Review by Jeger on August 22, 2026.

The incredible Sigh… The Sigh journey has been one that has traversed the breadth of many a sub-Genre of music from their earliest Black Metal albums on through to this current avant-garde era of recording, Sigh have become Masters of influence in the same way one becomes adept in Magick - transcendent of any and all expectations - limited only by Earth's laws of physics, gravity and motion. From backroom rendezvous with Euronymous to expanding beyond even the furthest tatters of the Genre into creative realms that most musicians can only imagine. And Sigh makes it seem easy…

Coming straight off of the re-recording of their "Hangman's Hymn" LP last year, Sigh have ridden some serious creative momentum into a most glorious present day that sees the band in a state of renewal following their trip back through time. On September 4, Sigh will release their brand new LP, "Goh-Ka", via Peaceville Records. We're all gonna die… Didn't see that coming? No matter how beautiful you are or how much money you have, you will end up rotting in a casket someday. And as we get older, our brains produce less memories which makes the time go by faster and faster! "Goh-Ka" is the thematic exploration of the Buddhist nine stages of decomposition; a reminder to live life to its fullest? Just a fucked up yet super-artistic way of reminding us of the inevitable? Memento Mori! Set to music of the progressive, illuminating, experimental and superlative kind. Guest appearances include Kreator's Frédéric Leclercq (bass), Opeth's Mikael Åkerfeldt (guitar) and American drum phenom, Mike Heller.

I consider Sigh to be the Japanese version of a band like Blut Aus Nord or Inferno - bands who are just never satisfied, never content with what is considered conventional or appropriate, and the result is epics like the "Kuso-shi" saga, the deeply meditative and then heavy as fuck, "Anzenshokon" and the laser-happy "Jinmenjushin", as it mesmerizes with a '70's quasi-futuristic intro before the sheer madness of Sigh being in the zone ensues.

If you've never mastered anything, ie, put in over 10,000 hours into something you are passionate about then it will be hard for you to even imagine how Sigh is able to put together music like this. Not for the curmudgeonly or the cynical, open-minded Enthusiasts only. A touch of culture, a wealth of unpredictable shifts in tempo/mood paired with an atmosphere of godly proportions. Over an hour's worth of music that cannot be categorized, emulated or scoffed at. "Goh-Ka" is colorful. For those of you looking for the blackened experience, you should probably keep moving. This is not a Black Metal record, even though I will publish it on my Black Metal page, because it must find a home somewhere.

When it's heavy, it's really heavy and it gets insane, maniacal! Radical vocalizations and unconventional instruments, shit that makes you feel like you're in a '70's Fantasy World. An adventurous offering; one that will see Sigh off into a blessed season of revelry, of resting on their proverbial laurels. They've earned it! Listen to "Goh-Ka" and get more than an idea why. Expect the unexpected and to be so eagerly anticipatory of every passage that you will breeze through the experience. When Stars fall, Planets align and when just the right amount of transcendence-driven passion can be felt, the result is wholly talented, uber-mind-fucking, truly elevating Extreme Metal a la Sigh and what will go down as one of the finest albums in their catalogue in "Goh-Ka".

Rating: 9 out of 10