LIVE REVIEW: SikTh @ Academy 2, Manchester
To celebrate 20 years of Death of a Dead Day, the innovators of the UK’s progressive metal scene, SIKTH, performed two commemorative shows in London and Manchester. Nostalgia is the theme of the night as the band welcome support from TED MAUL, a fellow 2000’s metal band who had reformed at last year’s Damnation Festival and are back once again to perform alongside SIKTH. They were also joined by HERIOT, offering some modern metal amongst the throwbacks.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, we were unable to catch TED MAUL. HERIOT took to the stage, forming a row at the front, making it easier to connect with each member as they were all visible to the audience; this also meant there was no room for error. They kicked off their set with Commander of Pain, a song that starts the set slow and steady, warming the crowd up for what was to come. As the pace picks up, vocalist Debbie Gough commands the formation of pits from “front to back and side to side”. Despite being a supporting set, the band still perform as though they are the headliners, with even drummer Julian Gage standing up behind the kit at points to encourage chaos in the pit.
All songs in their set came from their latest release, Devoured by the Mouth of Hell, and their performance was a testament to why they are making a surge in the metal scene. Debbie‘s brutal vocals tore through each riff with an intense ferocity, chugging guitars and punchy drums that complemented each other to construct a crushing yet melodic set. Their second-to-last song was their latest release, Master Of Deceit, which carries a dark intensity and offers an exciting glimpse of what could come next from the band.
Rating: 9/10
SIKTH took to the stage, backed by screens displaying the Death of a Dead Day cover art. The intro to Bland Street Bloom signalled to the crowd what was to come. They played the entire album in full, with many of the songs having not been performed since 2018. This included songs such as In This Light, and several songs which original co-vocalist Justin Hill played for the first time. In the absence of bassist James Leach, Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood of PERIPHERY stepped in, and with only a week to learn the album front to back, he played faultlessly.
Over 25 years into their career, and a hiatus inbetween, still to this day it is clear that the band still shares an immense chemistry, and that playing music together comes as second nature to them. Dual vocalists Mikee Goodman and Justin Hill bounced between the vocals effortlessly, and the rest of the band played with technical precision. Watching Graham Pinney and Dan Weller‘s fingers fly over their fretboards was like experiencing a masterclass in prog metal, the pair playing seamlessly. The techs swapped out their guitars to save time on tuning between songs, which assisted the flow of the show, keeping the energy high with only brief intervals where the vocalists would take a minute to express how grateful they were for the turnout.
With the band announcing there are four songs left, two from the album and two surprises, this gave the audience a boost of momentum for the final stretch. The set was drawn to a close with the final songs of the night, Pussyfoot and Skies of Millennium Night. An encore of sorts, but without the pretence of leaving the stage only to re-enter again. Weathered and experienced by their longevity, SIKTH proved that they still have the same love, energy and enthusiasm for their craft that they have possessed since day one. This definitely shone through to the audience who have carried Death of a Dead Day through their lives and now get to sing back every word in a night that will be fondly remembered.
Rating: 9/10
Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Manchester from Libby Percival here:
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