Imaginary Sonicscape Explained

Imaginary Sonicscape
Type:studio
Artist:Sigh
Cover:Imaginarysonicscape.jpg
Released:July 4, 2001
Recorded:Sep 2000 – Apr 2001
Genre:Avant-garde metal, black metal
Length:63:32 (original)
77:52 (remaster)
Label:Century Media
JVC Victor (Japan only)
Producer:Sigh
Prev Year:1999
Next Title:Gallows Gallery
Next Year:2005

Imaginary Sonicscape is the fifth studio album by Japanese black metal band Sigh, released on July 4, 2001. Produced by Sigh, it was the band's first record released on Century Media Records. The musical styles of Imaginary Sonicscape further explored the experimental tendencies of the band's previous album with further psychedelic elements to the band's sound.

Production

After leaving their previous record label Cacophonous Records for Century Media due to lack of promotion, Sigh entered the studio to record Imaginary Sonicscape in September 2000 at Studio Zen/Electric Space Studio.[1] [2] The album took many months to perfect under the direction of Yukito Okazaki from the stoner metal band Eternal Elysium. While the band's new sound was influenced by jazz, classical music and Frank Zappa, the lyrics of the album were based on the band's views on life and death. Band member Mirai described it as "Most of they [sic] lyrics on the album are about life and death and fear of getting old, fear of losing somebody you love." The style of the album draws from many genres outside of the extreme metal sound, occasionally drifting into sounds ranging from dub, giggling babies, jazz fusion and disco. Frontman Mirai explained that the band "never intend to make it musically varied or weird. I always choose the best way to express the feeling. Sometimes it could be heavy guitars while sometimes it could be a classical piano solo. And as a result, sometimes the song has lots of different elements. It's just a result, not a purpose."[3] The band finished recording the album in March 2001.[4]

Reception

Imaginary Sonicscape was released on July 4, 2001. The album failed to chart in the United States.[5] The album was well received from the extreme metal audience. The British extreme music magazine Terrorizer placed the album as the 10th best album of 2001.[6] William York of the music database Allmusic gave the album four and a half stars out of five noting that "On one hand, this is great heavy metal, and on the other, it's genuinely twisted experimental/psychedelic music. An amazing, weird album, and also the best place for newcomers to start with this band."

Track listing

The album was remastered and reissued in 2009 with two bonus tracks: "Voices" and "Born Condemned Criminal," and a longer version of "Bring Back the Dead":

Personnel

Technical personnel

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sigh Biography . 2008-07-29 . Sigh . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080117111501/http://www.sighjapan.com/bio.htm . January 17, 2008 .
  2. Web site: SIGH's Mirai talks with Ultimate Metal. Ultimate Metal. Ultimate Metal. 2008-07-29. Ultimate Metal.
  3. Web site: Sigh - Mirai Kawashima. Metal-rules.com. Metal-rules.com. 2008-07-29. Metal-rules.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20110522222929/http://www.metal-rules.com/zine/content/view/911/0/. 2011-05-22. dead.
  4. Imaginary Sonicscape. Imaginary Sonicscape. Sigh. 2001. CD liner. Century Media. 8047-2.
  5. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=imaginary-sonicscape-r543878/review|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic (((Imaginary Sonicscape > Overview)))]. William York. 2008-07-29. Allmusic.
  6. Web site: Terrorizer Albums of the year. 2008-07-29. Terrorizer.