BY TALI ISRAELI
Staff Writer
The members of the hard rock band Stigmatic believe that playing live shows and expressing themselves through music is what being in a band is all about.
Stigmatic is Tim Roche, of Brick, Dave Eric, of Red Bank, Jake Metz, of Bradley Beach, and Tony Nistico, of Elizabeth. The band is scheduled to perform on July 1 at The Saint in Asbury Park.
Stigmatic was started by lead singer and guitarist Eric in 2002. The other members, guitarist Roche, bassist Metz and drummer Nistico have all signed on within the past year.
Eric said the reason for the name Stigmatic comes from the band’s unwillingness to conform. Each type of music carries its own stigma, whether it is rock, hard rock, metal, death metal, etc., Eric said. He believes you can picture what another person looks like based upon what music that person listens to.
“If you listen to emo [short for emotional], then you probably wear tight jeans and white belts. If you listen to rap, then you probably wear Sean John [clothes]. In the end, no matter what you’re listening to, it’s all music and that’s really the most important thing, not whether you’re looking a certain way,” he said. “It’s about breaking the mold. It is possible for the emo kid to like rap, but not wear Sean John and it’s all good. When you connect with music or a certain sound, it doesn’t really matter what style it is as long as it means something to you.”
When Stigmatic got its start, Eric said, it was more of an acoustic pop rock band, but as time went on the band’s sound evolved into hard rock. He said that because he always wrote hard rock songs, the sound naturally progressed into a heavier sound.
“To me, a hard rock song is one that has a pretty edgy, heavy guitar riff with growly vocals, but also has a melody and a hook,” Eric said.
Roche said each member of Stigmatic has a lot of metal music influence that is beginning to shine through in their own songs. He said people will be able to tell that Stigmatic has been influenced by bands such as Helmet, Deftones, Metallica and Pink Floyd.
Metz agreed and said the band’s music has become a lot heavier. He said he believes Stigmatic’s sound progression is a result of the musicians’ maturation as a unit.
Eric said although the band’s sound is heavy, it is also very melodic. This makes it easier for Stigmatic fans to sing along because the lyrics are catchy.
“I always get asked about my lyrics because people really connect with that. That’s why I write songs, to communicate,” Eric said.
Eric’s lyrics are mostly about people and their relationships. Although a lot of the material is autobiographical, there is a mix of other people’s stories in his lyrics as well. Eric said writing his songs acoustically and then taking them to the band to work with is what turns his lyrics into a Stigmatic song.
Roche said, “It’s what everyone else brings to the music, everyone brings their own thing to it. That’s what makes it unique; we all put our own twist on Dave’s songs.”
The members of Stigmatic refer to themselves as a “live band,” which they say means someone has to see them perform to really experience their music.
“Once you see us live you’re hooked,” Eric said.
According to Eric, the mark of a good band is if its members can pull off a live show. That’s what creates a fan-to-band connection, he added.
“If you have it, they will come,” Eric said, referencing the popular movie “Field of Dreams.” “Connecting with people, it’s an experience, it’s a feeling you get and it’s something we thrive on.”
Roche described playing live as “the best feeling.”
Metz believes the band’s uniqueness comes from chemistry. He said the group’s members mesh well together and it shows in Stigmatic’s performances and songs.