In the early 00s, UK ‘mathcore’ pioneers Sikth blew minds addled by years of lumpen nu metal, then split before getting the recognition they deserved.
Nine years later, new EP Opacities has landed and the band are on a supporting tour that’ll hopefully prove their continued relevance. Before we find out, DESTRAGE [4], whose metalcore sounds huge on record, prove that studio polish is all well and good until you have to replicate it live. HACKTIVIST [6] need to get a move on, a crowd driven rabid by their mixture of grimy raps and overly simplistic djent having already waited too long for a debut album.
SIKTH [8] prove worth the wait, an explosively received debut album combo of Scent Of The Obscene and Pussyfoot exemplifying their ability to intertwine grooving hooks with spasmodic tech. New cut Philistine Philosophies is met with as much enthusiasm as the older material, proof that they are as sharp as ever. Every harmonic and hammered lead is crisply defined and perfectly in sync for the captivating instrumental outro of Skies Of Millennium Night.
Growler Mikee Goodman’s idiosyncrasies embody the weirdness that sets Sikth apart; he seems slightly removed from reality, while a gleeful crowd repeat the oddities of poem When Will the Forest Speak? verbatim. It’s over too soon, but hopefully this time they’ll stick around.
