Superman Is Dead

The energetic and boisterous sounds of Superman Is Dead position the group as the Pacific Rim’s pop-punk counterpart. Guitarist Bobby Kool, bassist Eka Rock, and drummer/guitarist JRX, who collectively handle vocal responsibilities, came together in Kuta, Bali during 1995, united by their admiration for Green Day and NOFX. They characterize their music as PunkRockaBali and derived the band’s name from a twist on Stone Temple Pilots’ “Silverman Supergun” combined with the notion that perfection eludes everyone. From 1997 through 2002, the group issued their independent albums Case 15 and Superman Is Dead plus the EP Bad, Bad, Bad prior to inking a deal with Sony-BMG Indonesia in 2003, which marked them as the initial Balinese act on a major Indonesian imprint.

In that May, the three-piece presented Kuta Rock City, an effort that attained double platinum status, secured them recognition as MTV Exclusive Artist of the Month, and garnered awards from both MTV and AMI, the Indonesian counterpart to the Grammy. Superman Is Dead followed up across 2005 and 2006 with The Hangover Decade along with Black Market Love, where the latter secured an additional AMI nomination, a Beat Awards victory for Best Local Band, and coverage in Rolling Stone. One year afterward, the band fulfilled an aspiration by supporting NOFX at the Hard Rock Cafe in Kuta, and then in 2008 they supported MxPx in Jakarta.

The release of Angels and Outsiders arrived from the trio in early 2009, which ushered them into the United States for their debut performances on the Warped Tour and From Bali with Rock Tour bills. January 2011 brought Superman Is Dead’s first appearance on Billboard’s Uncharted, a chart spotlighting up-and-coming acts focused on digital fan engagement.