Sikth – The Future in Whose Eyes?

    Sikth are a band that came around at the right time. In the early 00’s, nu metal was spluttering along and Sikth hit like a bolt out of the blue. After touring the toilet circuit for a number of years, they delivered a stunning debut album ‘The Trees Are Dead And Dried Out, Wait For Something Wild’ and completely changed the game and becoming pioneers in the process. When they disbanded in 2007, it was a huge blow not only to the UK scene but for heavy music in general. ‘The Future In Whose Eyes?‘ is their first full-length album in 11 years and their second release since their full-time return in 2014.

    Let’s get this out of the way nice and early – Sikth are back with a vengeance. This is the album that fans have been waiting for, time has done nothing to dull the edges and they sound sharper than ever. There is a slight change in the lineup as we have a new vocalist in the form of Joe Rosser who takes up the mantle left behind by Justin Hill. To his credit, he delivers on his end and his vocals meld well with the more off-the-wall vocals of Mikee Goodman.

    The most refreshing thing about this album is how vital Sikth still sound, especially when you listen to some of the bands that appeared in their wake – Sikth are still miles ahead of everyone else in terms of creativity. This album is also bastard heavy as well, which is sure to appease the band’s long term fans. Some of their more batshit insane sensibilities have been harnessed which presents a more cohesive album than the ones that proceeded it, but with that said, there are still moments on this album that stand out for all the right reasons.

    ‘Vivid’ and ‘Century Of The Narcissist?’ come in with such relentless force, there is a real fear of them taking your head clean off on first listen. ‘Cracks Of Light’ is a highlight featuring Spencer Sotello from Periphery on guest vocals. This features a stunning 3-way stand-off between the 3 vocalists, but there are narrative moments where Mikee Goodman plays different characters that pull it all together. It is not only the catchiest song on the album but also the most bonkers as well, feeling like a real throwback to the ‘How May I Help You’ days from the debut album. ‘Ride The Illusion’ and ‘Weavers Of Woe’ are some of the heaviest songs that Sikth have ever written and they have that classic feel to them that many other bands have tried to copy over the years.

    There is one drawback to this album which is a minor gripe of mine – that is the spoken word material. There are three of these tracks on the album – ‘The Ship Has Sailed’, ‘The Moon’s Been Gone For Hours’ and ‘When It Rains’. I appreciate that this is part of who Sikth are and isn’t something new for them but in this instance, it slows the pace right down without adding anything to the album overall, especially when you consider that one of these is the album closer. Like I said, it’s a minor gripe in an otherwise flawless album.

    Sikth have always been a special band, one that I have always had a special connection to. ‘The Future In Whose Eyes?’ is everything you could want from them and more. This album will appeal to fans both old and new and will hopefully make people see Sikth as the unique and revolutionary band that they were and always have been. This is an album full of vibrant creativity that could only have come from this band – let’s hope they don’t leave it so long before the next one.

    ‘The Future In Whose Eyes?’ is released on the 2nd of June via Millennium Night.

    Pre-order the album at their official online store – http://www.sikth.band/. Sikth can next be seen in the UK in Bournemouth on the 7th of June, which is a warm up show for their performance at the 2017 Download Festival – for which you can get tickets right here.

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.