IMAGINARY SONICSCAPE

This is my first taste of the Japanese rockers Sigh, and this trio are on a totally different musical planet to the rest of us. If their other four full-length albums are quite like this, then they have been wreaking some sort of musical terrorism. Example: The first song is called "Corpsecry ? Angelfall". Right I thought, a Death Metal album. Then the guitars started and I thought no, a wicked trad metal album. Then the vocals started, and I thought that is strange, as it was trad rock but with death vocals. When the orchestral section kicked in, I was confused. The Las Vegas lounge core had me going for a while, but by the time we came to the piano instrumental I had given up trying to work out what was going on in their oriental minds.

It is one of the most confusing albums I have ever heard. Just when I think I have a handle on them they shoot off in a weird direction from left field. If they left some of the basic rock songs alone they would be great, but they have to tamper with each. Their audiences must get very confused. Nevertheless, because of all of this, this is very much a fun album to listen to. The eleven-minute "Slaughtergarden Suite" shows that Sigh definitely inhabit another realm, and I want to visit.

Originally appeared in Feedback #63, July 01