Author: Primož Novak
Artist: Sikth
Label: 57 Records
Release: year_month
Length: 27:04
Rating: 4.5/5
Sikth went pretty much unnoticed with their first two albums. A year after the second one, Death of a Dead Day, the band called it quits and the members wandered off to try their luck with other projects. But within a few years Sikth had become a cult band. Plenty of djent acts cited them as a major inspiration. Even before the djent trend kicked off, Sikth were one of the few playing chaotic, technical music modeled on The Dillinger Escape Plan and Meshuggah. And they were never just a pale copy of those bands. They were undeniably original. They knew how to go full chaos, but they could also be surprisingly listener-friendly, working in melodic, groovy sections and soaring vocals that are definitely their trademark.
After years away, Sikth got back together and played a few shows. Since it caught on, the band decided to carry on with their career. Nine years after that second album, they recorded the EP Opacities, testing just how much anyone still notices them today.
Opacities has six tracks and hits you right away with the opener Behind the Doors, which runs at a faster tempo but still packs nearly all their trademarks: the double-vocal assault, punchy guitars and a lively rhythm section. Above all, it sounds massive and stands shoulder to shoulder with today’s djent bands. With Philistine Philosophies it feels like Sikth never left. Every expectation is met. The track has its own groove, complexity, cacophonous bursts and a distinctive, sing-along chorus. The EP carries on logically with Under the Weeping Moon, then cools down with Tokyo Light, where vocalist Mikee Goodman adds atmosphere with some psychotic spoken word. Then Sikth come roaring back with the ass-kicking Walking Shadows, serving up their signature style again, with the two vocalists’ lines weaving together brilliantly. Opacities closes with the melancholic Days Are Dreamed, which isn’t about complexity but leans on dark melody and atmosphere, adding some variety to the release.
Sikth have made a successful comeback. Opacities is a good sign of things to come, so the outlook for a new album is more than promising. Let’s hope Sikth stick around longer this time.
Line-up
Mikee W Goodman – vocals
Justin Hill – vocals
Pin – guitar
Dan Weller – guitar
Dan Foord – drums
James Leach – bass
Production
Forrester Savell
Tracklist
1. Behind The Doors
2. Philistine Philosophies
3. Under The Weeping Moon
4. Tokyo Lights
5. Walking Shadows
6. Days Are Dreamed
