![]() ![]() It might be a good starting point for introducing potential fans, but it’s also one of the weaker tracks here, and once again drifts a bit near the end. The chorus doubles down on groove even though it’s a fist-pumper. It has a darker, more melodic stoner riff, tucked into a corner with early Mastodon, later-day Deftones, and some Dillinger Escape Plan and Gojira to keep things interesting. “ Golden Cufflinks” is the “soft” song of the album, which isn’t to say it’s radio-friendly in the slightest. Like the previous track, it meanders a bit on the back half, but finishes strong, with vicious screams leading to a brief return to the intro gallop to close things out. The spoken-word verses sap a bit of momentum, but the chorus is explosive and just poppy enough to be a hit single (with an assist from Periphery vocalist Spencer Sotelo). “ Cracks Of Light” starts on a heavy, galloping riff interspersed with harmonized lead runs from guitarists Dan Weller and Pin. The track’s saving grace is Mikee Goodman’s unbelievable array of voices – I’m sure the comparison has been made before, but Goodman comes across like a possessed Mike Patton. ![]() The big, dramatic chorus falls a little flat, the second half meanders a bit too much. Oddly enough, it’s also the weakest track yet. SikTh have always been a bit unhinged, but this is the first track to match that level of intensity here. “ Weavers Of Woe” follows, and it dials the weird all the way up. “ This Ship Has Sailed” is the first of three spoken-word passages, and while it serves as an interlude, it’s worth noting that all 3 spoken-word tracks are delivered with a devilish grandiosity that elevates them above filler. “ The Aura” is possibly the best track here, with a bouncy, melodic metalcore riff that will get people jumping for sure (and check out that bass run from James Leach), then stretches even further for a straight up 80s metal chorus from the playbook of Judas Priest, sped up to twice the speed. “ Century Of The Narcissist?” is a steady downhill gallop anchored by drummer Dan Foord, lurching and skidding to a chorus that sounds just a little like early Linkin Park and a whole lot like Periphery (who list SikTh as perhaps their primary influence, so big surprise). While I prefer Hill individually, Rosser’s grand, sweeping delivery is perfect for SikTh. The result is the band are given a prog/classic rock aspect that wasn’t there before, and it fits perfectly with their sound. Rosser is a distinct difference, with a lower, more theatrical delivery compared to Hill’s post-hardcore/emo style. ![]() New to the fold is clean vocalist Joe Rosser, who handles most of the choruses and replaces former co-vocalist Justin Hill. Switching frequently between guttural shouts, high-pitched shrieks, nasally growls, and more, he is the defining characteristic and most out-there element of SikTh. Also, impossible to miss are Mikee Goodman’s many, and I do mean many, vocal styles. “ Vivid” makes very clear right off the bat that the band mean business, with an incessant drumbeat and twisting, aggressive and constantly mutating guitar riff. The band even split in 2007, only to reform for an EP, Opacities, in 2015, and now The Future In Whose Eyes?, their third full-length and first in 11 years. I doubt anyone in the mid-2000s – especially the members of SikTh themselves – would have believed you if you said that in 2017 they’d be considered a heavily influential band, partial godfathers to a genre named djent, which would explode in popularity. ![]()
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