Sikth - Musical Style

Musical Style

SikTh's style of music is hard to categorize and as they incorporate many different elements of metal, rock and hardcore. They are commonly categorized as progressive metal due to their unorthodox approach, as well as experimental metal and mathcore due to the complex nature of their instrumental playing abilities and the regular inclusion of dissonance into their music.

"Energy has always inspired us," says guitarist Dan Weller, "things that really get you pumping. We play extreme music, sure, but in the sense that we go to all extremes. If something sounds good, then we'll do it, and that includes beautiful, melodic music, which we all love, too". "But," stresses fellow guitarist Pin, "we're always concerned with the quality of the tune; just writing crazy music isn't enough, and I think that's what makes us different from other bands who go really technical. We're definitely writing songs."

In a review for SikTh's second album Death of a Dead Day, DecoyMusic.com described the band's style as containing elements of "speed metal, progressive metal, thrash, nu metal, metalcore, and cock-rock". The website Drowned in Sound "sees the band come across like a heady America-friendly mix of Dillinger Escape Plan's feather-fingered guitar contorting melded with Korn's manipulated rhythms, thundering through the bizarre nuances of System of a Down".

In a review for the band's debut album The Trees Are Dead & Dried Out Wait for Something Wild, MusicOMH.com described the album as containing "guttural throaty vocals mixed with harmonized melodies, viciously rhythmic drumming which instantly metamorphosises into elaborate percussion, and haunting atmospheric piano interludes which sit superbly between slices of metal brutality". In the early days of the band, Goodman once described their sound as "scatcore", a reference to their fast-jabbering scat style of singing.