Sigh - In Somniphobia (2012)

Sigh's 2010 effort Scenes From Hell seemed to arrive to a generally positive response, and I personally admired it for its primal gravitas. Gone were the bombastic, sweeping symphonic overtures of its own predecessor, Hangman's Hymn, and the newer songs were distinctly murderous and obscure, Eliran Kantor's surreal and psychotic cover art a perfect match for their aural aesthetics. With In Somniphobia, Japan's black thrashing eccentrics once again allow us to feast our eyes on one of the more visually stimulating album we're likely to experience this year, but musically I would say that it was somewhat of a throwback to the mesh of black, thrash, trad heavy metal and wild, eclectic outside influences that were so prominent during their 1997-2001 period on albums like Scenario IV: Dread Dreams and Imaginary Sonicscape, which just happen to be my favorites...

In Somniphobia resembles Scenes of Hell in that the production of the guitars and drums are not overly polished or as 'in your face' as you'll hear in a lot of modern extremes, but I'd say the actual composure of the riffs is cleaner and more accessible. There's a bit of the charging, 2007 symphonic era present in the structure of songs like "Purgatorium" or the bridge of "The Transfiguration Fear", but instead of an orchestra they are carried out with proggy organ pads and the fetching 70s hard rocking leads that were so prominent on an album like Hail Horror Hail from 15 years ago. The vocals are the same, abusively rasped incarnation that Mirai has been implementing for ages, but Dr. Mikannibal contributes her graceful accompaniments in carefully selected places through the course of the album, and certain guest features are present like death metal cult maven Kam Lee of Floridian forefathers Death and Massacre. In truth, though, while I found the vocals overall to comply with the band's modus operandi, they were not the stars of the show here...

No, that honor is bestowed to the many instances of avant-garde escapism strewn through the tracks, creating at once an exotic and familiar variety show, a circle of the sinister, silly and the gloomily macabre. From narrated, eerie orchestral interludes that descend into glitchy computer noises ("Opening Theme: Ludic Nightmare") to cutesy Eastern ethnic/ambient passages (the intro to the titular "Somniphobia") to the plucking of clean, jazzy Spanish guitars and ballpark organs ("Equale") to the scarce but effective use of Mikannibal's saxophone, you are greeted with must be one of the more worldly, scatterbrained exercises in Sigh's history. At times I felt some reminiscence for Hollenthon's debut Domvs Mvndi, at other times it felt like it was a natural successor to Imaginary Sonicscape, but what's so striking about the level of variation on this album is how it never manages to interrupt the natural flow of the song structures or the serial killer din of the black/thrash/doom riffing, vocals and lyrics.

Sigh excel at the grotesque, the weird, the left of center, while miraculously avoiding that 'forced' multi-genre-culturism pitfall that even a taut and talented act like Mr. Bungle would often succumb to. In Somniphobia is like trying to watch some colorful cult, foreign horror film while having three roommates simulcast 80s thrash, hairy progressive rock and cheesy world music on their respective stereos. It all congeals into this expansive, vicious and melodic broth of ear candy that is easily one of the more unique trips you'll be taking in this or any other season. Wonderful, batshit loco music. While I can't say I found myself quite so glued to the songs as I was on past works like Scenario IV: Dread Dreams, Hail Horror Hail, Imaginary Sonicscape or even its direct predecessor, it's an admirable addition to the band's legacy and sure to appear on or even top many year's end lists, and undoubtedly deserves to be there. Pure escapism 1 0 fucking 1.

Verdict: Win [8.75/10]

http://www.facebook.com/pages/SIGH-official-page/227550909275

Sigh - Scenes from Hell (2010)

Scenes from Hell must seem like both a renewed revelation to fans who had desired an extension to the symphonic thrust of Hangman's Hymn, and a kick in the teeth to the eight people or so like myself who desired a return to the abstract and absurd sounds of Imaginary Sonicscape. In the end, of course, we both win, because what manifests here on Sigh's 8th full-length effort is a vision of Hangman's Hymn done proper, without the few filler tracks that album had and a far superior balance of the band's raw, blackened thrash/speed metal and the orchestral accompaniment. Where it's predecessor was a full-on blast of raging, racing hymnals to celebrate the raw human emotion and bestial spirit within, Scenes from Hell offers a more morose, ghastly picture within a wider range of tempos.

