A community bled for this one. Here’s the story behind it.
There is a version of this story that starts with a smoke machine that never showed up. There is another version that starts in 2017, with a band nobody knew, playing wherever they could get a stage. Both versions are true. Both versions lead to the same place: a two day, seventeen band celebration built around a single music video called BERSERKER, and a band called AFAIA finally stepping into the identity they’d been chasing for years.
This isn’t a comeback story. It’s a passing of the torch, caught on camera, mid flame.
THE END OF ONE ERA, THE START OF ANOTHER
Ask AFAIA what BERSERKER means to them and the answer doesn’t come fast. It comes heavy.
“BERSERKER means a lot to us. We see it as the official beginning of AFAIA’s new era.”
Behind that new era is a quieter, harder truth: this was the last project to include members of the old lineup before the current one took the reins completely. Not a clean break. A handoff.
“This was the final project that involved members from our previous lineup before the current lineup officially took over. In a way, it bridges our past and our future.”
Months of prep went into it. Not just the song, the whole machine around it: the shoot, the launch, the bands sharing the bill, the atmosphere. And it took longer than planned, because things that matter usually do.
“We faced a lot of challenges along the way, and the whole process took a little longer than we initially expected. But looking back, it was all worth it.”
WHY BERSERKER
The title wasn’t picked for shock value. It was picked because it was already true.
“It captures the wrath, aggression, and raw emotion that we want to portray through our new music. This is the rage that’s been building up through the years, and this song is our way of finally letting it out.”
But dig past the aggression and there’s a structure underneath it, a map of grief the band built into the video on purpose. Anger first. Then silence. Isolation. A point where you start to lose yourself. Then the rage breaks loose. And somewhere after all of that: acceptance, and the will to fight again.
“It’s actually inspired by the cycle of grief. It starts with anger, then there are moments of silence and isolation… Eventually, it leads to acceptance, and finally, the will to fight and move forward.”
That’s the trick of BERSERKER. It reads as fury on the surface and grief underneath, which is usually how fury actually works.
ON SET: GHOSTS, DANCE MOVES, AND A KID WHO STOLE THE SCENE
Ask any band what the hardest part of a shoot was and you expect stories about ego, about creative clashes, about somebody storming off. AFAIA doesn’t give you that.
“The biggest challenge was really finding the time. We’re all adults now, we all have different jobs, responsibilities, and schedules.”
No drama. Just calendars.
What they do give you is Matthew Medina, the band’s former guitarist back in their As Far As I Am days, stepping into the role of the Berserker itself and blowing everyone’s expectations out of the water.
“He was able to deliver every emotion so naturally that we were all just watching in disbelief.”
And then there’s Paprika Starr, playing a character who’s already dead for most of the story, working with almost nothing and still leaving a mark.
“Even the small dance sequence she did left an impact on all of us. We were just looking at each other thinking, ‘Wow… ang galing ng bata.’”
The band’s verdict, only half joking:
“We might have future stars here. So Matthew, Paprika… if FAMAS is watching, you know where to find them.”
NOBODY SLACKED OFF
Every member had a hand in the concept, the direction, the logistics. Setting up the venue at dawn. Hauling equipment. Buying materials. Chipping in money when it was needed.
“This project was a complete team effort. Nobody slacked off, and everyone gave their time, effort, and passion to make it happen.”
WHY THIS WAS NEVER JUST AFAIA’S NIGHT
Seventeen bands. Two days. A launch that turned into a full blown scene reunion. AFAIA is blunt about why they built it this way: the people on that stage, behind the sound board, and holding the sponsorship checks weren’t strangers. They were the people who kept AFAIA alive when almost nobody else was paying attention.
“We never forget the people who helped us along the way. The bands we invited weren’t just random bands. They’re our friends, the people who supported us, believed in us, and shared the journey with us.”
There’s a phrase the band keeps coming back to, one passed down from home:
“We always say, ‘We’re all AFAIA.’ This wasn’t just our celebration. It was a celebration of everyone who became part of our journey and helped us get to where we are today.”
Even the wisdom behind it comes from further back:
“My mother always says, ‘Ang pag-angat ng dagat ay pag-angat ng lahat ng bangkang nakasakay dito.’”
Rising tide, all boats. That’s the whole philosophy in one line.
And onstage, the promise never changes.
“Fans can always expect 110% from us every single time we step on stage… And if one day we can give 130%, then we’ll gladly do that too.”
THE SCENE THEY’RE BUILDING TOWARD
AFAIA started in 2017 as a band nobody knew, playing anywhere they were let in the door. They’re candid about how slow that climb was.
“This community wasn’t built overnight. It was built through years of hard work, sleepless nights, endless rehearsals, and never giving up.”
They’re just as candid about the state of Philippine deathcore and metal right now: smaller than other genres, still finding its footing, but undeniably moving.
“We’re seeing more bands emerge, more people getting into heavier music, and more events that support the scene. It’s still growing, and we’re really happy to see that.”
Their advice to bands just starting out is simple, and it isn’t dressed up.
“Don’t be afraid to be a beginner. Every great band started somewhere, and there’s nothing wrong with starting from the bottom.”
WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO WALK AWAY WITH
If BERSERKER is someone’s first exposure to AFAIA, the band isn’t chasing a specific reaction. They’re chasing something more useful than that.
“If listening to our music helps someone release that pent up anger or tension instead of carrying it around or expressing it in a more destructive way, then I think we’ve accomplished what we set out to do.”
A full length album is coming. It’s close.
“This album means a lot to us because it represents everything we’ve become as a band. We poured our hearts, our experiences, and every ounce of passion we have into these songs.”
THE FUN STUFF
Every set needs a perfectionist, and AFAIA’s is Tito Kier, who spent the shoot climbing up and down rigging just to get the decorations symmetrical.
“He was very particular about making everything look clean and symmetrical… it definitely took a lot of patience and effort.”
Three words for BERSERKER, straight from the band:
“Wrath, aggression, and beginning.”
And the story nobody outside the room knew: the shoot didn’t have a smoke machine. What you’re seeing drifting through those cinematic shots is two people vaping on repeat until the atmosphere looked right.
“That was mostly Deion and Kym vaping nonstop to create the atmosphere. They basically became our human smoke machines that day. So shoutout to them for sacrificing their lungs for the cinematic shots.”
THE SHOUTOUTS
The old lineup didn’t disappear when the new one stepped up. They showed up behind the camera instead.
“Mathew Medina, our former guitarist, portrayed the Berserker in the music video. He also hosted our MV launch events.”
“Christian Fuentes, our former drummer, was the videographer behind the music video and made sure every shot and every angle looked amazing.”
“Jerico Rangas, another former guitarist, edited the entire music video, and he did an incredible job.”
“Then there’s Lordnie, our former bassist, who later became the photographer of the event.”
“Tito Kier, if you’re reading this, good job! We really appreciate all the hard work you put into making the set look amazing.”
“Shoutout to them [Deion and Kym] for sacrificing their lungs for the cinematic shots.”
And the closing word, for everyone who bought a ticket, streamed a track, or showed up:
“Kami ang AFAIA. Lahat tayo AFAIA. At mahal namin kayong lahat.”
BERSERKER isn’t the end of anything. By AFAIA’s own account, it’s the opening bell. An album’s coming. The scene’s rising. And somewhere in the smoke that two people vaped into existence, a new chapter is already burning.
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