Want
some heavy metal?
By Tharangani Perera
Greetings,
cohorts of heavy metal…
I’m here to tell the story of four young musicians who have
dedicated their lives to the enrichment of the pure form of music
they all love – heavy metal. Combining thrash metal and power
metal with the reverberating sounds of melodic death metal, they
are out to “prevent the disillusionment caused by the meaningless
music that is pumped into Sri Lankan veins.”
Powerful, talented and haunting… they call themselves Tantrum.
The
destruction…
Coming together at the beginning of 2004, Tantrum initially found
it difficult to gain much recognition, due to lack of exposure.
After auditioning for and being admitted into The Rock Company (an
organisation that promotes local originality in rock/metal music)
in mid-2005, the band was nominated to play for Rock Saturday, a
monthly event showcasing the talent of several rock bands. Tantrum
then entered TNL Onstage 2005 for the first time, where in front
of a screaming crowd of over 1500, they triumphed as the winners,
and their drummer, Heshan Jayawardena, was honoured as the best
musician. From that point onwards, Tantrum has pierced the hearts
of the Sri Lankan rock audience during many rock concerts.
Tantrum’s
first single “The Destroyer”, which was released in
April 2005, hit the number one spot on the local chart show “SL
Hot Ten” on TNL Radio, in a matter of weeks. Their second
single, titled “Alone”, was aired recently on the same
chart show, and in keeping with the legend, was boosted to the number
seven spot.
The
vocalist
Tantrum’s front man Javeen Soysa is probably the root cause
behind the band’s determination and success. Having started
off as the vocalist of the band, Javeen moved on to become the base
guitarist, a feat that he achieved with much practice and hard work.
Drawing his inspiration from Metallica, Nevermore, Iron Maiden and
Arch Enemy, this talented youngster is also the main lyricist of
the group.
Initially
untested in lyrical art, Javeen experimented with different vocal
approaches and song themes that portrayed deep and dark personal
experiences. Adding depth to the powerful music created by Tantrum,
his choice of vocal approach ranges from the natural voice to dark
immortal growls and the sepulchral voice.
The
lead guitarist
Almost one year after the band was formed, Tantrum found James,
a talented guitar player, who proved to be Tantrum’s missing
ingredient. James learned to play the guitar when he was 15 years
old. Initially, having played classical guitar music, he moved on
to a heavier approach of guitar playing, after he recognised his
love for pure metal.
As
a student, he loved his instrument and mastered many solos. Drawing
his inspiration from music by famed guitarists like Yngwie Malmsteen,
Jeff Loomis, Adrian Smith, Dave Murray, Dimebag Darrell Abbott and
Dave Mustain, James creates music with a variety of sounds that
range from harmonies to arpeggios, and fast thrash style.
The
rhythm guitarist
Having been a part of the band since its origin, Tantrum’s
rhythm guitarist, Soorya, contributes both as a rhythm guitarist
and a lead guitarist to the band. He is a talented rifer, who through
time, has groomed himself to be a lead guitarist. Soorya started
playing the guitar at the age of 16, after he came to own his first
box guitar.
Inspired
by a range of famed guitarists such as Kirk Hammet, Janik Gers,
Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Glenn Tipton, Slash, Satriani, Hendrix,
Michael Amott and Jimmy Page, he enjoys a more classic approach
to heavy metal rock and songs, which contain a certain melodic impression.
The
drummer
In its search for a drummer, Tantrum found Heshan, who was interested
in joining the band. Having formally been the drummer of Hi Octane,
he is the newest addition to the band. As a drummer, Heshan has
always displayed enormous potential, evident in the admiration of
the fans who love his solo performances on stage. Inspired by a
variety of drummers, including Dave Lambardo, Lars Ulrich, Danial
Erlandsson, Richard Christy, Heshan skillfully captures the essence
of melodic death metal in his playing. While enjoying the sounds
of Metallica, Death, In Flames, Arch Enemy and Testament, he experiments
with a range of beats and rhythm patterns, keeping his aim to add
more vigour and strength to Tantrum’s music.
Darkness
through their eyes…
Among its many goals for the future, Tantrum plans to release an
EP titled ‘The Destruction Begins’ in January 2006.
Popular singles such as “The Destroyer” and “Alone”
will be featured in this album, along with “Purgatory Of Sinners”
and “Darkness Through Your Eyes”, which currently remain
as “works in progress.”
In
its effort to relate to the local audience, the band recently launched
their official website, which can be accessed at http://www.tantrumrocks.tk.
It features current activities of the band, up coming shows, band
member biographies, a fan zone, interviews, as well as a media gallery.
Tantrum
aims to promote local originality in Sri Lanka, through supporting
the country’s local talent. With their original representation
of melodic and death vocals through drums and guitar, they hope
to achieve international standards in heavy metal music. …Thus
begins the legend of four talented musicians.
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