25th January 2015, we ventured out to give a newly released original track a listen . A casual gathering of a few friends and media, the event said, a collaboration of two artists; a rather formidable personality in the metal music scene and a promising musician trained in classical music. An unlikely combo and to be quite frank, we did not know what to expect. Although we went expecting the unexpected in the first place, what was belted out at that hearing blew us away anyway.
Cadence of your tears (Freedom's chains) is simply put, breathtaking. It is unlike anything we have ever heard of in the local music scene and is therefore, quite refreshing. I am pretty sure I forgot to shed the sharp intake of breath that occurred as the first few notes of these wonderful voices merging, distancing and then entwining once again touched our ears. And for a great while afterwards, I was left speechless.
Let me deliberate.
Composed by Sanjeev Niles & Suresh De Silva of Stigmata, produced by Raveen Ratnam of Paragon Productions, the vocals of the track comprise of the deep classical baritone of Sanjeev Niles and the wacky, varied and vivacious vocals of Suresh De Silva . Together, these three make a remarkable trio and the song Cadence of your Tears stands testament to this fruitful union.
Having been introduced to Stigmata at a very young age in the form of an accidental hearing of "Voices" followed by a frantic scramble for their "other" work many , many years ago, I think it's fair to say that I actually grew up with their music. Even at that age, there was something that drew me to their work and kept me there all these years; the lyrics, the tunes, the insane guitar riffs, the unconventional compositions, I have formed a very personal, almost emotional attachment to all these over the years. Hence, Suresh's voice is no stranger to us. The growling, the screeching, the occasional and unexpected mellowness, the effortless falsettos, all too familiar. But this track came as quite a shock. A shock as to how different this song is to what I am used to and yet how similar in ways that I can't explain. (Dying Winter Sleeps anyone?)
The difference lies in the fact that in this piece, his voice is lifted beyond the usual plains into a sphere yet to be explored by the music of Stigmata (Hint, hint). However, it brings out a unique side to his vocals that we have never heard. His voice plunges into bottomless depths only to soar oh-so-high the next, dropping into a gentle whisper the following second leaving a lingering echo behind (that rolling of the "r" in the first verse. Italian ravioli-delicious). Makes one wonder what else these promising vocals are capable of indeed.
I've only just gotten to know the music of Sanjeev Niles. He has definitely captured my attention with this beautiful composition, his deep reverberating vocals and also his interest in the creation of music that transcends boundaries and demolishes set norms. And that voice! His is the solid, earthy foundation upon which Suresh's notes bloom (for some reason, I am reminded of Wuthering Heights' Catherine Earnshaw's comment about the "eternal rocks beneath" but never mind). Goes without saying that he will be featured at the top of my "to watch out for" artists in the coming years.
Raveen David Ratnam is of course, a familiar face. Having emerged as a TNL Onstage winner sometime back as a member of FuzMechanx, he has come a long way since, having been performing, composing, producing and also, headbanging at a metal gig once in a while. A multifaceted individual as rumours would rightly have it, and a talented one at that.
So how do these three fit in with one another? Rather well I'd say.
Just one complaint though. I felt that the track is not long enough and is abrupt in ending. Some nagging voice inside my head wants more and says that this has the potential to be a longer, much complex piece had it been given more playing time and milked to its fullest capacity. In that, it feels incomplete. Maybe that's just me annoyed that the song ended too soon. Oh well....
In any case, here is a song that has managed to grab my attention and keep me captive within its varied nuances. Here is a piece that moved me speechless and left me hitting the replay button over and over. A smooth, dark lullaby which has that surreal, almost fairy tale-ish, melancholic vibe that you immediately get hooked on to. It's enchanting, transporting, it's haunting; so much so that "My cantata, my cantata, my cantata...for your sin" has been playing in my head all week long.
Not that I'm complaining.
In plain simple terms, this piece is badass. But as Suresh rightly said, there is nothing metal about it, BUT it is very much metal "in spirit".
And as usual, the lyrics of the song baffle, beguile and fascinate me all at the same time, true Stigmata style. I suspect that the infamous Stigmata vocalist/lyricist had a hand in this.
Okay enough ranting. The song was finally launched online just a few hours ago, so feast your ears. The link below should do the needful. Click away. Happy listening!
https://soundcloud.com/sanjeevniles/cadence-of-your-tears-freedoms-chains
Did I mention that this is just the first track of an entire album? Well it is! Need I even say that the rest of this album is very much anticipated?
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