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After a sold-out debut mini-CD, the 4-piece is back with two tracks within an enhanced CD including the whole 5 songs of the MCD, pictures, reviews, new logo, contacts and lyrics!

This time the recording has been entrusted with Disarmonia Mundi's Ettore Rigotti, who's given the songs a more professional, fatter soundscape and a massive impact, privileging bass sounds and having Stigma closer to Gothenburg acts. However, the difference with the plethora of imitators without inspiration resides in the special blend resulting from the new tracks: murderous Death-Core with dubbed vocals (growls and possessed), ultrafast and frenzied drumming, a brilliant merciless guitar that never becomes tired of changing patterns and speed. Maybe the opening slot for Entombed in Milan drew them towards this direction, but we have to emphasize the songs remain fresh even after several listens and do not contain any tedious passages; there's also place for some experimentalism putting the anger and fury aside, like when they are mitigated by the industrial portion at the end of "Mirthless Soul".

Defining Stigma in 2005 isn't that hard if you've never heard them; suffice it to say that "Metamorphosis" was an uppercut crashing your mandibles, whereas "Epitaph of Pain" has the effect of an overwhelming armoured train mangling your bodies without recognition. No quality decrease so far, let's wait and see what the full-length will reserve for us.

MARKUS GANZHERRLICH - 20th February 2005

	'Epitaph of Pain' (Self produced/Nocturnal Brights productions) MARK: 85/100



	After a sold-out debut mini-CD, the 4-piece is back with two tracks within an enhanced CD including the whole 5 songs of the MCD, pictures, reviews, new logo, contacts and lyrics! This time the recording has been entrusted with Disarmonia Mundi's Ettore Rigotti, who's given the songs a more professional, fatter soundscape and a massive impact, privileging bass sounds and having Stigma closer to Gothenburg acts. However, the difference with the plethora of imitators without inspiration resides in the special blend resulting from the new tracks: murderous Death-Core with dubbed vocals (growls and possessed), ultrafast and frenzied drumming, a brilliant merciless guitar that never becomes tired of changing patterns and speed. Maybe the opening slot for Entombed in Milan drew them towards this direction, but we have to emphasize the songs remain fresh even after several listens and do not contain any tedious passages; there's also place for some experimentalism putting the anger and fury aside, like when they are mitigated by the industrial portion at the end of "Mirthless Soul". Defining Stigma in 2005 isn't that hard if you've never heard them; suffice it to say that "Metamorphosis" was an uppercut crashing your mandibles, whereas "Epitaph of Pain" has the effect of an overwhelming armoured train mangling your bodies without recognition. No quality decrease so far, let's wait and see what the full-length will reserve for us. MARKUS GANZHERRLICH - 20th February 2005
	Contacts: Stefano Ghersi Via S. Croce 27, 12084 Mondovì (CN) - Italy Tel: (+39)3497752046 E-mail: info@stigmahc.com www.stigmahc.com