Customer Reviews

Trees Are Dead & Dried Out Wait for Something Wild

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Oh my God!
Finally some band that possesses REAL TALENT has come out for us music lovers!
Hailing from England, this sextet will immediately impress for their very technical, yet funky but at the same time heavy, groove!
This is not to say that their songs are not catchy...but this release is not for the faint hearted either!
Sikth finally get to release the cd after two very impressive EP's and the results are rather astounding...
A few words for the production...EXCELLENT! the sound is incredibly clear and crispy...giving chance for the instruments to shine through it.
As for the music...opener "scent of the obscene" sets the ball rolling for the guys with its fast intro, slappy bass and incredibly melodic break, whilst second song "pussyfoot" stomps your head for its whole lenght thanks to manic vocals and grating guitar/double pedal attack...
Other highlights include "skies of the millennium night", a great song from beginning to end, with an almost circus groove where the incredible guitar work really shines! good job guys!
The cd's middle section gives you some relief with songs "TUPELO(that's right folks, a Nick Cave cover)" and "can't we all dream" almost connected to each other, but I personally think they're too much of a dirge to listen to...
The pace increases again and culminates with "such the fool" another classic sikth song, before ending in an interesting spoken word song by singer Mikee W. Goodman.
Only flaw i can see in the band is the reworking of "hold my finger" and "such the fool" which sound greatly better played faster and rawer as in the EP's...but that is a minor mistake which does not affect the greatness of this cd.
Please make these guys famous...they deserve it so much more than many other bands!

all i have to say is wow...this is the type of band thats not afraid to try new things. this band is from the UK and they sound like if system of a down and atreyu had kids...this is what they would be...such an awsome band i suggest u buy this very soon b4 there is no more,also buy their new cd comming out in october

My first time hearing Sikth, I sat and listened to their album front to back, all the way through. It was a revelation. It was a life-affirming experience. It was the real deal. Sikth are so utterly beyond criticism, the same way Dillinger or Mike Patton or Frank Zappa are beyond criticism... if you don't like it, you don't get it.

The guitarists are an amazing team, creating what seems at once both a single continuous flowing sound and ten different parts crashing and tumbling into each other. The bassist is heard loud and clear throughout, and his ear for when to play counter-melody and when to play flashy-ness is perfect. The drummer is a dynamic and ever-present wall of sound, matching whatever comes his way from the band with a liquid flow. The vocalists work together in much the same way as the guitarists, sounding as if they're fighting over the same mike, with each getting out only a few words or a sentence before the other comes in.

The songs themselves... really, the music on this album is not only beyond criticism, it is beyond description. I could say they sound like Dillinger, and structurally they're quite similar, but I couldn't imagine DEP doing smooth vocal harmonies or having two, count 'em, two piano pieces on an album, nor could I really see them covering a Nick Cave song. They've got the quirkiness of Mr. Bungle, but not nearly as much, but then maybe a bit more... you see my problem.

Last words... Sikth have some of the best breakdowns, beyond breakdowns, breakdowns so complex they really aren't breaking anything down at all.

More last words... their version of "Tupelo" is amazing, and I'm fairly sure they're the first metal band to cover any Cave song, and I'd know, I've looked, that's what made me get this album in the first place.

Even more last words... 'Can't We All Dream' and 'When Will The Forest Speak' are two of the greatest tracks of all time, on any album, ever, legendary stuff.

Holy crap, these guys are brilliant. SikTh are a melo-hardcore (or something like that) band from London, UK. And their first album is something I've never heard before. Give this album a try, you'll probably hate it, you may like it. I heard them on a Metal Hammer CD and it was, although chaotic, unusually good.

Okay, to many they just sound like they're bashing their instruments randomly, but in reality, everyone could say that about the whole metal genre. Their sound is unusual, two vocalists who seem to intertwine throughout the songs, two crazy guitarists, a damn good bassist and an insane drummer. Together they create this weird but wonderful, chaotic but orderly, beautiful noise.

I've seen some say "oh DEP is far better" but **in my opinion** (yes, it's only my opinion, don't get all jumpy) SikTh are far better than DEP. I've listened to some DEP songs and they just have no melody whatsoever. "But SikTh have no melody either!" you say. Listen to Skies of Millenium Night or Peephole. Remember, this is only my opinion, so don't write reviews back saying "OMG XSO YOU SUCK FOR SLAGGING OFF DEP OMG LOL ^______^"

Each one of these songs sounds different, from Pussyfoot to Tupelo, from Scent of the Obscene to Skies of Millenium Night. Its a rarity in bands that all the instrument players are good, when a guitarist is good, the bassist is usually mediocre, when the bassist is good, the guitar is usually "meh", when both guitar and bass are good, usually the drummer or the singer decides to be crap, but with SikTh, these guys can all play their instruments damn well, even if it is all this crazy fret shifting.

Anyway, enough of that. Onto the songs.

