Sigh

P

robably one of the strangest sonic purveyors to come along, Sigh was a very rare black metal act from Japan who mixed black metal vocals with an '80's like Grindcore, and almost Celtic Frost and Mercyful Fate style mixed with Jazz, Oriental Folk and Opera, incorporating hand clapping, long interludes, female vocals and piano breaks, to name just afew. The threesome featuring Mirai Kawashima (ex-Necrophagia; bass/vocals/keyboards), Shinichi (guitar) and Satoshi (drums), would sign to Euronymous' (of Mayhem) 'Deathlike Silence' label to deliver their Scorn Defeat (1994) debut. Things being as they were with Euronymous they would have to change to 'Cacophonous' to complete their repertoire of strange but unique black metal albums of Infidel Art (1995), Hail Horror Hail (1997), Scenario IV: Dread Dreams (1999) and Imaginary Sonicscape (2001).

For Gallows Gallery (2005) and Hangman's Hymn - Musikalische Exequien (2007), Junichi Harashima was new to drums, while Scenes From Hell (2010) and In Somniphobia (2012) saw the arrival of Dr. Mikannibal (Real Name: Mika Kawashima; vocals/saxophone (alto)). Guitars was taken up by You Oshima for Graveward (2015) and Heir to Despair (2018).

Shiki (2022) saw the band reduced to a three-piece featuring only Kawashima, Fujinami and Mikannibal. Nozomu Wakai took both guitars and bass for I Saw the World's End - Hangman's Hymn MMXXV (2025).