The SIGIL came about as a no-holds-barred expression to combat the musical fatigue of the founding duo. A shared interest in folklore, history, and the occult set the tone for both music and lyrics: melodic and memorable, yet often melancholy and haunting. In 2023, three new members were added, turning the project into a full fledged band.
Thomas Clifford – Vocals
Tomas Göransson – Guitars
Henrik Albinsson – Guitars
Daniel Börefelt – Bass
Joakim Bergman – Drums
Guest appearances by Linda Ulfsdotter and Emmeli Ulfsdotter.
5 songs, 26 minutes
“The Shape of Shadows” – Great opening riff, and a solid crunching sound that is supported by some nice vocal harmonies that I wasn’t expecting! It retains a strong feeling for light and shade and plays with some tone clusters that reach out and grab you. Musicianship is powerful, and they get this EP off to a blast. This was the single, released in May, (video from YouTube below), and it has a strong commercial feel, and should get plenty of play from rock radio worldwide.
“Sanguine Spirits” – opens up with a jungle pounding of drums from Joakim Bergman on the skins, and with the drums up in the mix, this drives us along with a pounding sound- a panther slipping through the trees. It’s a song I would play on my headphones as I ran on the treadmill, it keeps me running!
“The Ailing Hour” – as indicated by the title, perhaps has a slower and more power ballad style of delivery. Darker vocals on this one from Thomas Clifford, his best vocal performance on the EP. There are supporting vocals on this one from Linda Ulfsdotter, and the track has a strong underlying kick.
“Spirit of the Wild”- I liked the chorus, and the song itself rocks along okay, but it’s the weakest on the EP in my opinion.
“Absentia”- on the other hand, is a really ballsy rocker with a decent mix of attitude and melody. This band switches style and volume well, and they use that in this track, it’s strong, but not as commercial as “Shape of Shadows.”
Standout tracks: “The Shape of Shadows” and “The Ailing Hour.”
If this is an indication of where the band is now, then it is full of promise. I confess that before being sent this over, I had not heard their music, but I will be keeping a watch on them now. A band that’s quickly finding top gear and ready to hit the road.
You can download the EP from here
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thesigil5044
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesigilband
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesigilband
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thesigilband
By Stevie Ritson
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