Stigmata, Sri Lanka’s ‘Pulp Fiction’ of music

When you hear the name Stigmata, you associate it with dogma; marks corresponding with the crucifixion wounds that appeared on bodies of religious zealots mainly Saint Francis of Assisi, the horror movie starring Patricia Arquette and Gabriel Byrne of the same name and in the world of medicine it is a term used to describe a visible sign or characteristic of disease. 

However in Sri Lanka, Stigmata symbolises something much more, a sound, a lifestyle, a movement, something akin to a sort of cult like subculture of its own. We are of course talking about the homegrown musical ensemble that has been turning heads, blowing minds (and ear drums) and enchanting audiences with their sounds of Pure Sri Lankan Metal since early 2000. 

Founded in 1999 (but performing their first show in 2000) by Suresh de Silva, Tennyson Napoleon and Andrew Obeyesekere (who left the band a few years ago), Stigmata has grown into iconic status since their humble beginnings. With many an accolade and milestone to their credit they are the only domestic band to play originals to release four full length albums, nearly 20 singles, a handful of EPs, a DVD and music videos, one that earned them the victory at the Asia Video Music Awards in 2017. 

They’ve toured New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, India, Dubai, Bangladesh and Maldives, they’ve had their albums ‘Silent Chaos Serpentine’ (2006), ‘Psalms of Conscious Martyrdom’ (2010) and ‘The Ascetic Paradox’ (2015) be selected globally as album of the year favourites from the US to Europe to the Middle East and Asia. They’ve been featured on The Discovery Channel, the BBC, MTV and are responsible for influencing two generations of musicians and fans alike. 

Sure they’ve amassed a reputation for being thick-skinned, cocky, stubborn, dramatic and wild but our focus should be on how they’ve managed to create a legacy of music, built a foundation for originality in Sri Lanka, inspired people from different professions and all walks of life with their music, having dazzled audiences of 40,000 in army stadiums to 4,000 people in amphitheatres to 400 people in auditoriums. 

Stigmata is to music in Sri Lanka what Gordon Ramsay is to the culinary world or Aravinda de Silva is to Cricket. The band has not only made a significant impact with their music and lyrics but their contribution to fashion, lifestyle, marketing and event management cannot be overstated enough. 

You only need to ask the right sources and everyone from musicians, artists, photographers, writers, doctors, lawyers, thespians, teachers, architects, marketers and bankers will tell you how a Stigmata song or songs changed their lives. People get married to their music, there are theses done based on their effect on Lankan arts and culture and even cricketers have walked onto the pitch to bat for their music. There are of course plenty of myths that surround the band’s 19-year journey but all of the above is true with a capital T. 

However Stigmata’s journey has not been easy. They’ve often trodden the path untaken, they’ve refused to follow tradition and trends, adhere to conventions and have been the victims of poor timing, bad luck, local media prejudice, constant line-up changes and faced more than their share of shortcomings and woes in 19 years. They’ve also defied the norm time and again, their creativity always at its peak, their passion and persistence never marred. Here is a band that either does things their own way, in their own time or not at all. And while this has earned them great popularity it has also made them easy targets for those who don’t like them. 

In 2020 Stigmata will celebrate 20 years as the country’s first original Heavy Metal band to emerge out of nowhere and shake the entire music industry inside out with a unique style that’s always evolving, an image that seems to transform with each era of the band, amazing musicianship, powerful song writing and a live stage performance (as recently witnessed at No Covers Allowed by Pulse) that never disappoints that few can dream of matching. Let’s be clear, before Stigmata there was no one quite like them. And while Sri Lanka has an enormous volume of extremely talented Heavy Rock bands today, it remains to be seen how many will remain and survive as long as they have. 

