Sigh formed in 1989/1990 by the main man, Mirai Kawashima, and remained one of the pivotal acts in Asia. The lineup features Dr. Mikannibal, guitarist Nozomu Wakai, Frédéric Leclercq (Kreator) on bass, and renowned US drummer Mike Heller.

As a fan of progressive rock, Sigh offers an uncanny concoction that melds multilayered textures. The style can be related to Oranssi Pazuzu, drawing parallels to bands such as Goblin and Arcturus, but Sigh offers complete avant-garde art in its unique way. The album features a total playing time of 58 minutes. The theme permeating the album is the Kuso-zu series of Buddhist paintings depicting the nine stages of a human body’s decomposition after death. The album title ‘Goh-ka’ has a triple meaning: 業火, infernal fire scorching sinners; 劫火, a huge fire that burns the world at the end of time; and 業果, karma.

The emphasis on guitars is clear, with compelling musical elements woven into ornate atmospheres in the opening track “Kuso-shi 1, 2, and 3”. The guitar work exhibits eclectic dexterity and an almost magical grandeur that keeps the listener captivated, with thrashy guitar attacks in the following track “Jigoku-Zoshi 1: Unkamusho”, where the aggressive vibes of blackened metal meet a proggy 70s sensation, offering plenty of hooks and technical mastery; the percussion and guitars erupt at a rapid pace.

The song structure draws inspiration from a wide range of elements, demonstrating its creativity and primarily weaving a stunning instrumental embroidery on “Anzenshokon”. This offers a unique amalgamation of Black Sabbath’s Planet Caravan. The flutes and sublime clean vocals add a graceful touch that enhances the song’s textures.

Maestro Mirai Kawashima (vocals, keyboards, flute, shinobue, shakuhachi, Koto, hichiriki, taishōgoto), with other members: Dr. Mikannibal (vocals and saxophone) and Nozomu Wakai, offers a unique mix of Sigh’s idiosyncratic arrangements, emphasizing lush musical embellishments on “Kuso-shi 4, 5, and 6”. The acoustic guitars, synth, and percussion cross between symphonic rock soundscapes and proggy guitar twists, infusing uncanny elements from Voivod and classical music, which are well arranged.

The songs move through multiple musical styles and numerous changes; the guitars are reminiscent of thrash metal and will leave you amazed by the tempo changes. There are bizarre musical segments and avant-garde elements that highlight the band’s musical madness and compositional antics on “Unputenpu.” Additional musicians and songwriters feature a guest appearance by Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth), who delivers a nifty guitar solo on the track.

In these chromatic displays of rich guitars that fit the atmosphere and conceptual art, the music leaves you overwhelmed by moments of awe and by sheer creativity displayed on “Jinmenjushin”. Extreme musical fusion bursts with fiery guitar rhythms, organic percussion, and folk instruments backed by theatrical black metal. With vast musical experimentation, Sigh offers an aggressive, extreme take on black metal on “Jigoku-Zoshi 2: Tokatsujigoku”.

The shredding guitars combine powerful riffs with blast beats, providing plenty of rapid tempos; the pacing is determined by raspy black metal vocals that evoke classic extreme metal. Vibrant soundscapes replace the aggressive riffs in the interval songs “Kushukankyo” and “Kuso-shi 7”, which weave folk melodies and uncanny vibe tapestries to create horror soundscapes that lend enchantment to the listener’s mood, but the real uniqueness, however, is the ability to blend orchestral-sounding pieces into a sophisticated musical experience.

The combination of percussion and the frenzied pace creates unhinged parallels with jazzy, proggy-filled grooves. The dark riffs and synth permeate the final track “Kuso-shi 8 and 9 / Mettaijakujo”, which combines blackened thrash and 70s prog rock.

Links