Though I can honestly say I've never fully understood this band, the reality is that each of their releases is so 'out there' and different that you can't help but be amazed at the audacity they have to create music that stretches as far from the norm as it does. Sigh hail from Japan, and they perform what can best be described as 'theatrical avant-garde extreme metal' (at least that's how I describe it), which combines elements of death & black metal, prog, Broadway styled themes, classical, video game soundtracks, and electronica. Sounds eclectic and perhaps all over the map right? Well, it certainly is, and their latest platter for Candlelight, titled Graveward, is no exception. The band were reportedly inspired by Italian horror movie soundtrack composer Fabio Frizzi on this one, and you can kind of get that creepy feel throughout the album. Guest artists include Frederic Leclercq (bassist/harsh vocalist of DragonForce), Metatron (The Means of Asphodel) Niklas Kvarforth (Swedish Shining), Sakis Tolis (Rotting Christ) and Matt Heafy (Trivium).
"The Tombfiller" is a great way to experience all that is Sigh, as it features hellish growls, shredding guitar solos, symphonic keyboards, clean pop vocals, passages of classical grandeur, and zany video game styled noodling. You are just as quickly to be left scratching your head in puzzlement as you are to be completely amazed. The title track and "The Forlorn" are more straightforward progressive death metal styled numbers, but with that eerie horror movie soundtrack feel seeping in, while the odd "The Molesters of My Soul" mixes ominous Mellotron with Cradle of Filth styled gothic black metal for one of the albums more unsettling tracks. There's some great riffs and explosive lead guitar solos on the symphonic death metal burner "The Trial By The Dead ", and "The Casketburner" tosses in some jazzy sax & piano into the middle of some maniacal black metal shrieking, another oddball song that somehow works.
I could go on and on describing just how strange each one of these songs truly is, but I think you get the point. Graveward is by no means an easy listen, but ultimately it's a fun listen, as long as you have the patience to soak it all in and give all the little nuances time to reveal themselves to you. I can't rightfully say that this will be for everyone, but if you have an open mind and want to investigate something REALLY different, I urge you to give this one a try. For normal Sigh fans, if you didn't think it was possible for them to get even weirder, well, think again.
Track Listing
01. Kaedit Nos Pestis
02. Graveward
03. The Tombfiller
04. The Forlorn
05. The Molesters of My Soul
06. Out Of the Grave
07. The Trial By The Dead
08. The Casketburner
09. A Messenger From Tomorrow
10. Dwellers In Dream
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