Stigmata is a household name though in certain circles, they have never been interested in the mass market appeal that so many of their counterparts in other genres seek, they care very little for fortune and fame it would seem and have been a refreshing constant in the entertainment business where attention spans are short, memories even shorter and the love for money surpasses one’s love for art. These guys are the real deal. They don’t take shortcuts. They certainly don’t believe in miracles. They’ve fought day and night to earn their place in the pantheon of performance arts in a country where creativity is often sacrificed for mediocrity. 

The band stirred the pot further by deciding to perform as a four piece outfit this year after the departure of another member much to the shock and awe of many supporters, the band have performed brand new music that crowds have grown to love as much as their fan favourites from their earlier works and from the buzz (especially on social media) from their most recent set of shows they seem to be firing ahead with a new lease in life. With the big 20 next year we caught up with the four members and grilled them for answers to some questions that needed to be asked. 

One thing’s for sure though. Love them or hate them, Stigmata seems to be as big as ever and nothing seems to slow them down!

Q: With the nation having reeled and slowly recovering from the Easter Sunday attacks earlier this year and many industries having suffered including the entertainment industry, how has 2019 been for Stigmata? 

Tenny: We were all in shock with what happened to the Christian community; this is not just a religious attack but an attack on our nation as a whole, and should not be taken lightly, at the same time, the action of a few shouldn’t really reflect upon the rest of the communities. 

Apart from that, it has been amazing, we took many bold steps and even bold decisions, we played shows that really made an impact on our fans. We’ve finished writing four new tracks so far and are working on the rest of the tracks for the album. 

Year 2019 has been a very challenging year for all of us personally and with the band, we knew if we got through this year, 2020 is going to be super great for us, hope keeps us going and we are ready to take on anything at the moment.

Hafzel: The year started off pretty well and it looked like it was going to be a good year with great plans. We had played two shows before the tragedy that happened around the island which was really sad and pretty shocking to hear. At that time, we had just composed and tracked the demo for ‘Alyssa,’ a very personal song to us, especially to Suresh. 

It took about two to three months for us to get back on track, and we were glad to play a gig in August (Rock Saturday), then the acoustic Rock Saturday and No Covers Allowed Edition II in September. The rest of the year seems great if all goes well. We have one more gig announcement and will start composing more songs for our new album.

Q: It was the talk around the isle and all over the internet when you guys decided and surprised people to carry on as a four piece. How and why did this come about? 

Tenny: For a long time, we were a five piece but the actual core of the band has always been Suresh, Myself and Andrew. When Andrew left, Suresh and I were left to pick up the pieces for the first time in 17 years, it was not easy because at the time, our bassist and drummer also were MIA, so Suresh and I searched for many months and finally found a new bass guitarist and a drummer. When that happened we realised well, it has always been Suresh and I writing the bulk of the songs, so at least that side will still remain very much strong, we just had to patch things up along the way and adapt. 

We did look for many guitarists to replace Andrew, and we naturally gave up, and Suresh had the bright idea of ‘Hey why don’t you play lead and let’s find a rhythm guitarist,’ so there it happened, where I began practicing 10 times as hard and learned the guitar solos and we then continued with Shafeek, who joined us as a rhythm guitarist. After a period of time, due to work commitments he had to leave and we decided to carry on as a four piece because we were really confident with each other as band mates and musicians to be able to deliver to our maximum potential. 

We took that step and have never turned back even once from that point onwards, we just felt everyone in the band has a much bigger role to play and an equal responsibility towards our music and art, and now things are sounding better than ever!

Thisara: The main reason being, our guitarist Shafeek had personal obligations and commitments. We totally respect him and support his decision. However, we decided to continue as a four piece band. Bands which influenced us like Black Sabbath, Queen, Led Zeppelin, Disturbed or Pantera were always four piece bands. So we thought why not? We were a five piece but why not experiment how we sound like as a four piece?

Hafzel: We will definitely miss Shafeek. He has contributed to the band in many ways and we appreciate his work during his time with us. After he left, things certainly were different, a very positive vibe was felt as we’ve played two shows as a four piece and it has been great so far. I’m sure with every gig and practice, it will be a great journey moving forward.

