Sigils – 108
Sigils – 108
Self-Released
14/07/2025
Review by Oli Gonzalez
7/10
My journey into the world of Post-Metal has taken me to some pretty cool places, discovering bands from all corners of the world. I’ve seen some world-class acts of the genre, ranging from Amenra to Pothamus and everything in between, here in my hometown of Manchester in small venues, and bigger festivals in Europe. It’s always intriguing to discover new Post-Metal acts, and see how they can push the already expansive genre further. It’s even more intriguing to discover bands who are (more or less) on your doorstep, like Sigils, hailing from nearby Macclesfield! Honestly, I was taken aback by their debut album “108”, namely by the incredible depth and complexity of their music. Whereas you may find yourself being lulled by slower and more ambient numbers such as the opening ‘Close Your Eyes’, you’ll quickly have your senses smashed by the much heavier movements in ‘Monarchless’. This is largely due to the densely layered riffs, but also due to vocalist Grant’s impressive growls that would make any Death Metal vocalist purr in admiration.
Fans of Mastadon will be satiated by the meaty guitar riffs, which are ever-present throughout the album, but perhaps most prominent during ‘Lockout’. I was getting a Nu-Metal groove and feel to ‘Sleep Merchants’ with a sound that packed a nostalgic hit in the process. German heavyweights The Ocean are known for seamlessly blending melody and primitive aggression, and I got a similar vibe during ‘Wreckage’. Though, whilst I did praise the production values earlier in this review, I have to say that there were times when things felt maybe a little raw and recorded too hastily. This seemed apparent during ‘Wreckage’ and ‘Horizons And Epicentres’, though some of those huge choruses and vast soundscapes make it more than worth sticking around for in what is perhaps the crescendo to the album. It’s a similar case for ‘Apollyon’, which ends the album on a firm note.
Overall, there’s much to admire here, and it seems like Sigils are a band with so much promise. It just feels like there needs to be more time in the studio to truly get the best out of their instruments and do their sound justice.
TRACKLISTING:
01. Close Your Eyes
02. Monarchless
03. Lockout
04. Shores
05. Sleep Merchants
06. Wreckage
07. Horizons And Epicentres
08. Apollyon
LINKS:
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