As I settled into my seat on flight UL-314 headed for Kuala Lampur Malaysia, at precisely 7.01am on July 10, the rush I felt was of a completely different calibre – I had the chance to dip my pen and self in a two day metal festival featuring some of the biggest bands in South East Asia!
My good friend and guitarist extraordinaire Andrew Obeysekara had mentioned to me that Stigmata had been billed to headline the Southern Ultimate Explosion in Johor, Malaysia - a two day metal festival that would feature some of the biggest heavy metal and hard rock acts in South East Asia. And it was decided that I would fly along with the band to cover the whole event.
After a good night’s sleep at a charming little hotel called the Rose Cottage, we were off to the venue to take stock of the sounds and prepare for the sound check. While the place – a high ceiling warehouse with space to hold about 500 people was quite satisfactory – the sound system supplied wasn’t quite as good as expected. None the less it absolutely must be mentioned that the Malaysian bands that performed do give out their heart and soul for their entire performances and that alone was admirable.
Monitors and less than par sound systems aside, the moment Stigmata took to the stage, it was evident exactly why they were the first Sri Lankan heavy metal act to be invited to headline a gig alongside the giants of Asian metal. With a set opening with the instrumental and oriental inspired track “Andura,” they well and truly ripped up the stage to tiny little splinters.
By the time front man Suresh had climbed on stage and started his ever consistent passionate and charismatic vocal delivery with the second song “Forgiven Forgotten,” the crowd’s curiosity of the lads from Sri Lanka was evidently turning to awe. With Stigmata’s ability to produce a frenzied progressive metal sound that was full of clarity, technically complex and was delivered with a passion and magnetism unrivalled, it seemed like Malaysia liked their first taste of Sri Lankan Metal very much.
With a better understanding of the sounds on stage and the sounds delivered to the crowd, the performance that Stigmata delivered on their second day was truly a treat to watch as both a Rock and Roll fan and Sri Lankan metal head. Alongside some stellar performances by bands like Karmapura from Singapore, Carnivora from Thailand and Wynken Delirium from Malaysia, Stigmata delivered a hectic set of originals including tracks from the upcoming record and a couple of Priest and Death covers that left a chaotically beautiful tremor of pure Sri Lankan metal in Malaysia that will not be forgotten for some time to come.
After the superb two-night performance, Stigmata was asked by the concert organizers to open on July 14 for Australian hard core giants Carpathian. A task they showed they were more than up to. While the band did have some sound issues due to a malfunctioning amplifier and a somewhat over passive sound technician, they still managed to pull of a great set that impressed both the crowd and the Aussies.
As I settled into my seat for the journey back I felt a certain wisp of warmth in my heart. The knowledge that we Sri Lankan rockers have the ability and panache to visit a foreign country, bleed our passion and leave the audience with a taste and addiction for some good old home grown Rock and Roll, was a talisman that I can hold dear for the rest of my life.
Courtesy The Backdoor Magazine - www.backdoormag.com – a Rock and Roll lifestyle website. |
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