Mirror Magazine

Mirror Magazine

The night the dying winter slept
By Punchi L.
If you’re a music fan with a tendency to appreciate originality, and if you have a tendency to disregard established norms and trends, then it would be safe to assume you’re a Stigmata fan. This also means you have a tendency to expect the unexpected and then revel in your pleasantly surprised state.

That’s exactly what The Dying Winter Sleeps gig did. December 18, 2004 was a night exclusively for the Stigma fan. And the discerning music fan. It was the night Sri Lanka’s loudest rock band went acoustic! Unplugged! Not a single electric guitar in sight! And if that wasn’t enough to stupefy the average metal head, they even had a percussionist (yes tablas and the whole oriental works!). Funny thing is that it actually worked!

I thought the venue, Hippo’s, was nice despite the fact that every square centimetre was valuable toe space. It just took a little getting used to. Then again I have a feeling this was a deliberate attempt to create an intimate atmosphere. Something the Stigs are well known for.

I remember the last time these guys tried to pull off an unplugged gig. And it’s nice to see how much the boys have matured. No, there was no “Drops Of Jupiter” or “Lightning Crashes”. Instead we were all treated to real music that was painstakingly crafted and executed with surgical precision.

As usual nobody knew what to expect. There were the average metal heads and curious first timers. One group was used to ripping solos and loud skull crushing metal riffs. The other was used to... well... never mind. And then there’s yours truly desperately trying to hold on to his seat.

Then it started. It was a bit weird at first to see guitarists Tenny and Andrew with acoustic guitars. It was even weirder to see these two actually sitting down! But both proved that electricity doesn’t come out of a wire. Shehan, the bassist, was also seated. Suresh on the other hand, was just being himself, i.e. he couldn’t really sit still. Starting with a cover, the boys did a brilliant rendition of “Forgotten Hopes” by the underground British band, Anathema. A fanatic Anathema fan, I was already satisfied!

But the night had just begun. The Stigs enlisted the help of Jananath Warakagoda to create a sound that was very unique. This guy, together with drummer Dilruskhan, gave us some stunning beats and rhythms redefining the clichéd genre of fusion music. In fact, most of the originals including the heavier favourites such as “Dezra”, “Thicker Than Blood”, and “Voices” were slightly rearranged to accommodate traditional percussion sounds and acoustic guitars. The mellower tracks such as “Falling Away”, “Andura”, “Dying Winter Sleeps” and the new “Lucid” has just reached perfection.

Nice choice of covers too. It was a tribute to all our rock and metal influences from the underground (Iced Earth, Anathema) to the classics (Zeppelin, Hendrix, White Lion), to the more contemporary masters (Tool, Perfect Circle, Alice In Chains). In fact, we even had the treat of Kandy rocker, Mirshard from Paranoid Earthling, join Suresh on vocals for Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing”.

Stigmata unplugged. Still sounds unbelievable but trust me (and 300 other people) that it’s all true. Those who missed this rare exhibition of creativity missed a treat. Don’t worry though, you’ll still see the boys all plugged and charged at future Rock Company events. However, those who were present at Hippo’s that night, including the band, all have two very special things in common. They were all inspired and soul shaken (I haven’t plugged my guitar for quite a while!). And they were all part of a melodic yet aggressive lullaby for a dying winter.

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