REVIEW: Sigh - Goh-ka

The Japanese black metal icons are back and ready for business. SIGH have been masters of the genre for three and a half decades now, and have never failed to leave an indelible mark on anyone who’s spent time listening to their unique brand of heaviness. Alongside the trio of Mirai Kawashima, Dr Mikannibal and Nozomu Wakai this album sees them joined by Frédéric Leclercq of KREATOR on bass and drummer Mike Heller of FEAR FACTORY and MALIGNANCY.

The album title Goh-ka has three potential meanings, those being firstly 業火, or ‘infernal fire scorching sinners’, secondly 劫火, ‘a huge fire that burns down the world at the end of time’, and finally 業果, the simplest and least fiery definition, ‘karma’. The primary theme behind the album is Kuso-zu; a series of Buddhist paintings and illustrations depicting all nine stages of a human's decomposition after death, created to encourage meditation on the impermanence of life, the inevitability of death, and the detachment from physical beauty and worldly attachment. It shows the harsh reality that no matter how beautiful you are, you’ll be dead and rotting sooner or later. The artworks on the cover and in the booklet of Goh-ka are therefore Kuso-zu themselves.

It’s difficult to approach this as a selection of songs, and might be simpler to contemplate as one larger scale piece of music. With four separate songs referencing the Kuso-zu - namely the songs beginning Kuso-shi and a number - it’s clear to see the deep influence that the concepts above have had writ large across the face of the entire LP. Musically, it also draws deeply from classically Japanese instrumentation and sounds, as well as the progressive black metal sound they’ve fostered across many years of work. With lyrics in Japanese, it may not be immediately obvious to the average British listener what’s being sung about, but the emotion behind the lyrics and music help you find your way into the minds of SIGH more than well enough to dive into the heart of this record.

One notable moment of the album that’s worth mentioning specifically is Unputenpu, the single that features OPETH’s Mikael Åkerfeldt, however whilst listening to it alone is excellent it still finds an even better place once nestled firmly into the heart of the album. With gorgeous highs and lows found throughout, riffs that chug and delicate melodies that soar ever so high, there’s a depth and density to the release that should make the listener pause their day to truly engage with it. Every new moment brings something different to the table, and there are such a vast array of sounds on offer that it almost acts as a what’s what of influences on SIGH. Close inspection shows more than the obvious black metal and Japanese stylings, revealing classic metal, doom metal, psychedelic rock, classical music, and hell even moments that sound a little power metal-y.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6ldkEzbH1o

The hour-long runtime may seem daunting at first, especially when coupled with foreign lyrics, but neither should stop anyone from getting into this spectacular album. Unfolding more and more of itself as you delve onwards, the rich tapestry of sounds and feelings put to record here makes for a wonderful listening experience and will reward those who try it handsomely.

Score: 8/10

Goh-ka will be released on 4th September 2026 via Peaceville.

Words: Jasmine Longhurst

Photos: Poko