Q: What has changed now that you are a four piece after being a five-man ensemble for nearly 19 years? Has it impacted your sound and style? 

Thisara: Sound wise I think we sound a lot cleaner or there’s a lot of space for dynamics within the instrumentation. Our guitarist Tenny expanded his tone in a unique way and I’m having a lot of space to experiment with my own sound. We can still sound heavy, sometimes heavier.

Hafzel: We’ve got mixed feedback from people but most were very positive on it so this gave us a motivational boost to go ahead. I think the last two shows were enough to be confident about our future sound and style. It will be definitely an impact in our sound but won’t be an impact to our main purpose, which is to deliver pure Sri Lankan Metal to our loyal fans!

Q:There is a lot of hype and interest surrounding Stigmata at the moment, some would call it a resurgence even. Why do you think that is? 

Suresh: Hmmm… a lot of folks wrote us off after the last big line-up change. There were many who felt we had taken our final breath, as it were. We worked at it man, tooth, nail and down to our soul and bones. It took us a good two years at least to regain our foothold but we are back with a steel fist in a leather glove. Yet looking at how people in masses and waves are attending our shows, our album and merch sales have escalated and we are getting lots of killer gig requests, so I see it as a resurgence of sorts too in a way. 

It’s a new chapter and era in our Stigmata story and journey and it’s great to be back with such a strong presence, such a magnitude of relevance and to be able to reach out to new and familiar audiences alike. It’s a great time in the music industry for us personally. We are blessed and elated.

Thisara: I think the audience was very curious about how we’d sound as a four piece band. Besides, we were able to reach out to new audiences and expand our territory. It’s always about keeping the audience interested.

Q: There certainly is a lot of buzz regarding your recent performances as well as your new music. Care to comment? 

Tenny: We will only write music which will stand the test of time, that’s like our motto and goal when composing a tune or track, we accept no subtitles or half-hearted work. It’s done or undone, we always try different styles and fuse, traditional Sri Lankan elements and aesthetics in to our music, which in return has the power to mesmerise people, I mean if there are snakes around we are the flute that makes them shake and all (laughs).

Suresh: There will always be a need for quality live music. Always. And people appreciate something fresh and original even if it takes them time to connect with it. Fortunately for us our methodology has always been to compose new music and to perform them to live audiences to check their reactions. Take ‘Heavy is the Head that Wears the Crown,’ for instance. That’s relatively new and it took about a year of performances. But when we play it now it drives audiences berserk. 

In that vein our new ones ‘Alyssa,’ ‘Sacred Spaces’ and our latest that we debuted at Pulse’s ‘No Covers Allowed II’ at The Steuart & Co., in September titled ‘Throw Glass in a House of Stone’ went down like a charm. Even ‘Alyssa’ from the first time we performed it, it had people mesmerised and even some in tears. It’s such a beautiful and powerful song. So I think it’s a combination of engaging audiences with memorable performances and like what Tenny said, writing timeless music that resonates with people.

Q: You have a strong online presence on social media and perhaps one of the first artists in Sri Lanka to embrace the digital domains as such. How much has that helped you as a band? 

Hafzel: It has helped us reach out to people of different categories in our target market and even outside the Rock and Metal circles. At this time and age, most people use social media and mobile phones so the reach to audiences can be simply done by just a click of a button. We recently got on Instagram since it is a widely-used platform. We think you should follow us on our Insta and Facebook and get to know what the latest is and where we’re playing next, https://www.instagram.com/stigmataofficial/ and https://www.facebook.com/stigmatasrilanka/.

Thisara: Social media platforms aren’t what they used to be anymore. They are evolved and plays a huge role in our day to day lives. So it’s essential to embrace and adapt and make the maximum out of it. Almost all the gigs are advertised majorly through social media. Even the new music or updates regarding the band. These days having a huge social media presence is essential to stay relevant.

Q: But why is Stigmata not on streaming services and have your music available online in this time and age? 

