Time has taken its toll, and Sigh looks back.
Although he considers it one of his best creations, Mirai Kawashima (vocals/keyboards) is not satisfied with the production of his album Hangman’s Hymn – Musikalische Exequien. Accompanied by Dr. Mikannibal (vocals/saxophone), Nozomu Wakai (guitar, Ashrain, Destinia) and Mike Heller (drums, Black Hole Deity, Malignancy, ex-Fear Factory…) he decided to celebrate the band’s 35th anniversary with a new version, called I Saw The World’s End (Hangman’s Hymn MMXXV), released via Peaceville Records.
The album kicks off with a bang on Introitus / Kyrie, where vocalis are already unleashed, sticking perfectly to a virulent instrumental that blends violence and complexity at a very steady pace. Explosive riffs follow one another, but the final calms things down and gives us a solemn moment before Inked in Blood returns to raw energy with influences ranging from heavy metal in the leads to raw fury bordering on grind in the numerous accelerations. The vocals are equally diverse, before falling into a grandiose macabre on Me-Devil, the next composition where the two aspects meet with a bang, also flirting with intriguing orchestrations. A semblance of tranquility is restored on Dies Irae, but the march is quickly disrupted by the furious The Master Malice, which once again features a hectic rhythm section and uncontrollable vocal parts that rival the orchestrations. The impressive guitar mastery eventually gives way to a noisy finale, but returns on The Memories as a Sinner, which is openly inspired by devastating Thrash Metal, but once again adopts the overdriven vocal parts, while we discover more joyful tones with Death with Dishonor. They are obviously rather episodic in the orchestrations, but they give the waves of violence an epic touch, and the band takes advantage of them to make the choruses even more heady before joining In Devil’s Arms, whose lively approach remains in the continuity of the album while emphasizing the melodies and other worked flights of fancy. The musicians offer us another moment of respite with Overture, despite the grunts in the background and the military strikes, then Rex Tremendae / I Saw the World’s End drapes us in a heavy atmosphere that becomes almost tragic with the addition of brass and despite the guitar’s madness. The heavy break leads us into a gripping finale where Mirai‘s performance is simply incredible, then Salvation in Flame / Confutatis takes up the previous theatrical elements with a touch of madness that gives it a whole new aura between fury and intense despair. The final choruses lead us into Finale: Hangman’s Hymn / In Paradisum / Das Ende, which has the weighty task of closing the album, and the track does so with palpable fury and an overpowering instrumental, followed by an almost ceremonial lull, followed by this chilling final.
Sigh has always been renowned for his madness and perfectionism, and I can fully understand Mirai‘s desire to restore this much-loved album to its former glory. I Saw The World’s End (Hangman’s Hymn MMXXV) takes on a whole new dimension with this new recording.
95/100