Ossified up with EP album

"Sensible songs, intelligent choices, euphonious themes, performance level-these are attributes that have eventually set Ossified as one of most established Bisrock bands."

May of last year, Bernard Fario stood in as surrogate brother, main man, songwriter and spokesperson, rolled in a heap of a bundle, to Bisrock band "Ossified" in their early, wobbly days.

It was May 2006 when they shared to this writer how engrossed they were to the topic "ossification" they learned from a college instructor who taught "Rizal's Life and Works".

"We kind of like the sound of it and the sternness implied by its meaning," Fario said. Prior to the interview, I knew of Fario only as a person who never fails to amuse audience with his "attention deficiency disorder" (smile!). Symptom manifests in his wild antics, his buffoon-like ways as he puts on faces, hoots, grooves, shakes and jiggles and trembles-as though shocked with volts of electrical current-for whenever he is able to grab the mic on gigs at the Handuraw Events Café where either Jimicycle or Aggressive Audio is main band.

Little did I know that Fario bears the "Hagtik Titik" orientation, pertaining to a literary workshop for the staff members of Lakandiwa, the school organ of the University of Cebu.

Together with Dante Taactaac on guitar, Ronnel Bual on bass, Jose Condor, Jr. on drums, and Rheggie Ybañez on keyboards, Fario grouped to the inspiration provided by older musicians of the Bisaya rock genre and christened the band Ossified-to stand firm and unified to the call on making music, whatever challenges this decision might pose.

Pleased by the perceived sense of concretion at the sound of the term "ossified" exploited by a Social Science professor in a discussion, the band wants to become rigid in habits and in opinions when facing the challenges in pursuing their passion, their kind of music. This is so because of the growing resentment initially demonstrated by some of their parents to the concept of band-ing. The youngsters' bulldog tenacity to pursue their musicality had been dared.

Nine months after, an Extended Play album is born! As a songwriter with always a poem tucked neatly in his heart, Fario penned sweet lines typical of the "balitaw", that later on achieved stereophonic appeal with the help of the other four Ossified boys he crossed paths with at the UC main campus. As engineering students, they established a connection that later on became instrumental in the birth of the Ossified Extended Play album.

Fario takes care of the verses, the rest of the Ossified pack provides the melody, arranging the marriage of thoughts and emotions.

"Sometimes we chipped in a few lines, but we really leave it up to Fario because he is more of a son of the plume," Rheggie pointed out.

"Deep Pressed" serves as the carrier track of the Ossified EP album sold during the "Bisrock to the Max" concert at P70 each last February 24. The song is about being in a state of snafu (situation normal all f**cked up!). Ossified blares, "I hate being like this/sobra pa ka sa mga kurakot nga pulis/ I hate being like this/ baho pa ka sa mga basura ug sa mga ipis/ I've been in love and I've been hurt/di na ma-in love sa babaye nga flirt."

Personally, I like the auditory feel of "Ma'da ra'g Smile" because this is a song about hope for hopefulness. Amid raging teen angst delivered by quite a number of bands today, Ossified tackled smoothly a teener's common dream in such a way that veered from the tenor of being mad or angry or upset or irate, "ang mga taghoy sa kalanggaman, nagapanlimbasog nga imong madunggan/ Ako unta may tumang hinagiban/Aron ang tanan mapuslan/Si Eva ka….sa paraiso ko/Prinsesa ka ….sa gingharian ko/Si Juliet ka…..ako si Romeo/Kanus-a kaha kini mataghapan/ Sa damgo posible ang tanan/Sa tago puno ako sa kalipay/Mad'a, mad'a ra'g smile…" Ronnel said that they are one in choosing "Problem Solving" as their anthem as a band reflective of the principle they are living for and the call they would want the youth to heed, "ato nang isinggit nga dili ta palupig/sa mga problemang dagko pa sa mga bukid/ayaw na paglagot og dili na magbagutbot/ayaw pagsapot-sapot kay ang kalibutan nagtuyok…"

Sensible songs, intelligent choices, euphonious themes, performance level-these are attributes that have eventually set Ossified as one of most established Bisrock bands almost a year after I had them as subject of a feature story.

Dante who shared it would be a joy to find somebody singing their songs in the next weeks after their set of compositions was first played via 93.1 Smash FM now calls the EP "the other achievement". For what is Ossified's biggest achievement to date is winning the interest of Bisrock enthusiasts to their songs. Bisrockers can very well mouth the lyrics of "13C" and "Reach You Out", headbang to the playup of instruments, and purchase their CD.

Jose used to say that the biggest challenge they have to face is on creating an impression. Today, the focus is not so much anymore on that indelible mark to always be remembered, but to redefine their musical direction.

"It would be very nice to see a compact disc generation compile our coming songs that would continue to speak of the ossification of this passion," Jose mused. As for etymological derivation, ossification is a medical term for the process of bone formation, in which connective tissues, such as cartilage are turned to bone or bone-like tissue. The Ossified Extended Play album is dedicated to God, to their families, parents, friends, to JunJay Handicraft, to Miss Zarah Smith, to all members of Alpha Kappa Bomba, and all Bisrock enthusiasts. For orders, please contact 09204428978 or 3448702. Or drop by at Manu at the 2nd Level of E-Mall and look for Badet.