Suresh: That is admittedly one area we have been lax and neglected. We are working on sorting that out for our big year in 2020 and to make all our albums available online and on select streaming services.

Q: What challenges do you face as a Metal band in Sri Lanka? Even to date? 

Suresh: Look at the positive impact of Heavy Metal as an art form in Sri Lanka. It is part and parcel of the very fabric of every soundscape here, we hear more adverts with Rock music, we see more artists across the spectrum here either adopting a Rock and Metal image or persona or even musical and tonal stuff from the oriental scene to weddings, special brand events and sports. There are banks with Rock themed jingles now. 

More and more brands are seeking authentic music and so you hear a lot more distorted guitar driven and soaring vocal based Sinhalese Rock songs as TVC and Radio soundtracks, with more Rock music played at shopping malls and even at restaurants and eateries. It’s everywhere man. When Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington passed away so many people from the mainstream mourned their passing as well. And they weren’t discreet about it either. 

The very anti-thesis to convention, the rabid push against the shove, the thorn in tradition’s eyes: Heavy Metal while still subversive and rebellious in nature has clawed its way and scratched beneath the layers of society’s every framework from fashion to the type of musical instruments people choose to play and their stage shows from competitions and talent shows to the professional stage, hell even gospel choirs pay homage to Rock covering Guns ‘n Roses and Bon Jovi in their repertoire. Tell me that’s not influence and inspiration? 

Sadly the challenges are that the bulk of media conglomerates over here still refuse to accept the validity, pivotal importance and how lucrative this art form is. You see award shows where they have no issues having us hand out awards to other genres, to artists who have no resume or portfolio even close to what many of us have in terms of representing the nation overseas, releasing quality bodies of work and playing concerts with studio and live experience. It’s a bloody farce. 

Today it’s evident to anyone with eyes to see, ears to listen and minds to think that it just boils down to a handful of bitter, nostalgic oligarchs who are set in their ways and are prejudiced towards any style or genre of music they simply cannot comprehend.

Q: What is the one thing that people assume about Stigmata which is not true? 

Suresh: Perhaps that we are envious of other up-and-coming artists and bands. Anyone who has followed our trajectory knows we have always availed a platform for rising talent from giving them opportunities to perform at our organised events to recommending them to others and even giving them a push when we are overseas and are asked about the quality of our local scene. 

A few disgruntled, disoriented and bitter people love to cause needless drama. In most cases a lot of what is rumoured and spread about us is simply untrue. In those situations what we do is ask how many of these people personally, actually know us, how many of them have hung out, had a face to face chat or bothered to spend time to get to know us? It’s all bait through the grapevine.

Sure we have a history of being a bit mad (methodically so though) and we’ve never pretended to be saints. But we’ve evolved as people, as musicians and as artists. Our chaos is a lot more controlled now. Do we still go a little crazy time and again? Yes. A lot of that is channelled to our performances now on stage than off stage. Yes, we are also difficult to work with because we are committed to our music and legacy and art. But then isn’t that true of any mammoth brand? 

Anyone who loves their brands will be meticulous and very thorough. Especially if it’s a labour of love and you’ve achieved considerable brand value for it through dedication and painstaking commitment. Even outside the sphere of traditional commodities it’s the same for us as musicians and performers. We are very selective and scrupulous with every detail of what we do. We will nurture, defend and protect it.

Q: 2020 is a massive year for you guys celebrating your 20-year anniversary. That marks the 20-year anniversary for original Heavy Metal in the country as well. How do you feel? 

Tenny: Starting from an early age to listen to metal and playing in a band when you are 16 and slowly continuing your passion and dreams is not an easy task, we have sacrificed our lives and many good years of our lives whereas we could have found traditional wealth and success by working or doing businesses, we sacrificed all that for our music and to play in a band which we truly love. 

