With roots deeply embedded in the 60s/70s Progressive Rock tradition, Sri Lanka-based band Man Till God has forged a bold sonic identity by weaving together elements of Doom Metal, Post-Punk, and Heavy Rock into a dynamic and philosophical whole. Their latest release, “From Atoms to Galaxies,” is a powerful concept album that journeys from the microcosm to the macrocosm, blending introspection and cosmic vision through music.
Driven by organic evolution, a shared creative bond, and lyrical explorations of consciousness, divinity, and hidden dimensions of reality, the band presents an intense listening experience grounded in both emotional truth and narrative depth. We had the pleasure of asking them about their origins, their sound, and the artistic vision behind their latest work.
You started in Colombo in 2017 with strong 60s/70s Prog Rock roots. How did those early jam sessions evolve into the musical vision we now hear on “From Atoms to Galaxies”?
The evolution has been gradual, it has been a process of trial and error and trusting our ears and instincts. Usually we have a riff, a lyric or a melody – we jam around this until we have a structure that we feel is complete as a song. This process can take maybe a week to complete a song or maybe months, but we tend to work at it till we have just know it feels right. The title track From Atoms to Galaxies was composed by our bassist Dasitha, he wrote all the bass riffs and had a complete structure – the band came in and added guitar parts that supported the basslines and lyrics. Dasitha had the working title ready as well, and the lyrics were written to that. Cosmic Dancer is a very catchy song and that was completely jammed at our rehearsals, we had no pre-written parts for that. Through Samsara, was a much more drawn out process and we struggled to find a composition we felt happy with – we have actually played a few diffenrent iterations of this till we settled on the version that’s there on the EP. This EP has a lot of the inlfuence of our earliest releases but at the same time, it is taking us one step closer to what we can call a sound that is distinctively our own.
Your sound blends doom, post-punk, progressive rock, and more, yet remains cohesive. How do you approach this genre fusion without it feeling forced or fragmented?
It is heartening to hear that a song sounds cohesive and not forced – but to be honest, the merging of genres is a not a concious effort. The genres are a more a label that we use to explain and result – in the best way we can. Because as human I feel we explain things relatively with references to the music that has inspired us along the way. And it is very
natural to draw elements to the music you have grown older with and enjoy. It is important not to be too attached to parts or arrangements and each band member should be able to say – this doesn’t work, we need to change it, and the others need to be able to listen, agree or disagree without any hard feelings or resentment.
You often speak of a “natural evolution” in your musical path. What does that look like in practice when composing or arranging your material?
It’s a nicer way of saying, we go with the flow. It’s rare we set out to write songs with a clear direction in mind. Its usually a vague concept that we keep building on. But we do like to change it up. That’s probably why we keep releasing EPs. It’s a shorter commitment to one sound, style or production. Everyone has the freedom to bring parts, or speak thier mind about how they feel about whatever we are working on at a given time. We’ve all been good friends for a long time,
everyone takes critcism well and we have a common goal so it’s fun to work towards that with your closest friends.
The album’s title suggests a journey from the microscopic to the cosmic. In what ways does this concept manifest across the tracks, both lyrically and musically?
The title track while it suggests a journey from the microscopic to the cosmic, the bigger underlying theme is of divinity, and the question of a higher power – science explains our physical reality – but is that all there is? Can we as humans really explain the unseen metaphysical reality and creation without a device which is divine? The title track then leads us to look at creation, reality and existence through an eastern esoteric and religious lens. Are we simply a construct of conciousness? are we in essence divine? Are we in a simulation, is that what the buddha was saying? Are we eternally stuck in a neverending cycle of desire? What is duality? Basically too many questions that we don’t really have an answer to.
You define your approach as “sonic storytelling” that delves into themes like consciousness, divinity, and human purpose. How do musical elements — melodies, rhythms, textures — help you convey these philosophical ideas?
There is a quote by Da Vinci, ‘Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication’ We want songs to be accessible and sophisticated. We want you to remember the hooks, the lyrics, the melodies, the grooves and the solos – atleast one section of a song. Melody is very important to us – that’s what you remember. We feel the messages and questions in our songs are universal, and we dont want to alienate anyone who might have at one moment in their lives asked these questions. We don’t try to be heavy for the sake of being heavy, we don’t try to be complicated for the sake of being complicated. A song is a picture, the melodies, rhythms and textures are just a background for the main charachter (the listener) to get immersed in. We try to make that immersion as comfortable and as welcoming as possible.
