Sicksense (Vicky Psarakis, ex The Agonist) unveil numetal rager ‘Wildfires’
25th September 2024Phoenix nu-metal juggernauts Sicksense, featuring former The Agonist vocalist Vicky “Killer V” Psarakis, are back with new single / video ‘Wildfires’. This is the second single taken from their upcoming debut full-length album, Cross Me Twice, out 14th February 2025 via Earache Records.
Stream ‘Wildfires’ here: https://earache.lnk.to/WildfiresPre-Order Cross Me Twice: https://earache.com/sicksense
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: “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.”
On the new single, Rob The Ripper commments: “‘Wildfires’ is a fun braggadocio anthem about being the best you can be and not feeling sorry about it. It’s a call-out song directed towards our peers for them to be better people and create better music. Too many artists are ‘fake nice’ to your face, then talk smack about you behind your back. If you feel a certain way about someone, just be honest. Many bands play it safe with their music too. They’re afraid to push boundaries. We aren’t. We’ll incorporate rapping, singing, screaming, R&B, hip-hop and electronic music. Whatever fits and feels right for each song. We did this with ‘Wildfires’. It’s got it all. From a songwriting and production perspective, we do it exceptionally well. ‘Wildfires’ is a special song for all the fans who love us and it’s especially for our fans in denial who love to hate us.”
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 have now announced their debut album Cross Me Twice, news which will see anticipation on all sides finally relieved. With Cross Me Twice, the band take 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 colour 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 create 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
Sicksense are:
Killer V – vocals
Rob The Ripper – vocals
Agent Phil – guitars
The Gothfather – bass
Smokin’ J – drums
