Ricky Siahaan, the guitarist of the Indonesian heavy metal band Seringai, has passed away at the age of 48.
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Siahaan died from a heart attack on Saturday, shortly after Seringai performed at Gekiko Fest in Tokyo during their Seringai Wolves of Asia Tour.
Japanese musician and DJ Freya Fox first shared the sad news on X, citing sources from the Tokyo police
Siahaan’s bandmates, Arian “Arian13” Arifin, Edy Khemod, and Sammy Bramantyo, shared the heartbreaking news of his passing through an emotional tribute on Instagram.
“Ricky Siahaan has left the stage,” the band began. “Our guitarist, our friend, our brother, Ricky, has passed away suddenly after completing our tour-closing set in Tokyo, Japan. Ricky left this world with something he loved: playing music hard.”
Per the IDN Times, Siahaan was a founding member of the heavy metal band, alongside Arian13 (vocals), Bramantyo (bass), and Khemod (drums). Formed in Jakarta in 2002, the group debuted with their EP, High Octane Rock, in 2004. Their first full-length album, Serigala Militia, followed in 2007, cementing their presence in the metal scene. Seringai’s latest album, Seperti Api, was released in 2018.
Ricky Siahaan’s Final Social Media Post Reflects Passion for Music and Touring
Siahaan’s passing occurred on the final day of Seringai’s Wolves of Asia Tour, which took the band to performances in Taiwan before concluding in Japan.
“Japan, we have lift off,” Siahaan wrote of the tour in his final Instagram post. “Show number 4, Merry Go Round Shinjuku was an effing blast!”
“Tokyo is one city that will never be boring. We met and talked with many new friends. Besides Indonesia and Japan, there were some friends who flew from Singapore and Malaysia too,” he added before going on to hype up what would become his final performance. “Merry Go Round wrapped, means there is one more show to go before we fly back. @gekikofest is a finale that we’ve been waiting for. See you tonight!”
Meanwhile, Seringai thanked their fans in their tribute to Siahaan, “for all the love and support you have shown us since this news broke. You are part of our family, and we know you are grieving just as much.” The band also asked that fans “give us time to grieve and figure out what to do next. We will keep you posted on the progress. Farewell, chainsaw, riffmeister, until we meet again. Always, always, forever.”