I preface this review by stating that this is not a review for SikTh fans. Let’s face it, like me you’re just gonna go buy it and love it…it’s SikTh! I’m not going to bang on abut earlier releases, how they sowed the very seeds of the Tech scene as it is (they bloody did though!), their long hiatus and much welcomed and celebrated return. I’m going to tell you how much I am loving the hell out of this album and as someone who hasn’t heard them or it yet, why you will too!
First up, you’re gonna need an open mind. You are going to have to chuck out your pre-conceived ideas of music and go in with a fresh blank slate as that’s how it feels that these guys approach their own creative ramblings…start with a seed and just follow the twists and turns as they form. The music is crass but beautiful, chaotic yet structured, aggressive yet melodic…hell, its ALL the ideas in one big melting pot. No one else sounds like SikTh!
Hitting play and launching the first track will expose you to a cacophony of noise before a thrash riff breaks through and the real fun begins. Twin vocals bark and sing in syncopated perfection, both with seemingly different directions yet working towards the same goal which is a beautifully harmonised and accessible chorus part then just when you think you’ve got your head around how this band work they are off on a different tangent. This is not easy listening yet the accessibility built into the pieces mean you will be revisiting them time and time again and constantly hear new things.

This approach and…well, structure seems the wrong word, make for the foundations of the album. The bulk of its twelve tracks are a wild and relentless ride full of ideas and energy, when you reach the end you are either going to need to listen again immediately or take a lie down. There are three narrated tracks which from any other band would be a respite from the relentless onslaught yet from SikTh are unsettling and eerie but work beautifully to cement the full tracks together.
The music itself weaves an amazing and complex interplay between each individual instruments often coming together for a crushing and powerful riff before scattering into separate melodies which perfectly complement the insanity of the vocal work that sits upon them. Its busy yet never cluttered and varies from intricate technicality to simple yet stunning chord progressions.
If you only buy one album this year then to be honest I would question your love of music at all! If you buy many albums this year then ensure that this is at the very top of your list. The Future In Whose Eyes? is an album you will continually revisit, its your new go-to album! This is the end of the review and I’ve not singled out any one individual track…I fully intended to, its the done review thing but I just can’t, there isn’t a song I favour nor one I would skip. Each and every one has its own lunatic beauty and needs to be heard.
Buy this album! …now!