Customer Reviews

Imaginary Sonicscape

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Japan-based Sigh have wandered far from their Black Metal roots, and that's a good thing. Their first release "Scorn Defeat" on Deathlike Silences was mostly mid to fast-tempo BM that only hinted at the experimentalism of later releases, where they morphed into a strange hybrid of metal, jazz, soundtracks and classical. The music on this release is their most vibrant ever, a keyboard-dominated kaleidoscope of music that combines 70's prog-rock keyboards, 80's NWOBHM riffing and 90's black metal vocals. Sigh have really hit upon an interesting combination: The songs here are ultra-catchy but full of layers of subtle instrumentation that reveal themselves through repeated listens.. not to mention the creative and bizarre touches, like dropping an electro-dub break in the middle of "Scarlet Dream", or having a chorus of vocoded voices provide backing to the boogie-rock influenced "Ecstatic Transformation". A real cornucopia of sounds for metal fans with an open mind and a healthy appetite for the exotic.

I've had this album for years, and I just went on amazon to order their latest album which I haven't obtained yet and cannot wait to listen to. So, as I was browsing, looking to see what the fans thought of this album, and this definitely made me feel like adding my part of enthusiasm. This album *is* as good and as f*cked up, weird, mixed up with every style you can think of as everyone else says on this page.

One great thing about this album is, not one song sounds like any other, they all stand quite on their own. I forget if the guitarist is Satoshi or Shinichi, but anyway, whichever one it is, his soloing on this album is very tasteful over all, more Tony Iommi-sh type licks mixed with some jazz and classical influences. Quite fresh, I think it's that guy's best job up to date with lead guitar. Since one other person made a perfect description of most of the songs on the album, I'll just point out a few other things. The recording quality is better than previous Sigh albums, so you can hear all the noises and effects a lot better, it's a lot more synth heavy than the previous records (don't get me wrong, there was always a lot of synth on Sigh albums, but not like on this album), the variety of songs is incredible, and musically, it is definitely the band's best effort. The album is flawless as far as I'm concerned.

I'll just say a bit more about Slaughtergarden Suite, the 11 minute song, as it is my favorite on the album. Someone else said it was like a bad trip, well, the beginning certainly is. The track grips you with a very slow beat, broken by cymbal crashes and distorted guitar sounding very much like thunder, with weird vocoder-filled synth sounds creeping up outta nowhere, rocking your mind and your senses in a completely different direction. Shinichi (or Satoshi, whichever one it is that plays guitar @_#) pulls a wonderful intro solo, and then a second one during the slow first part of the song, where he gets his guitar to sound very much like a flute, in the phrasing and the tone, something I really liked.

Then you get a small build up, where Mirai says some pretty bloody things that I don't really remember, with noise building up to the point that your ears start to cringe. Just as it's about to become annoying, or even unbearable, the noise starts and the song breaks into some crazy kinda weird funky, rock groove, with a little simple guitar line playing over and over on some kinda hypnotic bass groove. Anyway, I just realized that my describing of the song could be quite long and could ruin the experience for some readers. But I could sum up my point to this! All the songs can be talked about this much, because there is just so much cool material on every track. It changes all the time, it grips you cause the music is good, it grips you cause the weird psychedelic sounds really do plunge you in some kinda trance, and.. you know, what, enough. Just do yourselves a favor, and BUY THIS ALBUM! If you like metal, or progressive rock and you can stand death metal vocals (fans of Opeth, gather! This music will please you!), this album will tickle your fancy. 5 stars, and I would give it more if I could.

If metal is ice cream, Imaginary Soundscape is the whole freakin' Baskin Robbins sitting on a busy street corner in Japan.

Combining Slayer-like thrash riffs, Iron Maiden-like melodic metal, black metal atmospherics, calypso reggae breakdowns, evil sonic dub beats, energized disco breaks, and psychedelic pop, Sigh released one of the most eclectic and speckled metal albums of the new millenium.

When the album opens with "Corpsecry/Angelfall" you will think that most of the references above are overexaggerated, but then you will reach the stretch end of this track, which features pure classcial music that would be very fitting for an old Francis Ford Coppola film.

When the second track enters with the heavy synthesizers, you will begin to realize that you may have stumbled upon everything you were never expecting. On "Scarlet Dream" the synthesizers are sustained and tweeked to produce a range of sounds, some melodic, and some no more than high-pitched squeals designed to do nothing more than add a disturbingly twisted edge to the song.

And don't get me wrong, this is not simply an album of wanking oddities, because the components of true metal are always present. To boot, the guitars on this album are great; meaty hooks with some impressive solo work.

Still, it is when this band pushes the envelope that they truly shine. "Nietzschean Conspiracy" is basically a stoned-out dub track with death metal vocals. Very creepy, very cool.

The next track, "A Sunset Song", is my personal favorite, and easily the most sunny song despite the infectious death metal chorus, "Tear me apart, delightful, tear me apart sac ree fi!" (sacrifice with Japanese accent). The song opens like a vintage Flaming Lips track, before dipping into a Joan Jett and the Blackhearts type verse riff. If this isn't odd enough, try to recall the Star Wars disco song if you can, because this song has a breakdown in the middle which calls to mind said classic.

Just to show you they're serious, the band follows this track with a truly moving and exhilerating one and a half minute classic piano ditty. Very classical, VERY metal.

The next two tracks are more straightforward metal like the first one, but like even that track, they have their moments of unconventional thinking. The album concludes with an 11 minute epic which literally sounds like having a bad trip and not being able to tell if you're at a jazz or metal show. Now THAT is truly frightening.

