Progressive metal band Sikth announced a new EP in April this year to the surprise and jubilation of the UK alternative scene. It will be the first instalment of new material since the band split in 2006 and guitarist Dan Weller claims that Sikth “are in the best place we’ve ever been and the music reflects that. It’s special.” So special in fact that Sikth have upgraded their plans from a four-track EP to a mini-album, which will feature six songs in total. In keeping with previous Sikth records, vocalist Mikee Goodman confirms that he will “have a spoken word on there” as one of the additional items, as well as “an extra epic kind of song.”
The as-yet untitled mini-album is being funded through crowd funding website Pledge Music, having become an unsigned band due to their prolonged absence. Weller states that Sikth “just want to give fans more for their money,” meaning that any contributions made for the original EP will be upgraded to include the mini-album at no extra charge. Fans can continue offering funds to support the release through the Pledge Music campaign in exchange for over twenty different perks including music and t-shirt bundles, signed drumsticks, instrument lessons with individual band members and even Dan Weller’s Gordon Smith guitar, used in the making of Let the Transmitting Begin.
Sikth are one of the most influential bands in the UK alternative scene, revered for their technical brilliance and unique take on progressive metal. Since their split in 2006, Sikth’s members have been involved in several other musical projects including Primal Rock Rebellion (Mikee and Dan Foord), Aliases (Pin), In Colour (Dan Weller) and Krokodil (James and Dan Foord), as well as working extensively in the music production business (Justin and Dan Weller). Rumours of a new record began late 2013, when the band announced their scheduled appearance at Download Festival 2014, which snowballed into a UK tour later that year. Along with the announcement of new material in 2015, the band has booked another UK tour starting in October, which you can buy tickets for now. Check out my review of the band from their 2014 tour for why you should do just that.