Sri Lanka’s heavy metal pioneers Stigmata once again put the country on the map by performing their unique blend of Pure Sri Lankan Metal at two world festivals held in Dubai recently. This was a momentous milestone as it is the first time a Sri Lankan band was invited to perform at two massive festival shows consecutively, performing alongside metal giants from UK, USA, Greece, Hungary, and throughout U.A.E.
Organised by Resurrection Metal Events Dubai, both events were held at the Bar Baar at Al Jaddaf Occidental Hotel on consecutive Saturdays. “Desert Inferno XXVIII” was held on 7th December where Stigmata shared the stage with other international bands Project Renegade of Greece, Lecsa Punk of Hungary as well as two UAE bands Prosecuted and Afterburner. Headlining Desert Inferno XXVIII was Thrash Metal band Evile from the UK. Formed in 2004, Evile has been recognised as being part of the thrash metal resurgence of the mid-to-late 2000s.
On the following Saturday the 14th, Stigmata performed at Desert Inferno XXIX where US Death metal luminaries Malevolent Creation was the headlining act, backed by UAE bands Reprobate, Mandirigma, Bad Gina, Crows and Ravens. Formed in Buffalo, New York 1986, Malevolent Creation is one of the landmark bands in the death metal movement and their debut album ‘The 10 Commandments’ is considered one of the most influential albums ever release din the genre.
All the bands were from various sub genres of rock and metal music and therefore brought different sounds to the table, making for a diverse show that had the large multi-national audiences headbanging from start to finish. During each event, Stigmata was given 45 minutes to 1 hour sets during which they dished out the best of their original music to packed audiences. There was even a request from the audience for their iconic track “Andura”, highlighting how some of their tracks have made an impact among international fans. The overseas audience fell in love with ‘Jazz Theory’ and ‘Spiral Coma’, and had cheered on for the quintet’s new song ‘Trigger’ in great applause (and requested it at the 2nd festival concert).
Stigmata stated, “We are excited to have been given the opportunity to take our brand of Sri Lankan metal to new audiences in the Middle East. This is indeed a proud moment for us as we are representing Sri Lanka at a massive double regional event and I believe we certainly delivered through our performances. The venue was packed at both shows and the audiences were enthralled by our performances. We have witnessed an explosion in our social media numbers thanks to the fans we connected with during the tour. Of course, one of the key highlights was us getting the chance to bond with some of the best metal bands from across the globe. This was a life-changing experience on a personal level and will also inspire us to take our music to the next level.”
This was Stigmata’s first international performance since 2016 and marked the beginning of the band’s 25th Anniversary celebrations in 2025. To mark the milestone, 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)’.
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. This latest tour has undoubtedly raised 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 years to come.
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