Angry Metal Guy

Sigh // Scenes from Hell
Rating: 4.5/5.0 — Best black metal I’ve heard in a long time
Label: The End Records
Websites: myspace.com/sighjapan | sighjapan.com
Release Dates: US: 01.19.2010 | EU: 29.01.2010

Let me start with the a territory that isn’t very comfortable for many in heavy metal: orchestrations. Heavy metal has seen many variations on the classical orchestration in many different subgenres. Neo-classical metal, like the wanky stuff with Yngwe or Symphony X, has long bragged about the influence of baroque and classical music. Bands like Rhapsody of Fire and Epica do things that sound like they should be straight out of a movie score and black metal even has a symphonic sub-genre, most notably filled by Dimmu Borgir, whose symphonics have gone over the top in the last few years with the addition of Mustis (though we’ll see what happens now that he’s gone). Never before in my tenure of heavy metal listening have I heard orchestrations used in a black metal record to such effect as they have been used on Sigh‘s new record Scenes from Hell.

There are not very many bands that have the kind of respect for progressiveness, yet extremity, that Japan’s very own Sigh has in the underground. Not only has Sigh managed to reinvent themselves pretty consistently, they still consistently produce records that are both extreme and yet somehow oddly catchy and palatable. There are not many bands that can say that they can do both of those things with any consistency. While Scenes from Hell doesn’t technically take on new territory, it does so with an approach that I think is highly novel and very interesting: not only do they use a real orchestra, but instead of using the orchestrations as a background to standard black metal they are instead used, often times, as the leading piece in the track. Where good riffs exist, there is very little orchestration or not at all. In these sections, the rawness and riffyness of this record stands out on its own. But, when the blazing riffs or death marches are added together with orchestrations that is where this record shines.

Scenes from Hell is a triumph of excellent orchestration, musicianship and performance. Simultaneously raw and beautiful, Sigh walks the line between beautiful classical music and raw black metal and never falters or falls too far into one or the other. I am reminded, actually, of Fleshgod Apocalypse‘s 2009 release Oracles by comparison, which is the only album that I feel comes close to the same kind superior approach to classical music—however, they did that completely without orchestrations, carrying the melodies on the guitars instead. However, it is the same qualities, the heavy melody and smart arrangements, and thereby unique approach to metal, that make these two albums similar in my book. If you’re looking to sample this record, something you shouldn’t do (seriously, just go buy it), you should check out the tracks “L’art de Mourir,” a perfect example of the contrasts this album offers between rawness and trumpet orchestrations, and “The Summer Funeral” a funeral dirge that will be stuck in your head for hours after you listen to it.

Honestly, the only complaint that I can even come up with at all is that the production could be better. However, I’m actually torn on this as well, as I think the production actually helps keep this raw. Some of the modern orchestrated black metal stuff, in my opinion, has lost a lot of its rawness and atmosphere. While the production on this record is totally claustrophobic, it gives the orchestra the room it needs and it keeps the metal nice and raw. In some ways, the production, which some have complained about, is probably the best way they could have produced this record. Not too clean, but not too muddy as to lose the good contrasts.

In any case, I think that this is the best follow-up to Hangman’s Hymn that’s even possible. I think a lot of people will claim, unfortunately, that these two records are far too similar to each other and that Hangman’s Hymn is superior. I think neither of these claims are true. The writing on Scenes from Hell is not thematic and because of the production, and where the orchestrations sit, it also draws itself away from the pack when it comes to symphonic black metal. Scenes from Hell will go down as a masterwork of black metal, in my book, and shows that black metal can still be creative and interesting. Buy it.

Marionette – Enemies
Rating: 2.0/5.0 – Blasé and derivative, show it to your 12 year old brother to get him into better music later
Label: Listenable Records
Website: myspace.com/marionettesweden
Release Dates: EU: Out Now! | US: 2010 release in the works

Marionette may well be Sweden’s very first deathcore band!  Well, I guess there could be others, but i’ve not been exposed to them (and frankly, I’m pretty OK with that).  Some trends miss Sweden, like nu-metal did for the most part, but unfortunately this one didn’t.  So there are a couple of things that I need to say up front, for people not familiar with the context with which Marionette will be dealt.  First, the biggest thing in the Swedish underground right now is Japanese stuff.  Kids are running off and learning Japanese; everyone and their dog is listening to bands like Dir En Grey and girls decked out in lolita garb are running around in parks playing with dolls and having picnics with every piece of pink they can gather together. This is a trend, and it is a matter of conforming to specific things that are very specific to individuals in that scene.  In fact, people from that scene are, in my experience, highly judgmental, obsessed with outward appearance, cliquey and lame.  So something in my brain breaks when I have 5 over-dressed glam kids with too much hairspray and neckties screaming “YOU CONFORM!” at me, while playing music that sounds like a blend of In Flames and good ol’ American deathcore.  That is to say: ugh.

This record has been well-received because of it’s well-produced, crushing blend of melodic death metal with the chug heavy, breakdown-infused core.   Actually, the reviews have been extremely positive and I find that to be surprising, because this CD makes my brain react like Teflon: everything just slips right off of it.  Every hook, breakdown and screamed word reach my ears and make my brain go “Yup.  Sooo… Think Sports Center is on?”  I find myself zoning out somewhere in the middle of this album, only to awake when it goes off, having never noticed that the second half of the record has already played and I’ve not heard it.  I actually went back and started this record over at the halfway mark and stopped doing other things in order to be able to actually hear the rest of the record.

Enemies is, of course, smooth as hell.  It was produced by Fredrik Nordström, and the band is obviously talented players.  However, there isn’t anything novel or interesting about this album aside from the occasional keyboard melody or guitar melody that catches your ear, Enemies is an exercise in “in one ear and out the other.”   The lyrics, from what I can tell, are fairly boring and narcissistic (självupptagen) and the vocalist sounds like a mix of that Gothenburg sound and metalcore and deathcore bands from all over the globe.

All of that said, Marionette is the perfect gateway band to extreme metal for a new generation of post-emos who only listen to bands that wear makeup.  These guys are slick as hell, they’ve got groove and melody that the kids will like and if they’ve never heard real metal up until now, they’ll probably think they’re really great.  Like all gateway bands, they’ll eventually get left behind for heavier pastures, but that catchy approach will probably serve them well in the grand scheme of things.