SIGH — Scenario IV: Dread Dreams (review)

SIGH — Scenario IV: Dread Dreams album cover Album · 1999 · Avant-garde Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4.5/5 ·
UMUR
Scenario IV: Dread Dreams is the 4th full-length studio album by Japanese experimental blackened heavy metal/ extreme metal act Sigh. The album was released in September 1999 by Cacophonous Records. I was very impressed by their third full-length studio album Hail Horror Hail (1997) and also the Ghastly Funeral Theatre (1997) EP which both featured lots of experimental ideas and quite frankly oozed weird charm, so my expectations to how Scenario IV: Dread Dreams would sound were very high and fortunately fully met.

The music on Scenario IV: Dread Dreams is not easy to describe but a description like progressive/ experimental blackened heavy metal/ thrash metal with doom metal and NWoBHM elements would be my best shot. If that sounds confusing to you I can assure you that the album is very consistent and all styles and musical elements are combined seamlessly. The basis in the music are drums, bass and guitar. Those instruments play what I would call a filthy old school blackened heavy metal/ thrash metal style. The vocals by Mirai Kawashima are equally filthy and raw sounding. There´s a hysterical edge to them that I really enjoy. On top of this "regular" metal style, the band excel in the use of orchestral synth parts, melodic guitar solos, sound effects, choirs ( both male and female), loads of psychadelia and of course some trademark handclaps. While this might sound like a carnival fare to some, Sigh manage to maintain a dark atmosphere throughout and that´s maybe their greatest strength. Yes this is progressive and yes this is experimental ( even on the verge of avant garde at times) but the band never loses sight of the fact that they are at their core an extreme metal act and that´s admirable IMO.

The production is dark and organic and the choice of synths, even though a bit synthetic at times, don´t ruin that impression. The fact that the band opt not to play razor sharp precision riffing but rather a more loose and organic style of playing also adds to the impression of authenticity.

With Scenario IV: Dread Dreams, Sigh prove once again that they are one of the most unique extreme metal acts around. The album sounds like nothing else out there and it´s actually hard to say who will enjoy the album and who will not. In my point of view an album this daring and unique deserves a 4.5 star rating. Hail Sigh hail.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Rot Stink Rip Death Metal
TOMBSTONER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Human Rosin Melodic Metalcore
HATE BREEDER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Through The Hell Hardcore Punk
ENEMY 906
Buy this album from MMA partners
Lightmatter: Rebirth Deathcore
EARTHGAZER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Eye Of Horus (Lightmatter EP Pt. 2) Deathcore
EARTHGAZER
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Agremorta - Adrocitas (Official Lyric Video)
AGREMORTA
Bosh66· 5 days ago
Agremorta - Ploratus Umbra (Official Lyric Video)
AGREMORTA
Bosh66· 5 days ago
Agremorta - Vertex Membrana (Official Lyric Video)
AGREMORTA
Bosh66· 5 days ago
HAIL SPIRIT NOIR - The Temple Of Curved Space (Official Track Stream)
HAIL SPIRIT NOIR
adg211288· 5 days ago
In Sulfur - The Gate (OFFICIAL VIDEO) 2022
IN SULFUR
Bosh66· 6 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed