ALBUM REVIEW: Live: The Eastern Forces Of Evil 2022 – Sigh
Since their formation in 1990, Tokyo’s SIGH have held a vice grip in the extreme metal underground and stand as one Japan’s premier metal exports with a rich catalogue of superb studio records under their belt. Now, on the back of last year’s excellent Shiki and celebrating 30 years since their debut Scorn Defeat, the band treat their fans once again with Live: The Eastern Forces Of Evil 2022, a live record that captures SIGH at their most brilliant.
With a title paying homage to 1997’s underground live recording, The Eastern Force Of Evil, 2023’s live recording is very much a celebration of three decades of SIGH. Recorded in 2022 whilst Japan was still facing COVID-19 restrictions, the initial livestream has been translated into both audio and visual representations of the show and the quality on offer here is one that stands true to the band’s formidable legacy.
Following an eerie and captivating intro in the form of Touji No Asa, A Victory Of Dakini (taken from Scorn Defeat) rumbles with mid-tempo fuzz whilst band leader Mirai Kawashima snarls with malicious intent as his vocals bend and dance with the band’s ethereal experimentations. The Transfiguration Fear (taken from 2012’s In Somniphobia) is a romping number that leans heavily into traditional heavy metal with galloping rhythms and shredding soloing and its execution in a live environment is mightily impressive.
Kuroi Kage (the first cut from last year’s Shiki to make an appearance) sounds absolutely sinister as the riffs twist and bend and Kawashima sounds unhinged as his chanting and distorted snarls make a skin-crawling connection; The Soul Grave sounds just as bombastic and emphatic as it did when we first heard it on 2010’s Scenes From Hell and the decision to close the set with a cover of the DEATH classic Evil Dead is a lovely bonus and it’s an utter joy to hear the song given the SIGH treatment. Given the band’s potency to experiment, as proven across their extensive career, this live album showcases their expansive sound in all its glory.
Whilst it would be easy to dismiss this as ‘just’ a live album, that would be doing it and the band a great disservice. Expertly mixed and mastered, whilst covering a vast range of material across their extensive discography, Live: The Eastern Forces Of Evil serves as a fantastic compilation from one of the cult heroes within black metal. A treat for any fan, as well as a fantastic gateway for newcomers, this record is a celebration of the band’s legacy as it is a phenomenal showpiece of the band’s live capabilities. And with two special sets at this year’s Damnation Festival on the horizon, appetites will indeed be whet.
Rating: 8/10
Live: The Eastern Forces Of Evil 2022 is out now via Peaceville Records.
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