Science fiction and fantasy appear to play a central role in your narratives. How do these genres influence your lyrics, themes, and even your arrangements?
They don’t influence the arrangements as much, we do like to create space – Ryan our keyboardist does a great job of this. He fills in the gaps, and make sure the music feels warm, ambient and touch psychedelic. The science fiction and fantasy does influence the lyrics alot though. It’s where we picked up the questions we ask in our music – its from here the tid bits
of philosohpy we have come from.
There’s a clear respect for the complexity of Classic Doom, yet your sound is distinctly modern. How do you strike that balance between heritage and innovation?
Izzy (Izzy Wildchild) our producer, is a close friend and one of the best recording engineers in Sri Lanka and one of a handful who work in rock and metal – he’s an amazing musician as well. I think he brings a modern touch to our sound. But when it comes to composition we do have a modern influences as well. And surely those elements find thier way into what we write – again those are not concious choices.
The instrumental interplay is rich and detailed. How do you develop these layered musical conversations between instruments in your writing process?
I think we have great chemistry as a band, and mutual respect for each other. We all instinctively know what is the focus of any given section. There’s no push and pull to be heard over the other. Crescent our drummer, is great at setting up a section, he knows when to leave room, when to complement and when to take over. The rest of us we follow that lead.
If the bass is the strongest part in a section we play around that and vice versa for the vocals and other instruments.
The dynamic range across the album is notable — from introspective to heavy and intense. How do you use contrast and dynamics as a tool for emotional or narrative impact?
Again I’d be lying if I said those have been concious choices. We like prog, we like heavy music but mostly we love some good ole’ rock. So when it works I think the dynamics just find their way into a song. Inspiration is a strange thing and maybe it comes from a special place – a divine, or almost spiritual connection, so there’s no rhyme or reason to it. If you open yourself up and trust in the process it comes together in the way it should” You’ve described the band’s journey as one of “jamming, growing, and soul-searching together.” How has this collective experience shaped the creative direction of the album? “I don’t think it’s just this EP that has been shaped by our friendship and comraderie, but it’s just how we approach the band, our rehearsals, composing and recording in general. I think it has shaped our goals and dreams as well. Our music comes together because we relate as a group and we all have a deep conncetion with the themes, and influences that shape our music.
With contributions from both current and past members, how have different personalities and backgrounds enriched your sound and artistic identity?
Our first drummer (Sandaruwan) – he left the country and is now in Germany, really helped us get started on finidng our sound. He was very creative in his approach to drumming, really liked odd grooves and breaks – i think we all took a cue from him on how to approach our instruments and try ot be different. Rewan was our rhythm guitarist for the longest time. I think he might have also played a big role in bringing a modern element to our music – he was always a big fan of extended chords and syncopated grooves and rhythms. Dinuka is a childhood friend, i’ve played music with him for a long time. He’s a very old school guy, super dedicated, listens to so-much music, he’s always in the pocket and has so much feel and soul in his drumming. He brought a raw edge to what we’re doing at the time. Reminded us of our punk and heavy metal roots.
Coming from Colombo, how has your local scene — or perhaps the lack of a defined one — shaped your perspective as musicians and storytellers?
Colombo (and Kandy) have a small but vibrant underground rock and metal scene. It been there since maybe 2000-2001 – I’m sure it existed before that as well in some shape and form. But what i relate to as Colombo’s underground took shape in the early 2000s. I don’t know if it has really gotten much bigger since – but it has always been a great scene. Lots of support and commraderie. I can’t really speak for anyone else, but for me – it has ensured I stuck around the scene for the right reasons. There’s no fame or fortune to be had – you keep at it if you enjoy what you’re doing and what to keep doing it. I don’t think it’s possible to be a fulltime musician who makes original rock or metal music here – so that’s led to a different career I love and enjoy. The scene has made sure I make the music I (or we / the band) want to make. Because there’s really no other reason to make it. The band is an excuse for me to hangout with my closest friends and we end up making music we all enjoy. I think that’s the culture of the scene here. I think that’s great. But I shouldn’t make it sound so hopeless. It’s not. Bands like Genocide Shrines have really made it international playing an extremely obscure and underground genre of music – they have been really smart in how they have managed their band, built their contacts, their brand, their image, everything. Think that’s a lesson for all of us. And apart from Genocide Shrines, bands like Paranoid Earthling, Dhisti and Stigmata are doing the same now. Guess at the end of the day the undergound shapes you to be authentic, to pursue your vision for the right reasons, and to find ways to get things done amidst all the challenges and to simply persevere.
