From Heavy Metal Frontman to Taiwan’s Parliament

From Heavy Metal Frontman to Taiwan’s Parliament<br />A prominent figure in Taiwan’s underground music circles, Mr. Lim, 41, was until recently best known as the head-bashing frontman of the heavy metal band Chthonic, sometimes called the "Black Sabbath of Asia."<br />But for the past year, Mr. Lim has put his music career of more than two decades on pause to redirect his energy to a more buttoned-up pursuit: serving as a member in Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan, or Parliament.<br />Many politicians in Taiwan, including Mr. Lim, are now approaching Mr. Trump’s administration with what they call "cautious<br />optimism." "Improving Taiwan’s relations with America doesn’t mean the U.S. and China can’t have good relations," he said.<br />With only five legislators in Taiwan’s 113-seat Parliament, the party is still a long way from its stated goal of displacing the Nationalist Party<br />and becoming one of Taiwan’s two major political parties along with the Democratic Progressive Party.<br />Huang said that Freddy is a rock star, and he’s very charismatic,<br />Looking back, Mr. Lim said, those years were a period of "great self-struggle." "As a child<br />I was close to my grandmother, who spoke Taiwanese and Japanese at home," he said.<br />It became a way to build up my identity and go deeper into Taiwanese history." With his band, Mr. Lim toured the world for years, introducing<br />heavy metal fans to what the band called "orient metal." (Think screaming vocals overlaid with traditional Asian instruments.)