SIGH

"I Saw the World's End - Hangman's Hymn MMXXV" (Peaceville; 2005)

Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton

When I first started listening to Sigh's 2025 re-recording of their 2007 album, I wasn't sure what to expect. My first thought was well, maybe it's a little death metal and then, well, maybe it's a little more black metal. And then, Jesus, I don't know what the hell this is!

And that's the beauty of this entire recording. It's definitely a black metal album, with its double-pounding drums, furious guitars and demonic screams but it's also got an edge that makes it feel like a show — like a musical stage play or, better yet, a symphonic performance. It's stuffed full of black metal (of course), rounded out by symphonic sounds and produced to a blunt, ferocious perfection that sends it soaring. It's brutal, it's expansive, it feels like something new. And I guess that's why the band re-recorded it. They've been quoted as saying they wanted to improve the quality of modern production techniques, production, musicianship (including better musicians), and more developed orchestrations. Whether all of that was necessary or not, I'll discover when I dig out the original but it does do this: It makes "I Saw the World's End - Hangman's Hymn MMXXV" sound fresh and original and that alone was worth the effort.

I gotta say, I'm not a huge fan of black metal. I mean, it's not that I won't listen to it but it's not the first thing I reach for on my musical shelf but this album certainly made me sit up and take notice.

For more information, check out https://www.facebook.com/sighjapan/.

Rating Guide:

A classic. This record will kick your ass.

Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.

So-so. You've heard better.

Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.

Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.

Back to CD Reviews Home

Back to RoughEdge.com Home

Copyright © 2025 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights reserved.