Your music explores complex ideas such as divinity and consciousness. How do you turn these abstract, often spiritual concepts into musical form?
It’s important that the lyrics are easy to understand. And our thoughts and ideas are concise and clear. It’s a skill to make big ideas into small lines – it’s something we work on. It’s a work in progress. I do not like using big words for the sake of it, we try not to be prententious and approach our music with humility, we don’t preach but ask the questions we have. At the end of the day our themes are beyond us, but they puzzle and excite us, so we share them with anyone who cares to listen. We do try to provide a comfortable sonic landscape though – where anyone can join in engage with us The notion of “hidden dimensions of reality” is compelling. Are there particular sonic choices or compositional techniques you use to suggest the invisible or the unknowable?
You mention that your songs reflect the “struggles and revelations of the human experience.” Which tracks on “From Atoms to Galaxies” do you feel capture this duality most profoundly, and why?
For me personally I think it is Through Samsara. It’s a song that explores the nature of reality, conciousness and existence from a buddhist perspective – it focuses alot on the question of what it means to be alive, who and what we are.
The album has a wide emotional and sonic spectrum. What was your approach in the studio to preserving both the rawness and refinement of these elements?
We were very specific in recording the drums as we felt that would be what captured the essence of the songs most. A drum groove and tone can completely change the feel of a song. The guitars also we wanted more mid-heavy tones which relied on more overdrive and saturation than distortion per se. We have experimented with some modulation effects on the bass and guitar. We have added a lot of chorus and delay and layering to the vocals and keys to make the tracks more ambient and spacey.
Translating such intricate material live can be challenging. How do you approach live performance, both technically and emotionally, to stay faithful to the album’s vision?
We tried these songs out live – different versions, different arrangements and tones. Once we settled on what was the best, we tried to as best as we could recreate that in the studio and not the other way around. We are who we are on stage – I don’t if authentically we can change much of that. But we can try to do is make sure on a recording we are portrayed as a correct version of that as possible.
Where do you envision the musical evolution of Man Till God heading after “From Atoms to Galaxies”? Are there directions or concepts you’re particularly excited to explore next?
We are actually almost done reording our 5th EP ‘The Last Days of Númenor’ – we’re aiming to release this by the end of August. This EP explores, the concepts of imperialism, colonialism and impermanence. Musically this EP will have stylistic similarities to ‘From Atoms to Galaxies’ we haven’t drifted too far from that.
What would you ultimately like listeners to take away from this album — both sonically and thematically?
A relaxing listening experience that sparks up the imagination. If atleast one person can relate, or maybe tell a friend – ‘hey that’s a great album to get stoned to or vibe to’, guess that’s all we really want.
You describe yourselves as a band defined by “exploration, authenticity, and deep bonds.” In what ways does this album reflect that ethos, and how do you personally define authenticity as artists in today’s musical landscape?
Authenticity is a tricky one and a question I struggle with all the time. We picked up our instruments listening to and watching many other bands (local and international). We make our music on their shoulders. Their influence is definitely in our music – but I think we make what we like to listen and not because we think people will like this. We do try to make our music accessible but within boundaries we are comfortable with and genuinely beleive in. So maybe aunthenticity is something we will struggle our whole lives with, until atleast we find a sound that is truly our own, but our intentions and artistic pursuit come from the right place so maybe that’s okay and enough for now.
We sincerely thank Man Till God for taking the time to share their thoughts and vision with us. Their commitment to authenticity, artistic exploration, and philosophical depth is both inspiring and refreshing. “From Atoms to Galaxies” is not just an album — it’s an invitation to journey inward and outward, across sound, space, and meaning. We look forward to following their continued evolution and to hearing what new sonic worlds they will unveil in the future.