HANGMAN'S HYMN - MUSIKALISCHE EXEQUIEN

After a couple avant-garde releases that were still just barely clinging on to an association with black metal, the strange musical entity known as SIGH retreats back to a predominant black metal sound on HANGMAN'S HYMN: MUSIKALISCHE EXEQUIEN with a brash bravado and hyperactive dynamic delivery unlike many of their releases and has an energy level more akin to a thrash or death metal band. The music is an interesting mix of speedy black metal with raspy vocals (and rare clean ones) mixed with a symphonic pompousness that at times seem like they are competing with one another. The general pattern is a black metal dominant sound which in a patterned manner takes back seat to symphonic elements which are based of Mozart's "Requiem in D-minor," continuing this Japanese band's obsession with all things Western music. The album is divided into three acts which is basically a black metal opera of sort. In composure it brings to mind Carach Angren's "Where The Corpses Sink Forever" but sounds a bit like Crade Of Filth with the aggressive metal mixed with sophisticated symphonics.

When it comes to the choir parts of this album SIGH didn't fool around. They solicited volunteers to sing in Latin and send in audio files and the result is a rich and bloated full sound that belies the fact that this is really just a quartet on full time duty. This is in short, a very well done album that delivers both black metal and symphonic balance where every tracks runs together in harmony and I find the album really goes by too fast. Although it seems like "Imaginary Sonicscape" is the one stop and move on album in SIGH's discography, I would like to emphasize how good their other albums are. This one is certainly more metal oriented than that album but for anyone interested in a black metal sound that is embellished with brilliant additional elements then SIGH simply must be checked out beyond a token single album. For those with a fetish for symphonic metal of any type this one will certainly entertain your inner Mozart meets Darkthrone fantasies.