We’ve never taken crap from anyone and always compose what we love to compose without any interference. We are proud to carry the flag of Heavy Metal in Sri Lanka, and we hope to inspire all the new bands and artists to step up for what you believe in and do what you believe in, no matter what the cost or trials you will have to face, it will be all worth it cause you did it your way, and we always did it our way!

Q: What plans do you have in store for your fans for your big 20-year anniversary? 

Thisara: Well, we are planning to record and release our fifth full length album for the 20th anniversary.

Suresh: We want to release our fifth album, release our back catalogue online across digital platforms. It is our goal to do a full on all island tour of Sri Lanka playing in many places we have not had the pleasure or privilege to play yet in like Jaffna, Gampaha, Chilaw, Galle and Negombo. There will definitely be overseas tours in support of the new record too.

Q: What’s your highest point and personal milestone playing in a band like Stigmata? 

Suresh: Tenny and I have invested 19 years of our life for Stigmata. That’s over half our lives, truth be told. And naturally there have been ups and downs but one thing that has remained steadfast is our ability to grow, sustain ourselves and endure through considerable and countless hardships. Every time life has knocked us off our feet, we’ve got back up. The life lessons we’ve learned are unequalled and immense. The highpoints are so many. But to perform to audiences be it 40,000, 4000, 400 or 40 people and having them react and respond to your music is truly a beautiful thing.



Thisara: I feel every gig is special, good nor bad; it helps you to grow and mature as a musician and a performer. During the recent times, I would say our first performance as a four piece at Rock Saturday has been very special to me. The audience was curious to hear how we sound like after the recent line-up change. At the end of the day we managed to rock the house and not let our fans down.

Q: It’s pretty surreal to consider you guys have been at it for 19 years with so many incredible accomplishments. Why do you think what you do is still appreciated by people today? 

Tenny: We do it with feel and passion, there’s nothing that we do to prove a point, it’s to make you feel and connect you to our thoughts and emotions through music, also, using traditional and Sri Lankan melodies and grooves and even global fusion elements, we have a kinda sound that says ok this is Stigmata while showcasing a wide musical canvas, meaning we play pure Sri Lankan Metal and we deliver the good for the listeners and fans, they believe in our music as much as we believe in our music.

Suresh: Yeah man, it’s wild and wicked for sure. We believe that when you create be it music, art, literature, theatre, film or whatever else from an honest place, a sincere place and do it with authenticity, passion and purpose, it breaks out of the paradigm of art needing to be bottled up for commercial validation. Yes it’s true we are not in the business of creative philanthropy. We need to make ends meet. However Tenny and I have always understood that the kind of music we create and continue to perform isn’t for everybody. It’s not Coca-Cola, it’s not McDonalds. And it was never meant to be. 

While it is an acquired taste it still has appeal to three generations of Stigmata fans that turn up for shows, we see legions of new faces who have discovered us and it only goes to show that like a Quentin Tarantino or David Fincher film, once you watch ‘Pulp Fiction’ properly or ‘Se7en,’ those movies and their stories will stay with you for life. That’s what I see our music as. Stigmata is the ‘Pulp Fiction’ of music.

Q: What is the current condition of the local music industry? Would you say things are looking up? 

Tenny: Yes it is, there are far more places to play heavy music and more gigs happening around in Colombo and outside Colombo, the scene is coming up and booming to new heights with new bands from all over the country.

Thisara: Personally I don’t like what I hear on radio or on television. Most of mainstream artists follow trends and make similar sounding songs just like they are making them for the sake of it. Lyrically or performance wise, I’d say that they are of a poor standard. At the same time, there’s a lot of hidden young talent out there. So many bands and musicians come into the spotlight solely through social media. If they get to reach the mainstream audience, I think most of Sri Lankans would be able to listen to music of quality.

Q: How can event organisers looking to reach you and fans keen on purchasing your albums and merch contact you?

Thisara: You can reach out to us through our official Facebook and Instagram pages. Or contact our vocalist Suresh De Silva or guitarist Tennyson Napoleon.

- Pix by Natalie Soysa