Another (mostly) completed discography. I say mostly as I am missing a couple of the EPs but they are pretty difficult to get hold off.
This is SikTh. They were an impressive and unique metal band from the UK. They often get described as Progressive Metal, but have a very different sound to the likes of Dream Theatre or early-mid Opeth. There are links to avant-garde Metal and Mathcore, and they had a big influence on the Djent scene that appeared a few years later after their First Phase had ended.
When the first album The Trees are Dead... was released I was blown away by the sheer complexity of the music. There were random guitar riffs and ever changing time signatures. And while it may sound chaotic, it is not simply noise for the sake of it, there are still actual songs here (in amongst the chaos at any rate).
"But we're always concerned with the quality of the tune; just writing crazy music isn't enough, and I think that's what makes us different from other bands who go really technical. We're definitely writing songs." - Pin, Guitarist for SikTh (quote from Wikipedia )
On the second album, they dialled back the chaos slightly and created a much better, and much more cohesive, piece of work. There is still a lot going on, but it seems to fit together better. One of the things that made the band stand out was the use of two vocalists. Both sounded different, both had a huge range of styles... and they would often sing alternate lines, alternate words, and even sing at the same time. Numerous reason were given for the first split, most likely down to creative differences. Not surprising when you consider how many different styles of music was involved.
Top 3 - First Phase, Bottom 2 - Second Phase
First Phase:
The Trees Are Dead & Dried Out Wait for Something Wild (2003)
Death of a Dead Day (2006)
Flogging The Horses EP (2006)
Second Phase:
Opacities EP (2014)
The Future In Whose Eyes? (2017)
News of the the reunion came out of nowhere, a live performance at Download was quickly followed by an EP and then an album. I was initially worried at the lengthy gaps between the two phases but I needn't have worried, the new album still had the same amount of mind-bending chaos, and it still had the incredibly catchy hooks and choruses too.
And then that was it. As far as I am currently aware, they are still together as a Band, but no music is being created, and most of them have over bands that they are working on instead.
A true Gem in the UK Metal Scene, and we probably won't hear anything like them again.
Recommended Tracks:
1: The Trees Are Dead & Dried Out Wait for Something Wild - Wait For Something Wild
2: Death of a Dead Day - Part of The Friction
3: The Future In Whose Eyes - Cracks of Light
