It’s time for the finals of TNL Onstage 2014. Onstage over the years has grown to be one of the most coverted titles in the local music scene and also has been judged as Asia’s most fashionable contest in 2013. This year the talent that came forward has been amazing but only a handful are  chosen to take part in the finals! This week on the local scene, we give you the opportunity to get to know the bands and choose which of them you would like to support.

Durga

A Band that plays grunge, hard rock and metal and influences include Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Tool, System of a Down, Rage against the machine.

What is it like to be a part of onstage?

All we can say is that the hype is real. TNL onstage is the real deal. We've got a lot of exposure and also the rare opportunity to train with respected musicians. In the finals, we will be competing against some really talented bands and solo artists so we have been practicing a lot and that has helped us improve individually and as a band. We are really happy that we made it to the finals and take great pride in being part of Onstage.

Constellation

These guys play progressive metal. Music featuring  changing transitions, clean vocals merging with heavy riffs, and precise and melodic solos. They take cues from bands such as Scale the Summit, Animals as Leaders, The  Mars Volta, and Dream Theater, to name a few. Speaking to us on being apart of onstage they said “Being part of Onstage, and being part of the finals especially is somewhat of a surreal situation. You expect to wake up in the middle of it sometimes. It takes a while to digest the fact than you can seriously go on to win the big one. For us, especially, it's been an amazing experience where we have found that sticking with our guns and staying true to our genre, no matter how of an underdog it might be in such a competition, can be quite rewarding. It's also helped us to up our game as individual musicians and we've learnt the art of precision and perfection, especially when you take into consideration how tight the bands have been so far this season. Overall, surreal but very amazing. “

Mad Architects

Driven by the sounds of  Heavy metal, Alternative, Grove metal and Avant garde,The Architects follow the sounds Five Finger Death Punch, Gojira, Pantera, Lamb of God, Alterbridge, Shine Down, Inflames, Septic Flesh, Katatonia, Saturnus, My Dying Bride, Korn, Godsmack, Stone Sour.

About onstage: In an environment where it is difficult for new bands to "get out there" to an audience, bands need a boosted voice to be heard. TNL Onstage is that voice. In Sri Lanka the Rock music is not much popular in the society. Even the people who listen to metal music are very low compared to the other genres. We think that’s not because people don’t like it but rarely get a chance to listen to great music. Looking back to the last decade TNL Onstage helped a lot to boost up a good music act in Sri Lanka. Us as a band it is an honor to take part in this big event. As mentioned above we are trying to spread the music we love throughout the country together with TNL Radio. Thank you TNL Onstage for giving us this opportunity and this means a lot to us as well as for the people who loves rock.

Drowning Ophelia

These guys are not restricted by the boundaries of typical genres.Simply put, we play what they feel like. But if you were to put them into a category, then it would most probably have to be alternative rock. As far as their influences go, As individuals they are influenced by a wide variety of genres and musicians. However, as a collective unit some of their biggest influences are, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tool, Shine Down, A Perfect Circle, Incubus, System Of A Down and Pink Floyd.

And finally their thoughts on being a part of the finals : “Participating in onstage is a dream come true for all of us. It's something we've wanted to do ever since we started learning music. We are ecstatic about getting selected for the finals, specially with the level of talent that Onstage has managed to attract over the years. Participating in onstage has been an enlightening experience for us as individuals and as a unit. The limited time between the different stages of the competition has pushed us to become more synchronized as a band than ever before. We would like to thank our families and friends for helping us with our passion and for making us what we are. (We say this everytime we get but it will never be enough.)”

The Revolt

This “happy go lucky” bunch  prefer to consider themselves a"Experimental Rap Rock/Metal" outfit that draws their influences from a mix of artists since each band member brings their own influences into the music they "Rage Against The Machine", "Limp Bizkit", "POD", "Trivium", "Dream Theatre"  are some of the bands that inspire “The Revolt”

Speaking to us about Onstage and the finals they guys said “TNL onstage is hands-down the best band competition in the country and a dream event to be a part of for most aspiring musicians in Sri Lanka and to be a part of it, let alone be a finalist is an honour which is nerve racking but also a mix of genuine excitement, but i still feel like the magnitude of this prestigious finals hasn't quite hit us as yet and this is because the focus right now is to perform well, create a good impression and compete with all the other amazingly talented bands eyeing the title and maybe, just maybe if thinks go according to plan who knows we may walk away with the title.”

By Reihan Stephen