SIGH to embark on short summer tour in Europe

A couple of the members of SIGH (in total there are three people in the photo), including founder Mirai Kawashima (dressed in black) and Dr. Mikannibal (dressed in traditional clothing but edited it in wearing it off the shoulders and with a bloody face), standing next to each other, two of the are holding swords while all are looking into the direction of the photographer. Behind them is a big tapestry or mural with the album cover of "Shiki".

After touring Europe last year to celebrate he 30th anniversary of SIGH’s first album release, the metal veterans returned to Europe earlier this year for a series of performances in Finland. A follow-up is slated for this month, as the Japanese experimental metal band SIGH will be returning to Europe for a summer tour with shows in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Belgium. Compared to last year, this tour is slightly shorter.

The shows in the United Kingdom are special, according to the metal band, because the last time they toured there was in 1995 with Primordial and Hecate Enthroned, so almost 30 years ago. Although the metal veterans have done shows here and there in the United Kingdom over the years, it is interesting that several shows are now scheduled for the upcoming tour, including an appearance at ArcTanGent Festival. In total, the band will play four shows in the United Kingdom during this summer tour. In the Netherlands, the band will perform at Complexity Festival in Haarlem and the tour ends in Belgium with a performance at Ghent’s Asgaard.

The band revealed in a social media post that they will play some songs that they have not played for a very long time or at all before and should the situation allow, there will be a lot of fire and blood, according to the band.

Although they are known as the one of the most renowned black metal bands from Japan, over the years they have developed into one of the most innovative band in that genre. Despite their excursions into experimental sounds, SIGH consistently retained the chaotic atmosphere characteristic of black metal, while also adding other aspects to their music such as traditional Japanese musical instruments and influences from Central Asia and the Middle East. SIGH’s most recent release is the album Shiki, which came out in the summer of 2022, following up the album Heir To Despair released in 2018. The band is very open to their fans on social media, mostly kept active by vocalist and keyboardist Mirai Kawashima, asking for opinions, sharing personal stories and funny comments in addition to the normal news a band normally shares.

SIGH European Summer Tour 2024 Dates

Tuesday 13 August, 2024: Oslo – London, United Kingdom
Wednesday 14 August, 2024: Cathouse – Glasgow, United Kingdom
Thurdsday 15 August, 2024: Boom– Leeds, United Kingdom
Friday 16 August, 2024: ArcTanGent Festival – Bristol, United Kingdom
Saturday 17 August, 2024: Complexity Festival – Haarlem, Netherlands
Sunday 18 August, 2024: Asgaard – Ghent, Belgium

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Francisca Hagen

Never satisfied, always exploring. Started with AVO in 2003. Now active as a writer, reporter, reviewer, promoter, photographer, interviewer and presenter. Can be found regularly at conventions and concerts in the Netherlands and sometimes elsewhere in Europe or even in Japan. Big passion for Japan and music, can be made happy with coffee. (click on Soundcloud logo)