Stigmathe

STIGMATHE was one of the most interesting Italian alternative bands active between 1979 and 1986, based in Modena, Emilia-Romagna.

Fabri, who had previously collaborated for several years with various bands from the Modena scene, decided to form his own project. Leaving behind his former roles as drummer and guitarist, he focused exclusively on vocals and on writing lyrics and music.

Between 1979 and 1981, the band’s line-up consisted of Fabri (vocals), Chiara (bass), Lucia and Daniele (guitars), and Tamburo (drums). During this period, the band’s sound was rooted in post-punk, drawing influences from Killing Joke, Public Image Ltd., and Joy Division, with intimate yet strongly visionary lyrics sung in Italian.

From 1982 to 1983, Fabri pushed the band towards a more extreme direction, both musically and lyrically. The lyrics became heavily politicised, while the music shifted towards a faster, more minimal punk sound, bordering on hardcore and sometimes incorporating reggae influences, in line with developments associated with the British punk scene. The rest of the band did not fully embrace this radical change, leading to a period of stagnation.
On 31 December 1982, together with new bassist Luca Neri (brother of Vanni Neri, writer and DJ associated with Rokka Radio and Antenna Uno Rock Station), Fabri rebuilt the line-up while retaining the original band name.

Note: The first STIGMATHE line-up to perform live in early 1983, appearing only in the band’s first three concerts, included Bonzo on drums.

Fabri wrote all of the band’s lyrics and music, with the sole exception of “Lo sguardo dei morti”, the title track of the second EP, for which he contributed lyrics only.

From late 1983, following the release of their first EP Suoni puri della libertà, the band entered an intense period of live activity. This included a long series of concerts and numerous appearances at Virus in Milan, supported by and performing alongside bands such as Indigesti, Wretched, and Crash Box.
STIGMATHE played extensively throughout Italy, performing both in social centres and in more conventional live settings, either headlining or sharing bills with other bands.

After the departure of the guitarist, Fabri returned to playing guitar, reducing STIGMATHE to a three-piece line-up. However, following a concert in Verona with Canadian hardcore band D.O.A., the decision was made to recruit a second guitarist to reinforce the sound.
The band disbanded in late 1986, with the members subsequently becoming involved in other projects, including Anubi.

The line-up active until the end of 1986 consisted of:
Fabrizio “Fabri” Bucciarelli – vocals, guitar
Gianluca Artioli – guitar
Luca Neri – bass
Enrico Sirotti – drums