1. Scent of the Obscene - A damn good opener track. One of the best on the album. The chorus at the beginning and the end is one of the best on the album.
2. Pussyfoot - Good double-bass and guitar work on this one. A bit skimpy on the melodic bits, but meh. It's still a damn good song.
3. Hold My Finger - I heard this song in demo form on the Metal Hammer CD and let me say that they've improved a lot since then.
4. Skies of Millennium Night - This. Is. The. Best. Song. Ever. Right from the etheral opening, to the chaotic but rhythmic verses, and the soaring chorus, onto the extensive and beautiful outro, this song is one of the best songs I have ever heard in a long time. If you're going to download one track as a taster, make it this one.
5. Emerson (Pt. 1) - A nice piano piece, dedicated to the singer's late friend. A breather from all the choas.
6. Peep Show - A nice change from all the chaos, just shows that these guys can do orderly songs if they want.
7. Wait for Something Wild - The semi-title track of this album, shifts from riffs and melodies here and there before the final melody, that keeps you going until the chaos of "Spin! Swim! Scream!" at the end.
8. Tupelo - A cover of a Nick Cave song apparently. I haven't heard the original but this is a good ambient song. Quite different to the others (obviously because it's a cover) but nonetheless, it's a damn good song.
9. Can't We All Dream? - Mikee's vocals really shine through on this song. Although it takes a while to get going, this is a really good, beautiful song. It's not all weird and chaotic, rather more dreamy and floaty. One of my personal favourites.
10. Emerson (Pt. 2) - Part two of the dedication track.
11. How May I Help You? - This song is another damn good one. It's about a guy called Rodney who is a bit....well....not right, and he finds a girl called Miranda who turns out to be a bit of a slut. Just the way they tell this story with the alternating vocals, especially the but where Rodney is talking to old man in the bar, is excellent. A brilliant song.
12. (If You Weren't So) Perfect - Another song similar to Wait for Something Wild, but different, and slightly more....I dunno....organic? I don't know. The bongo-type things in the verse give this a more natural feel. Still a damn good song.
13. Such the Fool - Although not one of my absolute favourites, still a good song, with a damn good staccato riff right before the Chorus. And "Bitchin' erected muscle lickin / Think I'd rather be chokin my chicken" is just classic.
14. When Will the Forest Speak...? - Not one of my favourite tracks, a spoken word track. But meh.

Overall, a damn good buy. If you're running out of music to listen to and need something completely different, give these guys a go. SikTh are so damn good.

(I think I used the word "Chaos" too many times >_>)

First of all, if you like melodic verses and chorus's...this album is not for you. Musicians can really respect this album because musically, the guys in Sikth are brilliant. Every song blows me away with technicality and unfamiliarity. Lyrically, the album has it's ups and downs but when you learn to accept Sikth for what they are this album is a 10 out of 10. This album can make you want to put a hole into a wall at times and float off into space at others. Never have I heard an album like this and after hearing "Death of a Dead Day" off the new album I have no fingernails in anticipation of it's release.

When i first bought this cd on its release date, i was rather disapointed, as it didnt seem to have the momenteum of there eps, or of a live performance. As i have listered to this cd more and more, it has become apparent that its it about something all together different. From the opener, 'Scent of the obscene', the influences become apparent, but the band seem to have an increadiable ability to take the best parts from some of the best bands and use them in a way so that you cannot pin anything on another artist for one second. This cd is not about JUST going insane, as many people who dont listen to sikth much say about the band in general, its about an expereince that ends in leaving you feeling something and music like this can actually change your mood, which only great music does.

This is different to a live perfomance or an ep, as the speed and passion is broken up, even as early as track five, to give the album a more rounded feel, and it certianly gives it depth. It might sound cheesy, but this cd i can relate to, as its the sound of life happening. There are lyrics discussing social issues, love life, theres humor, but best of all, this gives to an atmosphere of challenge and perseverence. The music itself is awesome. Not just because its technical, but it seems to flow very well, and fits so well with the passion all memebers put in.

Its a cd i can put on before i go out, its a cd i can put on when im bored, its a cd i walk down the road to theres no situation this music isnt relevent. Sikth sounds and feels different, which is what first put me off this cd, but since i've had it, you realise it adds to sikth, and takes nothing away.

If i could complain at all, i would say the packaging could do to more minimal, and tupelo should be replaced with somthing more like such the fool. I think that all the notes on songs could be gone, with them just on the site, and that all the credits could be shorter, this is nothing to do with the music, i just prefere it when record design looks more homemade and cheaper.

This is really the sound of a solid band progressing and making sure that people listen to them, and are not scared to be something else....

what a filth album... a must own anyfan of the strange... not thats its strange.. it flows like water to the sea..

im screwed... i just love these guys

Here we are, almost a decade after the launch of Sikth's debut album and no other band on the planet could ever compare to them. Man oh man do they try and ultimately fall flat on their face. No other band had the personality, wackiness, quirkiness, and timing of Sikth. It's just too bad they never got the coverage they deserved in the States. From what I can remember they were pretty big in the UK and got even bigger in Japan. I think their "How May I Help You" video even won them a Japanese Grammy lol Anywho I miss their awesome breakdowns and unique song structures but luckily they put out an album after this one that matched the instrumentation of their debut. Their newer album was a bit more focused and serious, but I still love it to death for what it was. It's just too bad they broke up. But fans should not hesitate to check out some of the members' newer bands such as Monuments or Aliases. For pretty good bands that are obviously influenced by Sikth, check out Fellsilent, Tesseract, The Arusha Accord, and Destrage. There is also a band called Textures that came out around the same time as Sikth. They are still around however, and are about to launch a new CD featuring their new vocalist some time this fall. Anywho RIP Sikth!

Before listening to "The Trees Are Dead..." I bought "Death of a Dead Day." That was probably not the best choice, but living in the US, I didn't have much of a choice. Despite all of that, Sikth really lays out everything they're capable of on this album. They cover so much ground, that sometimes it's hard for the listener to grab hold of something consistent. If the listener (you) can get past that aspect, an enjoyable introduction to the band is at hand.

Trust me, this album is really, really good. Those people who gave this 1 star have only listened to it a few times. When you first listen to it, it seems like screaming out-of-time nonsense. This a deep album and takes a long time. Dig deep because it is so worth it.