Where does Sigh go from here? Only time will tell. For a band that’s always been impossible to predict and at times harder to decipher, Heir to Despair serves as a testament to their abilities.
By nailing prog rock, epic metal and Japanese traditional music, Sigh have probably dug themselves into a niche that could be impossible to get out of. But if any album could, it's Heir to Despair.
It’s the mix of all these elements — the willingness to experiment, the grasp of the fundamentals, and the mastery of atmospherics — that make Heir to Despair the kind of release that everyone — and I do mean EVERYone — should experience at least twice (there is simply no way your mind is going to be able to properly take the whole thing in with just one listen).
In a discography full of records that sound unmistakably like Sigh despite often not sounding anything like each other, Heir to Despair fits in perfectly. The instantly recognizable riffs, inspired songwriting bits, a production that is just a bit muffled and just a little bit off, the passages of black metal aggression, and a general feel of insane joy are all still here and should delight fans.
As much as the textures vibrate and contort through each track in a very avant-garde metal fashion, when the quality sounds too rich, squeaky, and like generic heavy metal, it ends up sounding more like Avenge Sevenfold than it does black metal or visual kei, (visual kei that's exciting to me at least). Heir to Despair is in whole a quirky record, which makes sense for Sigh. Unfortunately, I fall short from being too invested with this thing because of how quirky and everywhere the outside ... read more
This is the first time listening to this band, and I absolutely loved it. The mix of progressive rock, avant-garde and trash metal, and traditional Japanese music is great.
'AMAZING' TRACKS: Homo Homini Lupus, In Memories Delusional, Hands of the String Puller, Heir To Despair
'GREAT' TRACKS: Heresy I: Oblivium, Heresy II: Acosmism, Heresy III: Sub Species Aeternitatis
'GOOD' TRACKS: Aletheia, Hunters Not Horned
'AVERAGE' TRACKS: -
'NOT GOOD' TRACKS: -
はい、とても興味深いです。でも、奇妙なものですが、良い意味で、茹でたベーコンを思い出させます。 少し揚げると、アルバムのテーマとなっているジューシーなエイリアンの肉が残ります。なぜなら、どういうわけか、ジョン・カーペンターの「ザ・シング」を思い出させるからです。 ... read more
Petit frère / frère jumeau d’In Somniphobia, Heir To Despair est un superbe retour au « Nawak Psyché Heavy/Black exotique » de 2012, entre BaK, Solefald, Secret Chiefs 3 et Kekal. Du grand Sigh, une fois de plus.
Pour en savoir plus: https://www.coreandco.fr/chroniques/sigh-heir-to-despair-7001.html
So I definitely didn't love this album, but there were a few songs that were super interesting to listen to. I had expected a more co-ed vocal breakdown, but I still enjoyed this sound. I wouldn't probably listen to anything off this album again, except for maybe a handful of songs (just because there was a lot happening that was kind of cool). It's just not something I especially like.
<3 Heresy I: Oblivium, Heresy II: Acosmism
1 | Aletheia 7:24 | 74 |
2 | Homo Homini Lupus 5:33 | 80 |
3 | Hunters Not Horned 6:48 | 70 |
4 | In Memories Delusional 6:18 | 80 |
5 | Heresy I: Oblivium 7:28 | 60 |
6 | Heresy II: Acosmism 1:46 | 60 |
7 | Heresy III: Sub Species Aeternitatis 2:27 | 70 |
8 | Hands of the String Puller 4:48 | 80 |
9 | Heir to Despair 10:16 | 80 |