From Heavy Metal Frontman to Taiwan’s Parliament 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." 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. Many politicians in Taiwan, including Mr. Lim, are now approaching Mr. Trump’s administration with what they call "cautious optimism." "Improving Taiwan’s relations with America doesn’t mean the U.S. and China can’t have good relations," he said. 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 and becoming one of Taiwan’s two major political parties along with the Democratic Progressive Party. Huang said that Freddy is a rock star, and he’s very charismatic, Looking back, Mr. Lim said, those years were a period of "great self-struggle." "As a child I was close to my grandmother, who spoke Taiwanese and Japanese at home," he said. 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 heavy metal fans to what the band called "orient metal." (Think screaming vocals overlaid with traditional Asian instruments.)
