SikTh – Opacities (Peaceville, 2016)
In the years since SikTh left the music scene, their signature brand of groove-based technicality has taken the metal world by storm; bands like Periphery and even TesseracT owe much to the manic six-piece. Opacities, their first release in nearly 10 years, delivers exactly what fans have come to expect with few frills. Dual vocalists Mikee Goodman and Justin Hill pass shrieks and gutturals like a ball as the band’s rhythm section pummels forth through bass-heavy breakdowns and intricate fretboard gymnastics. If it doesn’t feel as enlightening as their wacky 2003 debut or its follow-up, Opacities nonetheless serves as a welcome return for one of metalcore’s more adventurous voices.
Trial Track: “Under the Weeping Moon”
6/10
