One of the last great modern heavy metal bands left standing, the masters of storytelling return with their fifth effort to reach inside and take your mind on a tour through the vast landscapes of their imaginations. For those uninformed, Sigh is a group of three rightfully termed musicians who benefit from a range of influences wider than Stallone’s biceps and incorporate them into ideas beyond our control but within our accessibility. Their music follows a movie soundtrack concept, replete with a rotating amalgam of sounds and effects aimed at aurally depicting many a vivid setting. A clean sound throughout the album, Scenario IV garnishes one crafty melody after another, each grabbing a different yet connected feeling and sinking in comfortably through a thick guitar sound. You’ll be confronted with piano, trumpets, organs, violin, acoustic guitar, female vocals, clean male vocals and a fuckload of other sounds all working with heavy Iron Maiden influence, 60’s/70’s rock elements and abundant Eastern inspiration, their carefully planned sense of randomness the token of ingenuity that makes this so successful. A slower overall tempo permeates the delivery while creepy, grim vocals dictate the dark atmospheres, best expressing the tightly rooted black metal origins. Sigh’s home page states this album continues in the dynamics of the preceding Hail Horror Hail album (which I fucking worship), but keeps a much more straightforward metal sound… so when I heard the clean breaks into circus music ("Diabolic Suicide"), country-westernish bit, jazz ("Black Curse") and orchestrated classical parts ("Waltz: Dead Dreams" and "Divine Graveyard"), I was initially a bit dumbfounded. However, indeed I’ve found it less chaotic but no less intriguing than Hail Horror Hail, and I emphasize "clean" breaks because Sigh bridges everything together seamlessly. Attempts to outline such talented construction and synthesis of the matter would prove futile because I wouldn’t know where to begin. Scenario IV is easier to take in than HHH yet still leaves one wondering how it happens, where it all comes from, why we’re lucky enough to be witnessing this (oh yeah, that’s because we listen to Metal), when will we get to meet and shake hands with Sigh and what would Jesus do? (He would undoubtedly salute them and tell all the christians to fuck off and get a clue, because they’re never going to enjoy something as creative as this). Sigh should not be taken for granted. Sigh is underground treasure, a magnificent, undiscovered secret, musicians who could be playing anything they want (and do) yet never once lose sight of their metal basis, matched only by Arcturus as far as raw talent, theatrics and integration go. No other "hybrid" bands come close to touching this, nor will they ever for reasons that will become obvious upon listen. Sigh is why underground metal still persists, and Sigh is why some of us are still inspired to progress. Likely since this album is unique and incredible it won’t be very popular today, however should someone who actively enjoys today’s metal scene ever want to take their head out of their ass, here’s a great way to wake up. The inescapable essence of Sigh will breath life into your dead world, and you won’t forget this is a metal album.

Written By: Abbas