Coming out of Ipoh and active since 1996, Neftaraka are one of those names that have quietly remained buried in the Malaysian underground while newer generations came and went. ‘Live in Unholy Forest III’ documents what is described as their final appearance on stage, recorded at Hitam-Hitam Kaos in October 2023 and finally issued on cassette in 2025.
Five pieces of primitive Black Metal, duplicated on both sides of a ridiculously limited 25-copy tape. There is nothing here aimed at making Neftaraka look bigger than they are, and that’s exactly how a release like this should be. It feels like a document of a particular moment in the Ipoh underground rather than another carefully packaged product for collectors.
For anyone following the older Malaysian Black Metal underground, Neftaraka are a name worth remembering. This tape preserves one final chapter of the band’s long run, and with only 25 copies made, it is hardly going to hang around for long.
