Sigh
Hangman's Hymn
Band: Sigh
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Sigh first gained notoriety through the early days of tape trading. Sigh front man, Mirai began trading his early demos with Norwegian black metal musicians such as Faust, Samoth, Count Grishnackh and Euronymous of Mayhem. Euronymous planned to release their debut full-length "Scorn Defeat" through is DSP label, but was cut down by fellow band member and friend, Count Grishnackh, but found release through Voices of Wonder, which took over Deathlike Silence Productions and still put the DSP stamp on the disc. Sigh was a completely different entity in the Japanese scene because they incorporated black thrash and symphonic elements into their music, instead of the glitter and glam of bands like Loudness that typified the country during that period. Seventeen years and several albums later, Sigh is still creating dark, progressive black metal.
Sigh has a unique sound that could never be mistaken for another band. Each album has a distinct flavor. "Hangman's Hymn" is no exception. The said album features a down tuned guitar sound and persistent speed that exemplified "Scorn Defeat," but the group incorporates symphonic and progressive elements picked up later in their career. The grinding guitars and pounding drums are constant, but random classical instrumentation and warped vocal effects create a melodramatic and schizophrenic product. Mirai produces a variety of voices including his main, black metal shriek, folksy hymnals, and ghostly howls. The main singing voice doesn't have the bass of western black metal singer, sounding gremlin-like. His humming vocals remind of Samurai-movie score, while the laughing and echoing howls are reminiscent of voices in a Japanese ghost movie. "Hangman's Hymn" appears to be a concept album. It is set up in three chapters. Although each song is different, Marai and bunch return to the same musical theme, revisiting the same melody, although in various forms. Some of the songs also are cut up into parts, with each part being different yet connected to the next. "Overture/Rex Tremendae/I Saw the World's End" begins with gothic organ resounding over a trudging, crunching sound. Demonic laughter beckons in a doomy riff and bell noise. A choir of condemned voices filters the air with trepidation until the music charges with full force into more grinding, black metal moments. The title track begins with blasting black metal, Mirai's folksy vocals and a martial keyboard passage that repeats throughout each chorus. Sigh albums are always a refreshing addition to a mound of same-sounding black metal releases. "Hangman's Hymn" features the same type of eclectic instrumentation common to the Sigh sound. After seventeen years, Marai still has it. "Hangman's Hymn" is an album for those looking for something different from the typical black metal that over saturates the world scene. Darren Cowan
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