INTRODUCING: Sigils
Hailing from the North West, SIGILS take a level of eclectic genres to create a proggy alt-metal sound that feels both nostalgic and very contemporary. Having come together initially to play covers, the band realised they wanted to pursue their own material, creating and independently producing their first album 108 after a couple of years after forming in 2022.
“We wouldn’t really consider ourselves prog, though there are probably some elements in there due to our influences. Landing on our sound was quite tricky given everyone’s different influences and styles. [For example, our vocalist] Jake draws heavy vocal inspiration from Serj Tankian, [while for his guitar work he] is influenced by early DEFTONES. Grant’s guitar playing is heavily influenced by CULT OF LUNA and as for bass, Charlie is probably where we see those prog elements coming into play with inspiration including TOOL and PRIMUS. Arguably [drummer] Ante’s biggest influence comes from Rob Bourdon [LINKIN PARK].”
“Our sound blends the dynamic force of post-metal, the introspection of post-rock, and the raw emotion of alternative music. The aim has always been to craft towering, immersive soundscapes – and 108 is the realisation of that vision.”
With a set of songs on 108 ranging from post-rock depth and beauty to belligerent, thunky groove and a vocal style that blends between melodic to aggressive, SIGILS are working on something deeply intricate. “As a band, dynamics are very important to us. We all typically write our own parts and bring them to the table to be refined with the track as a whole. We hope that we’ve been able to create music that is emotive and engaging. The writing process can be quite fluid as we come up with ideas and refine things, but the most important thing for us is that it’s a collaborative effort and everyone gets a chance to weigh in.”
The band chop around with their writing method, never sticking to a formula. It’s likely the reason the songs all feel diverse and fully developed. “There’s not really a set way that we go about constructing a song. Sometimes, someone will have an idea for a riff or a beat they really like and we’ll play around with it. We’ll jam it out and figure out what the pieces mean to us later. Other times, we might set out to write a song based on a theme or a real-life event that has happened.”
As noted, SIGILS songs have a consistency in their fresh alt-metal styling, but none of the tracks feel like they carry the others, so the record never becomes self-referential or convoluted listening; the tracks simply are their own art, carefully stacked together to display everything that SIGILS is and can be. “In the early days, we toyed around with the idea of a through line between songs [on the album]. In the end, we would say it’s definitely more of an anthology though. It made sense to us that each track on the album was its own self-contained story, as we tried to come up with something unique for each track. Ultimately, we hope that we’ve produced a showcase of our abilities, and that there’s something for everyone on the album!”
SIGILS have recently embarked on a tour of the UK, again totally self-supported. While it was a huge feat and an amazing showcase of some of fresh amazing talent, it was a tough commitment on top of every day life. “It probably won’t come as a shock, but it was hard! Each of us have stuff going outside of the band so it’s always tricky trying to work around work and family commitments (which naturally come first). This was the first time hitting the road as a collective and for some of us, the first ever time gigging. There’s been a hell of a lot of driving. In the last six months, we’ve travelled roughly 2,000 miles total to perform.”
Being totally independent, the band have retained their creative control and spark, but the other edge of that sword is that the utter heft of responsibilities on top of everyday life. “It can also be a little challenging to keep up with admin (socials, booking shows in, commissioning artwork, merch, etc.) Needless to say, there’s a lot of work that goes on beyond the music-side of things it’s been quite the learning curve for all of us. Despite this, we have had such a blast. We’ve met some incredible and supportive people, from other musicians, to promoters, venue owners, and so on, and we all feel that we’ve all really grown as musicians. We’ve really got the bug and can’t wait to do it all over again this next year!”
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