Sicksense (Vicky Psarakis, ex The Agonist) take aim at big pharma with new single ‘Masquerade Parade’

31st October 2024 0 By Jon Deaux

Phoenix nu-metal juggernauts Sicksense, featuring former The Agonist vocalist Vicky “Killer V” Psarakis, have released the third single, ‘Masquerade Parade’. The track was taken from their upcoming debut full-length album, Cross Me Twice, out 14th February 2025 via Earache Records.

Stream ‘Masquerade Parade’ here: https://earache.lnk.to/MasqueradeParade

Pre-Order Cross Me Twice: https://earache.com/sicksense

Vocalist Rob The Ripper commented: “’Masquerade Parade’ critically takes aim at modern western health practices, the pharmaceutical industry and politicians. It’s also a warning to be careful of trusting the wrong people. In many cases, the people who claim to have your best interests, absolutely do not. Don’t be fooled by them.

“Film-making wise, we wanted to tell a story that keeps moving forward from one scene into the other with intelligent transitions that utilized practical effects, acting, and camera angles/movement. Much like watching an actual parade. The music video story features the characters of Vicky, Deli The Bear, and myself as these kind of supernatural entities. Vicky’s character unleashes a villainous persona out of me by tinkering with an hourglass, then the real fun begins. I then go on to terrorize my other bandmates throughout the video, while Vicky gradually brings each one of them out of the darkness by handing them their instruments. Being stronger together, they are able to defeat their common enemy…but the question is, was this enemy really the ‘bad guy’ to begin with, or did someone else create the problem in the first place, and conveniently set themselves up to appear to be the ‘hero’?

“We love incorporating multiple meanings into our lyrics and our storytelling. ‘Masquerade Parade’ takes you on a ride with twists and turns that catch you off guard and we hope it pleasantly surprises many people who check it out.”
Vocalist Killer V adds: “My favorite part in the concept of the video is how our bandmates snap out of the condition they’re in when they are given their instruments. This entire video was put together through multiple brainstorming sessions and we were a little stuck on what the “revival” action would be. I remember initially suggesting giving them their instruments as a joke, but the more we thought about it, the more it just made sense. Music heals and brings us together. It’s an escape for both musicians and fans of music, so in a way the perfect imagery for our message. One thing we always aim to do with Sicksense is incorporate a positive message through even our darkest songs. Also, the first two choruses are one continuous shot, so from a filming aspect that was really interesting and challenging for us to nail. It’s easy when you know you can piece together bits of different footage and make something cool out of it, but having to get everything right in one shot is a whole other experience. This is by far my favorite song and video that we’ve done to this day.”

From the maleficent minds of dual vocalists Killer V and Rob The Ripper, Sicksense are leading the charge of the new wave of nu-metal. With the added arsenal of guitarist Agent Phil [Philip Lykostratis], bassist The Gothfather [Richard Regier] and drummer Smokin’ J [Joseph Polizzi], Sicksense follow up their highly acclaimed two EPs with with their heaviest record yet, melting nu-metal elements with metalcore and electronic touches for a unique spin on the rejuvenated genre.

Killer V comments on the record: “Our upcoming album, Cross Me Twice, takes the listener on an emotional rollercoaster of a journey. We evolved from our traditional nu metal sound, by incorporating more modern metal and electronic elements into this album. The heavy parts got heavier, the soft parts got softer and the catchy parts got catchier. ‘Cross Me Twice’ explores a wider dynamic range, which leaves the listener not knowing what to expect with each release. We were going through numerous personal issues amongst ourselves as a band while working on this record, which inevitably led to us parting ways with former members and bringing in new ones to complete it. These issues inspired the lyrical themes for each song. It wasn’t easy to go through and create, but we’re extremely proud of the end result.

“I remember spending countless hours working on keys and the overall sound design of ‘Cross Me Twice’, on top of all the vocal arrangements I normally task myself with. Teaming up with our producer, Joey Doherty, was the final step and best decision we could have made to bring you guys what we believe will be one of the absolute best sounding albums of 2025.

“There’s something for everyone to enjoy here and we hope it means as much to our listeners as it does to us. It’s truly special.”

It’s rare that a debut album inspires such fervent anticipation, but the thrill surrounding a full-length from Sicksense is concrete. A band who have nurtured their community from seedlings to an army of “Deli-boos” (if you know, you know), Sicksense made instant waves in the metal scene upon the release of their two EPs Kings Today and Fools Tomorrow.

These collections saw their music garner support from metal connoisseurs such as TankTheTech, feature in the ring with ex-NXT and NOAH pro-wrestler Stallion Rogers, and hit Spotify‘s Alternative Metal and New Nü playlists alongside other trailblazers in the future of metal. These two small portholes into their vibrant world have turned heads in the industry and metal fandom alike, receiving comparisons to nü-metal titans like Slipknot, Evanescence and Limp Bizkit in the process.

Sicksense has now announced their debut album Cross Me Twice, news which will see anticipation on all sides finally relieved. With Cross Me Twice, the band takes their nü-metal influences and Frankenstein them into a hydra monster that sees the heads of metalcore, progressive metal, and power metal combine into a modern experiment gone very right. The album is all a nü-metal fan could hope for while bringing new color to the genre.

It’s this versatility that sets Sicksense apart in the nü-gen surge. The adventurous Cross Me Twice is as fantastically otherworldly with luminous keys and glacial melodies as it is gritty with nü-metal grooves and stomach-lurching djent. Conjurers of jeweled light and chroma, commanders of shadow and moonbeams, Sicksense creates such a thickly immersive atmosphere that it feels as though you can see the album just as much as you can hear it.

Cross Me Twice tracklist:
1. Sellout
2. Wildfires
3. Throwback
4. Fever Dream
5. Invisible
6. On Repeat
7. Masquerade Parade
8. In This Carousel
9. Here Come All The Memories
10. Follow Me