Sigh - Graveward (2015)^{Release ID: 2590}

Guaranteed to please any fan of recent Sigh work, blending the styles found on In Somniphobia, Scenes From Hell and Hangman's Hymn. I would place Graveward alongside the likes of In Somniphobia and Scenario IV: Dread Dreams in my top three or four albums by the band.

A demo of "Out of the Grave" was leaked several months prior to release, and I immediately thought it was awesome. I had been looking forward to the rest of the album ever since - and it did not disappoint. "Out of the Grave" is still one of my favorites, with its fun classical guitar parts and saxophone solo reminiscent of "The Transfiguration Fear". But it's awesomeness is matched and even exceeded by several other songs. "Kaedit Nos Pestis" with its bombastic chorus, sinister atmosphere and technical guitar playing. "The Tombfiller" with its shamelessly cartoonish melodies that are just so much fun. The winding adventure that is "The Forlorn". The epic "Messenger From Tomorrow" and the haunting vocals and eerie instrumentation in "The Trial By The Dead". The traces of Italian Horror influences that are scattered everywhere across the album, popping up in the most delightfully surprising of places. I could go on. The only disappointing track is "Dwellers In A Dream", which is just really generic and uninteresting and has no business being the album closer. But at least it's short.

I've seen several complaints about the production online. While it is a bit different than previous albums, I actually like it. It gives Graveward a distinct character and didn't really take any getting used to. They make great use of symphonics, odd sound effects and different instrumental tones in many of the songs. They are all blended in perfectly and feel like they fit well. Sometimes the rhythm guitar is a little low in the mix while the lead guitar and synth are a little loud, but it's not distracting or anything. Overall, I think the album sounds superb and really grandiose at times. 

One of my favorite albums from 2015.