ALBUM REVIEW: PLAYDEAD – SiM
Despite being a band since 2004, Japanese band SIM (short for Silence Iz Mine) only really found international fame in 2022 after their song The Rumbling was used as the theme song for Attack On Titan. Since its release, the song has been streamed more than 300 million times, but before that the band had already released five albums, including most recently 2020’s Thank God, There Are Hundreds Of Ways To Kill Enemies. They’re known for their mix of reggae, heavy metal, punk and hip-hop, amongst many other genres, and their sixth album, PLAYDEAD, is no different.
The title track is a short two-minute song that is mostly made up of screams and breakdowns. It serves as a good introduction to the album, but it does seem to end before it truly has a chance to begin. Thankfully, Red rectifies this. It is almost double the length, and – because of this – it has a longer time to showcase the diversity of SIM. From the reggae-inspired bridge that merges into a death growl to the singalong chorus that could fit any pop song, SIM are full of surprises.
From there, Hide And Seek embraces reggae, whereas Sweet Dreams goes in an electronic metal direction. On paper, this album shouldn’t work as it changes genre every song, but SIM are constantly redefining themselves, and they’ve been doing this since the start, so it just pays off. That being said, some songs are very short, such as Die Alone, another one that’s only just over two minutes long, which is a shame because these ones seem to end abruptly and can make the pacing a bit jarring, although it is generally evened out by the longer songs that are slotted nicely in between them.
Of course, not all the songs are perfect. Recent single Sad Song stands out like a sore thumb. The sound of the song is a paint-by-numbers rock track and the lyrics are cliche as they talk about how life is going end, filled with the refrain of “na, na, na“. It is a major change from the lyrics of the previous songs, which spoke of community and acceptance.
Thankfully, the rest of the album is much better, whether it’s the dance-punk of BBT or the fast-paced rock of Do The Dance. The end of the record comes into view with Under The Tree, which is a staggeringly beautiful arena-metal anthem that mixes Japanese and English lyrics and is complete with some orchestral moments. However, the true cherry on top is the orchestral version of The Rumbling. Whilst it is a mid-tempo song, the choir that back up Mah‘s voice is awe-inspiring. Furthermore, the violins and other orchestral instruments really emphasise the quieter moments of the song, as well as the climactic ending. It is a wonderful song that shows that the band have not stopped adding genres to their melting pot.
Ultimately, PLAYDEAD is a phenomenal record. SIM haven’t run out of steam on album number six, and although some songs are too short and Sad Song is a bit of a misstep lyrically and production-wise, the rest of the album is as perfect for those getting into SIM as it will be for long-time fans. This is firm proof that the band are at the top of their game.
Rating: 8/10
PLAYDEAD is out now via UNFD.
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