By ALFIE VERA MELLA
In 1994, my former band Half Life Half Death was invited by Ed Formoso (of the bands Dinosaur, 1980s; and Lokal Brown, 1990s), who was then a music consultant of the long-defunct Philippine FM radio station LA 105, to take part in the compilation album that he was conceptualizing at the time. After an agreement that was mutually beneficial to each other, we began recording the original song that our band chose to contribute to the project.
We recorded the song at PM Studios in Cubao, Quezon City. It took us several sessions to complete the process. A couple of times when we were in Studio A, another band was recording in the adjacent studio. As I went to the common room, I realized that the band in the other studio was the band of my friend/1988 batchmate at UST College of Nursing—Benedict Versoza. We went to UST in the same year. We were both freshmen when we met each other. We were the only students in the college who sported about five-inch-high hairdo and Luciano’s custom-made creepers. We clicked immediately. Why not, when we were the only aliens in the building?
The compilation album where both our bands were included was 1994’s A Dozen Alternatives, released via Viva Records. Our song was “Kápit-Tukô”; theirs was “Anák ng Gabí.” Benedict’s band was Backdraft. He was the vocalist.
With Versoza were Mirt Togle (lead guitar), initially Ferdie Aquino (replaced by Anton Yap) (rhythm guitar), Tyrone Borromeo (bass), and Jigs de Belen (drums). They formed Backdraft in 1992, releasing two studio albums: 1995’s self-titled and the following year’s The Shadowland Deep—and spawning singles such as “Ásong Ulól,” “Súgo ng Dilím,” “S.M.B. (Sad Mad Ballad),” “Muntíng Harì,” “Sinungáling,” “Manyíka,” and a gut-wrenching version of Juan Dela Cruz Band’s “Hímig Nátin.”
Backdraft disbanded in 1997; and apart from a couple of reunion concerts in 2012, anything significant again is yet to be heard about this legendary Philippine Metal pioneer.
