I Saw The World's End

Japanese black metal legends Sigh formed in 1989/1990. The genre-classic debut 'Scorn Defeat' followed on Euronymous' Deathlike Silence Productions in 1993 & with each subsequent release, Sigh grew to become one of the country's greatest & most revered metal exports. With a journey through the strange & the psychedelic, incorporating a whole eclectic mix of genre styles & experimentation throughout their career, Sigh has remained a vital creative force in the avantgarde field whilst maintaining their old school roots, as witnessed with the stellar 2022 album, 'Shiki'. As the band reaches the milestone of thirty-five years of existence, it was also time to re-visit their 2007 opus, 'Hangman's Hymn'. A compositional powerhouse in itself, the title was notably Sigh's first concept album; a mix of fast thrash metal from the 80's such as Wehrmacht, Sarcofago, Repulsion & classical music - especially German symphonies. However, "Hangman's Hymn" was always perceived to be not fully up to the band's own standards & expectations in it's execution & production & so main-man Mirai Kawashima set about to finally do justice to this at times overlooked masterpiece of intricate songwriting, by making a full re-recording with the current Sigh sound & delivery, under the title of "I Saw The World's End - Hangman's Hymn MMXXV". With Nozomu Wakai on guitar & the returning Mike Heller on drums, "I Saw The World's End - Hangman's Hymn MMXXV" is by far the fiercest, most brutal & the most symphonic Sigh album to date, with the added flawless delivery of the new members & new orchestration with real orchestral instruments. Finally, the production by Lasse Lammert also brings a whole other dimension to the album. Cover artwork appears courtesy of Eliran Cantor. Marble coloured vinyl. Very limited pressing.