Sri Lankan heavy metal pioneers Stigmata are once again set to proudly represent Sri Lanka on the international stage at “Desert Inferno XXVIII” organized by Resurrection Metal Events Dubai at the Bar Baar: Occidental Hotel – Al Jaddaf in Dubai on 7th December 2024.
Headlining Desert Inferno XXVIII would be Thrash Metal band Evile from the UK. Formed in 2004, Evile has been recognized as being part of the thrash metal resurgence of the mid-to-late 2000s. The band has released six studio albums to date including Enter the Grave (2007), Infected Nations (2009), Five Serpent’s Teeth (2011), Skull (2013), Hell Unleashed (2021) and The Unknown (2023).
Stigmata, with their Progressive Metal sounds, will be sharing the stage with other international bands Project Renegade of Greece (Modern Metal), Lecsa Punk of Hungary (Hardcore Punk) as well as two UAE bands Prosecuted (Thrash Metal) and Afterburner (Metal). This event is expected to raise Stigmata’s profile in the Middle East and will pave the way for the band to tour the region, and other parts of the world, in the months and years to come.
This is Stigmata’s first international performance since 2016 and comes at the perfect time as the band prepares to celebrate its milestone 25th Anniversary in 2025. To mark the momentous occasion the band is currently putting the finishing touches to its fifth studio album having already tasted success with four outstanding albums ‘Hollow Dreams (2003)’, ‘Silent Chaos Serpentine (2006)’, ‘Psalms of Conscious Martyrdom (2010)’, and ‘The Ascetic Paradox (2015)’.
During 2024, Stigmata returned to the stage in a big way by jamming at several popular venues around the city of Colombo to packed, diverse audiences from different ages, ethnicities and backgrounds brought together by their love for metal music. Suresh de Silva, frontman, vocalist and lyricist of Stigmata stated, “After the last of our recent shows at The Joint, we took a break to prepare for this highly-anticipated Dubai gig and also focus on completing our fifth album. With the celebration of our 25th anniversary next year and the release of our fifth album, we are planning to do more shows in Sri Lanka and more foreign tours during 2025/26.”
Suresh also revealed about the departure of their longstanding band member and close friend Thisara Dhananjaya who is seeking greener pastures abroad. He added, “Thisara was an instrumental part of the band, not just as a performer, but also as a graphics designer, videographer, social media wizard and much more. We are thankful to him for giving everything to the band during the past several years. We are going to miss him terribly and we wish all the best for the next chapter in his life.”
The band is however elated that Dilshan Perera (Darkside Down, Sevexth, Kryton) has stepped in as the new face of bass, and is adding a whole new vibe and element of tightness to the band’s musical backbone.
Stigmata is the country’s first original heavy metal band formed that has constantly evolved and demonstrated longevity unlike any other band in its genre purely by producing and delivering amazing music, powerful lyrics and outstanding live stage performances. Stigmata has proudly taken Sri Lanka to the world and made its mark in several countries including Australia, Malaysia, Dubai, New Zealand, India, Bangladesh, the Maldives and many more.