutal"
- "Like Eskimo"
- "Ngayon Na"
- "Langit"
- "Salamin"
- "Unshakable"
- "Night Owls"
- "The Crown"
- "Turn Back Time"
- "Atake"
- "Luha"
- "Lason"
- "Bandera"
Awards and nominations
| Year | Awarding Organization | Category | Work Recognized | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Awit Awards | Best Engineered Recording | "Agent Orange" | Template:Won |
| NU Rock Awards | Best New Artist | Template:N/A | Template:Won | |
| Listener's Choice | Template:N/A | Template:Won | ||
| Rock Video of the Year | "Agent Orange" | Template:Won | ||
| Song of the Year | "Evil Clown & Agent Orange" | Template:Nominated | ||
| Album of the Year | "4th Degree Burn" | Template:Nominated | ||
| Best Album Packaging | "4th Degree Burn" | Template:Nominated | ||
| Artist of the Year | Template:N/A | Template:Nominated | ||
| Vocalist of the Year | (for Jamir Garcia) | Template:Nominated | ||
| Guitarist of the Year | (for Jerry Basco & Lean Ansing) | Template:Nominated | ||
| Bassist of the Year | (for Lee Nadela) | Template:Nominated | ||
| Drummer of the Year | (for Chi Evora) | Template:Nominated | ||
| 2001 | NU Rock Awards | Artist of The Year | Template:N/A | Template:Won |
| Bassist of the Year | (for Lee Nadela) | Template:Won | ||
| Listener's Choice | Template:N/A | Template:Won | ||
| Song Of the Year | "Get Away" | Template:Nominated | ||
| Album of the Year | Headtrip | Template:Nominated | ||
| Best Music Video | "Get Away" | Template:Nominated | ||
| Best Album Packaging | Headtrip | Template:Nominated | ||
| Vocalist of the Year | (for Jamir Garcia) | Template:Nominated | ||
| Guitarist of the Year | (for Jerry Basco & Lean Ansing) | Template:Nominated | ||
| Drummer of the Year | (for Chi Evora) | Template:Nominated | ||
| MTV Pilipinas Music Award | Favorite New Artist in a Video | "Agent Orange" | Template:Nominated | |
| Favorite Group Video | "Agent Orange" | Template:Nominated | ||
| Favorite Song | "Agent Orange" | Template:Nominated | ||
| 2002 | NU Rock Awards | Artist of The Year | Template:N/A | Template:Won |
| Song Of the Year | "Numb" | Template:Nominated | ||
| Best Rock Video Of the Year | "Numb" | Template:Nominated | ||
| Best Album Packaging | "Project 11:41" | Template:Nominated | ||
| Vocalist of the Year | (for Jamir Garcia) | Template:Nominated | ||
| Guitarist of the Year | (for Jerry Basco & Lean Ansing) | Template:Nominated | ||
| Bassist of the Year | (for Lee Nadela) | Template:Nominated | ||
| Drummer of the Year | (for Chi Evora) | Template:Nominated | ||
| 2003 | MTV Asia Awards | Favorite Artist: Philippines | Template:N/A | Template:Nominated |
| MTV Pilipinas Music Award | Best Director | Team Manila for "Numb" | Template:Won | |
| Favorite Group | "Numb" | Template:Nominated | ||
| Best Video | "Numb" | Template:Nominated |