Sigh - Goh-Ka (2026)
An extraordinarily inventive progressive black metal album, combining Japanese traditional influences, psychedelic rock, orchestral arrangements and aggressive riffs into a fascinating, if occasionally overwhelming, musical experience.
Goh-Ka sees Sigh continuing their exploration of everything that can possibly coexist within extreme metal. The album combines black metal, progressive rock, traditional Japanese instrumentation, horror-inspired keyboards and orchestral textures, with almost constant changes in atmosphere and intensity. It's an ambitious and highly distinctive record, built around a fascinating concept involving Buddhist representations of death and impermanence.
“Kuso-shi 8 and 9 / Mettaijakujo” is my favourite track. This eleven-minute closing piece is where I find the band's ambitious approach most rewarding. I particularly appreciate the way it brings together aggressive metal passages, psychedelic keyboards and more atmospheric sections. The gradual development and contrasting musical ideas give it a sense of progression that some of the shorter tracks lack, making it a particularly satisfying conclusion.
The opening “Kuso-shi 1, 2, and 3” is another impressive piece, developing from cinematic synthesizer textures into a complicated mixture of metal and Japanese musical influences. “Anzenshokon” offers some welcome slower passages, with a darker, more melancholic atmosphere. “Unputenpu” is also enjoyable, with relatively memorable melodic sections and a guitar solo from Opeth's Mikael Åkerfeldt.
What I appreciate most is the originality. Sigh never seems satisfied with conventional metal arrangements, and the variety of instruments and influences gives the music a truly distinctive identity. The production is also excellent, maintaining a surprising amount of clarity despite the density of the compositions. There's always something unexpected happening, and the more ambitious passages demonstrate considerable creativity.
My main reservation is that the constant experimentation sometimes becomes excessive. There are moments when the band introduces another unusual sound or stylistic change without giving the previous idea enough room to develop. Some transitions feel forced, and the shorter atmospheric interludes occasionally interrupt the momentum rather than contributing to the overall structure.
The harsh vocals can also make the more melodic passages difficult to appreciate, and not every composition is equally memorable. I sometimes find the album more impressive from a technical and conceptual perspective than genuinely engaging on an emotional level. The abundance of ideas is admirable, but I would have preferred a little more restraint and stronger musical continuity.
Still, Goh-Ka is an interesting and highly imaginative album, with some excellent instrumental passages and a particularly strong closing composition. I appreciate its adventurous approach and distinctive personality, even if the uneven songwriting and occasional excesses prevent me from enjoying it quite as much as its ambition might suggest.
+ Exceptional originality and variety of musical influences
+ Rich arrangements, impressive musicianship and detailed production
+ Ambitious closing track with excellent progressive developments
– Excessive stylistic changes sometimes weaken the compositions
– Atmospheric interludes and abrupt transitions interrupt the flow
– Harsh vocals and dense arrangements occasionally limit the emotional impact
Genre: avant-garde Black Metal
Country: Japan
Final Verdict: 71% (Very Good Album)
Yearly Ranking: 52th / 749
Highlight: Kuso-shi 8 and 9 / Mettaijakujo
Made me think of:
Imperial Triumphant
Oranssi Pazuzu
Thy Catafalque
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