Sigh

Graveward

BY Denise FalzonPublished May 1, 2015

7
Japanese extreme metal/avant-garde noise masters Sigh are back with their latest weird and interesting offering, Graveward. The follow-up to 2012's impeccable In Somniphobia, the band's tenth album combines the aggression of their black metal roots with epic symphonics and their iconic strange, creepy vibes. Sigh have been confounding metal fans since their 1989 inception, and Graveward maintains the tradition. The record is more metal-focused than their previous psychedelic release, featuring more fast-paced thrash- and power-metal style riffs.
 
However, Sigh continue to push the boundaries of metal, too, with the use of keyboards, saxophone, a diverse range of vocals and various progressive orchestrations. Inspired by classic Italian zombie and horror films, the album's themes fit the music's over-the-top theatrical grandeur, and it has a cast of guest performers to match, including Trivium's Matthew Heafy, DragonForce's Fred Leclercq, Shining's Niklas Kvarforth, Rotting Christ's Sakis Tolis and others. Graveward is a crazy ride, but it's intelligently composed and thoroughly intriguing.
(Candlelight)

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