If you are a metal fan always interested in hearing what nobody else is doing, or if you are of the adventurous type who is looking to expand the horizons past more traditional musical approaches, then the Japan-based Sigh's Imaginary Soundscape is precisely what you are looking for. You'll laugh (seriously, you will), you'll hold your breath, you'll dance, you'll headbang, and most importantly, you will come back again and again to hear this unsurpassed mixture of metal, melody, psychedelia, and far-out fun.

When I heard the song NIETZSCHEAN CONSPIRACY I thought I was dreaming, what a wonderful and wierd song, it is not of this world. No two songs sound the same on this delightfully dark album which was remixed by aliens I think. That is really what it sounds like. I know for certain that this will appeal to anyone who is in need of something fresh for their ears. It is as fresh as the juices of fresh oranges. Yes this album actually has tang, and is very fruity in the use of instruments. SIGH will peer deep into your sanity, and make you think you're crazy, but once the cd stops you're back to normal. Huh what happened ? Press play, I want back in.

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD A FUNKY BLACK METAL SONG ?

NO ?

THIS YOUR CHANCE TO HEAR WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A HYBRID GENRED BAND. THIS IS SO HYBRID, IT TAKES A MILLION + LISTENS TO SOAK IN ALL THERE IS AVAILABLE ON THIS ONE DISC.

This is definetely groundbreaking, yet it will seem so familiar.

This cd contains Black Metal, psychadelic electronics, funk, classical, jazz, in no particular order or mixture and some special ingredient that I am unable to put into words, the closest word I know of is 'wierd'. And I must also add this is the fist band in history to do a Black Metal song that is filled with joy. I am a dedicated Black Metal fan and I really like bands like Dark Funeral, Emperor, Marduk to name a few, but none of those bands do for me what SIGH does. If you buy this you'll be so glad you did, just look at the other reviewers opinions.

ONCE YOU BUY THIS CD YOU WILL HAVE A TOTALLY DIFFERENT PERCEPTION OF MUSIC AND ITS CAPABILITIES. ESPECIALLY THE CAPABILTIES OF SIGH. NO MATTER WHAT STYLE OF MUSIC YOU'RE INTO, YOU WILL FIND SOMETHING THAT WILL APPEAL TO YOU AND YOU'LL THINK TO YOURSELF "WHY DON'T THE OTHER BANDS I LISTEN TO DO ANYTHING LIKE THIS ?".

The song 'A Sunset Song' is also excellent, but there really isn't a song on this cd that isn't. There is a song for every mood, and is very easy to listen to if you're open minded to new elements being introduced in a variety of strange ways you never thought possible.

If you liked SIGH you should also hear KADENZZA a one man band from Japan, but you will have to search really hard for that one.

The album is called Into The Oriental Phantasma (excellent and dark technical Black Metal with a twist).

Basicly, these japanese black metal guys took every kind of music that you can imagine (yes, everything...grunge, classic rock, electronica, industrial, gothic, punk, country, drone, metal, jazz, reggae, swing, cabaret, noise) and made one extremly weird album. It's hard not to like this album, allthough I don't think other bands should get this carried away...but for the sake of this kamakazi blend finnally being done...than it certainly should come from the japanese. Sigh has accomplished the ultimate weirdness. If you need something that is just way, way, way out there....this is it.

Sigh is a superb amalgamation of styles with a basis in death metal. Theirs is an ambitious and avant garde sound that is at once challanging and interesting. Imaginary Sonicscape is considered by many to be their magnum opus and justifiably so: the music reflects a deep and capable grasp of every genre featured, not just death metal. Sigh is in a world all their own.

i'll keep it simple and just say this: this cd is the only metal i have ever enjoyed. it is so complex, so much is layered upon layer upon layer. you need good speakers to appreciate it fully....but good either way

Amoung the many fabulous releases of 2001, Sigh's 'Imaginary Sonicscape' immediately comes to mind as one of the most alluring and technical pieces of the year. Their mix of every from psycadellic rock, to electronica, to black metal, and everything inbetween creates a brilliant atmosphere of both light and evil. In a sense comparable to the eclectic sound of fellow country men Mad Capsule Markets, though none of the nu-metal influence, less industrial, and a he ll of a lot heavier. The music itself is such a wonderful experience just to listen to, so dark and menacing at times (specifically in the wonderfully dark 'Bring Back the Dead') and at others just a great smooth sound. I am truly at a loss of words when it comes to this album, 'Sunset Song' is my personal favorite track and I think that that is perhaps all I can say at this point. Just pick up this album, the music will say more that I ever could. All in all it's nearly a masterpiece.

sigh released easily the most creative cd of 2001 with imaginary sonicscape.
sigh are a 3 piece out of japan. (japanese music is cool. also check out church of misery). this cd will expand your mind. they do things with music that normal people (aka, sober people) wouldnt think of. i guess you could describe them as psychadelically influinced black metal. not your run of the mill top 40 band. imaginary sonicscape is just a thrill to sit down and listen to. go check it out.

... seriously, that's probably the easiest comparison. It's black metal, mixed with equal parts 80's thrash, classical, jazz, classic rock, and a dash of 80's pop and 90's electronics. So weird, all over the map and truly invigorating! I've been listening to this for 30 minutes and already know I've never heard anything like this. It just rocks so hard! Is that a hammond? Piano? Are those tamborines and wind chimes? They didn't just have hand-claps did they? Oh yes they did. These guys are great! It's dark one moment, positively poppy the next. What mood swings! And it all works together so well. This might be the most refreshing band I've heard in modern metal in... well... forever!