SIGH ANNOUNCE NEW LIVE ALBUM: ‘LIVE: EASTERN FORCES OF EVIL 2022’

14th April 2023 0 By Jon Deaux

With a title referencing the band’s original underground live release ‘The Eastern Force of Evil’ released back in 1997, this new performance captured recently in Japan features the line-up of founder & main man Mirai Kawashima on bass/vocals, Dr. Mikannibal on vocals/saxophone, Nozomu Wakai on guitar, and Takeo Shimoda on drums.

Following swiftly on the back of the release of the highly acclaimed ‘Shiki’ album and coming in a year that also marks 30 years since Sigh’s highly influential debut, ‘Scorn Defeat’, ‘Live: The Eastern Forces of Evil 2022’ captures the band in fine form as they perform a wide collection of old and new tracks covering all the way from the aforementioned first album, up until the band’s first Peaceville studio album, ‘Shiki’. With flawless musicianship and accompanied by a stellar audio mix, ‘Live: The Eastern Forces of Evil 2022’ truly represents the very best of Sigh’s legacy.

Frontman Mirai had the following to say about the new album:

Our new live album was recorded in August 2022 whilst we performed the live stream that we did during the pandemic, which was a cliché in the world under Pandemic. However, the recording of both video and audio, turned out by far better than we had expected and we thought it’d be a good idea to physically release it rather than just putting it on YouTube or somewhere.

Mirai continues:

This is a document not only about our blood-drenched stage but also about the new era of Sigh that began with Nozomu on guitar. 2023 marks the 30th anniversary of our debut album “Scorn Defeat”, and “Live: Eastern Forces of Evil 2022” covers our whole career from “Scorn Defeat” to the latest “Shiki” released in 2022. Don’t miss it!

The album is available to pre-order here https://sighpeaceville.lnk.to/liveeasternforces2022

‘Live: The Eastern Forces of Evil 2022’ will be released on a 2-disc CD/DVD set / LP / Digitally

The CD/DVD edition includes both audio and visual presentations of the show, and also features 2 extra tracks, including a cover of the Death classic, ‘Evil Dead’. The DVD also includes 3 additional promo video tracks in the shape of ‘Mayonaka No Kaii’, ‘Satsui’, and ‘Shoujahitsumetsu’.

‘Live: The Eastern Forces of Evil 2022’ track listing:

OPENING-Touji No Asa (live) [01:31]
A Victory of Dakini (live) [05:59]
Purgatorium (live) [04:48]
The Transfiguration Fear (live) [04:00]
Kuroi Kage (live) [07:46]
Shingontachikawa (live) [04:51]
Mayonaka no Kaii (live) [05:39]
Shoujahitsumetsu (live) [03:54]
The Soul Grave (live) [04:04]
Introitus (live) [03:04]
Inked In Blood (live) [03:07]
Me-Devil (live) [03:06]
Satsui (live) [04:27]
Evil Dead-ENDING (live) [04:07]

The band has announced they’ll be performing at two festivals later this year – Netherlands Samhain Festival and UK’s Damnation Festival (2 different sets) including ‘Scorn Defeat’ in its entirety.

28 / 29. 10. 2023 – NL – Samhain Festival – Muziekgieterij, Maastricht

03 + 04.11/23 – UK – Damnation Festival – BEC Arena Manchester

Cult Japanese black metal legends Sigh formed in 1989/90, featuring main man Mirai Kawashima, Satoshi Fujinami & Kazuki Ozeki. Following initial demos, Shinichi Ishikawa was brought in to the band. It was following this shift that Sigh set about recording the masterpiece debut ‘Scorn Defeat’ for the then-Mayhem guitarist Euronymous’ Deathlike Silence Productions, going on to become one of the country’s greatest and most revered metal exports. With a journey through the strange and the psychedelic, incorporating a whole eclectic mix of genre styles & experimentation throughout their career, Sigh has remained a vital creative force in the avant-garde field. However, at its core, Sigh has always remained true to its roots of old-school metal, and 2022’s ‘Shiki’ album represented a new high point for the band, encapsulating all that was endearing about Sigh, with a perfect mix of styles and injection of eastern flair.