From the opening salvo of "Prelude to the Oracle", we are treated to a thick, bludgeoning guitar tone which works wonders alongside the orchestration, and the immediate connection in style towards the writing of Hangman's Hymn is evident, though the song seems to contain more subtle atmospheres that dawdle off against the backdrop while the multi-tracked vocals howl and hoot over the horns and swelling strings. The band's rawness is redeemed at around 2:20 when a skinny solo tone erupts over a rocking, 4 chord rhythm. "L'art de Mourir" starts cruelly with some old tech thrash riffing over some of Mirai's best vocals in years, and the change up before :40 creates some dense nightmarish volatility before the graceful symphony charges forward like a ballroom dance from the deepest levels of the inferno. "The Soul Grave" pummels through a jazzy organ strike and them some Wagnerian orchestration behind yet another forward momentum, in particular I like the ascending rhythms that transform Mirai's vocals into a squat, Japanese valkyrie.

"The Red Funeral" and "The Summer Funeral" offer two of the longer tracks on this album; the former lavished in a disturbing poetic intro alongside jarring pianos, before a quirky doomish segment which happily brings me back to the days of Scenario IV: Dread Dreams; the latter a bombastic funeral march, and while I really enjoyed some of the symphonic breaks and the overall atmosphere before the 2:00 point, there were actually a few times I found myself rather dulled by it. Not so for the frantic "Musica in Tempora Belli", which seethes in pounding footwork and descending guitar lines, with ballistic Mirai vox and a true attunement to the chaos inherent in some of their earlier works. The gothic, spoken word outro creates a fine bridge into the savage "Vanitas", which takes a few moments to escalate into a striking bridge with winding thrash rhythms that pounce like a leopard in the bush, and an operatic, symphonic punctuation. "Scenes from Hell" itself is the perfect little closer, an upbeat, rhythmic onslaught of the band's classic metal guitar melodies strung about a thundering folk rhythm that makes one want to laugh and duck at the same time.

One thing I enjoyed about Hangman's Hymn was the album's 'fun factor', that is, it made for a great time speeding around in your car, blaring tracks like "Me-Devil" and "Death With Dishonor". This record really follows suit, about 75% of the material is perfect for the same situation, but there is a slightly more noticeable edge to the writing which hearkens back to what I'd consider this band's 'golden age', 1997-2001. Still, even if this is not a masterpiece at the level of, say, Imaginary Sonicscape, it is dense and packed with Sigh's energetic discontent and creepy serial killer enthusiasm. It's an amazing effort which should have the legs to stand on until Mirai & company once again grace us with their diabolism.

Highlights: Prelude to the Oracle, L'art de Mourir, Musica in Tempora Belli, Vanitas, Scenes from Hell

Verdict: Epic win [9.25/10]

http://www.sighjapan.com/

Sigh - Hail Horror Hail (1997)

Sigh is one of the best metal bands in the world, but until this release, they were simply a very good black metal band from Japan, doing a familiar style with a cool ethnic influence.

Well, this is where the levee broke, and Sigh would never be the same again. And neither would I. The titular track opens with a volley of Mirai's mad snarling, and 70s influenced blues leads over a raging metal riff. You are immediately confronted with several layers of melodies, the guitars are fucking everywhere and despite this being a very evil metal album, they manage to give you that real good feeling. But it's not over, for the latter half of this opening song is full of lush, beautiful orchestration which recalls classic, romantic theater productions and then relapses into more Mirai snarls...and this is all happening to simplistic slasher/killer lyrics like this:

Beyond all morality into insanity
I plunge my knife in you again and again
Torture your corpse before it's cold
I seek to devour your life and soul

What the fuck? Right? And this is only the first song! The 2nd track "42 49" brings back some of that earlier Sigh feeling where you are reminded of Celtic Frost/Hellhammer...but wait, what is that? Psychedelic robotic vocals only a few seconds into the track? Folk guitars? What is going on here. I demand an answer.

What IS going on here is an already brilliant band has gone stratospheric in their mushroom-addled ambitions, and concocted one of the best original sounds to ever exist in the wide world of heavy metal. A style so unique it belongs up there with the Voivods of the world, the few and far between.

The rest of the album is equally engaging. The frightening, discordant orchestral doom groove of "12 Souls". The pure piano dirge of "Burial". The shimmering, epic "The Dead Sing" and electro-orchestral number "Invitation to Die". And you haven't even got to "Curse of Izanagi" which is one of their classic go-to songs.

Hail Horror Hail isn't Sigh's best album. I'd reserve that title for Imaginary Sonicscape. But Hail Horror Hail is still an extremely beautiful work of art, which belongs in the collection of any person of taste. It was truly the turning point that skyrocketed them into the upper echelon of metal genius minds.

Verdict: Epic Win [9/10] (and shadows conceal the sharpest knives)

http://www.sighjapan.com/