Sikth
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1999 in Watford, Hertfordshire, England |
| Defunct | 2008–2013 (hiatus) |
| Fate | Reunited in 2013 |
| Headquarters | Watford , England |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Mikee Goodman, Justin Hill, Dan Weller, Graham Pinney, James Leach, Dan Foord |
| Products | Progressive metal music, albums, EPs |
Number of employees | 6 (band members) (Various (1999–present)) |
Sikth (occasionally stylized as SikTh) is a progressive metal ensemble originating from Watford, Hertfordshire, England, established in 1999.
Formation and initial years (1999–2002)
The band came together in late 1999, completing their roster by March 2001 with dual frontmen Mikee Goodman and Justin Hill, guitarists Dan Weller and Graham Pinney, bassist James Leach, and drummer Dan Foord.
Their debut official release was the 2002 EP Let the Transmitting Begin, which included three tracks alongside a special live CD recorded during sessions for BBC Radio 1.
Under Gut Records, their first EP was How May I Help You? (2002), containing three songs—two of which were later featured on their first full-length album—and a music video for "(If You Weren't So) Perfect". The animated video for the title track, created by Mikee Goodman, earned Best Video honors from The Big Cheese Magazine, reached the top spot on MTV UK, and was an A-list selection on MTV Asia.
First album era (2003–2005)
On 18 August 2003, Sikth released their debut album The Trees Are Dead & Dried Out Wait for Something Wild through Gut Records. The record was co-produced with Andrew Scarth and mixed by Colin Richardson. It generated singles such as "Scent of the Obscene" and "Peep Show". This album achieved sales of approximately 30,000 copies across the UK, Japan, and Australia.
To support the album, Sikth appeared at the Download Festival in 2003 and toured Japan in 2004 as openers for Anthrax and Killswitch Engage. They also performed at the Fuji Rock Festival alongside artists including Lou Reed and PJ Harvey. Additionally, they were invited by curator Django Bates to play at the Fuse Leeds festival in 2004.
Second studio album (2006–2007)
Their sophomore album, Death of a Dead Day, was released in 2006—arriving in the United States on 6 June and in the United Kingdom on 26 June—through Bieler Bros. Records. The album peaked at number 94 on the UK album charts. Produced by Sikth themselves and mixed by Matt Plant, it highlighted their artistic autonomy.
To promote this release, Sikth held a show at The White Horse in High Wycombe—the venue of their inaugural performance—on 6 June 2006. This was followed by an appearance at Download Festival 2006 and a short tour across the UK.
In October 2006, they issued a limited-edition EP titled Flogging the Horses (restricted to 1,500 copies). This featured demos from Death of a Dead Day, a remix of "Where Do We Fall?", and "Each Other and Ourselves", which was an exclusive track included on the Japanese edition of the album.
Vocalist departures and hiatus period (2007–2013)
On 8 May 2007, Sikth announced that vocalists Mikee Goodman and Justin Hill would depart after completing their July 2007 UK tour named "The Black Summer Starts Here", to pursue other projects and focus on production work. Their final show took place at Carling Academy in Islington, London on 14 September 2007.
By 27 May 2008, the band officially disbanded due to difficulties in finding replacements for the vocalists coupled with members’ involvement in other endeavors.
On 15 January 2012, Sikth launched an official Facebook page to reintroduce merchandise sales and suggested that any future reunion would be intentional with the aim of producing outstanding new material for their audience.
Reunion (2014–present)
On 16 December 2013, Sikth revealed plans to reunite, announcing they would headline the Red Bull stage at Download Festival 2014. This event marked their first live appearance since 2007 and their initial participation at Download Festival since 2006. Later, on 25 March, the band was confirmed as headliners for the Euroblast festival in Cologne, Germany, scheduled for October. On 13 June 2014, Sikth publicized a comprehensive UK tour set for October and November through their Facebook page. Additionally, they took the main stage at the UK Tech-Metal Festival on 14 June 2014 and performed at Silence Festival V in Nepal on 17–18 October 2014, sharing lineups with groups such as Vader, Textures, and Behemoth.
On 27 April 2015, Sikth announced their intention to release new material via a crowd-funded EP supported by a tour. Fans who pre-ordered gained access to exclusive updates and merchandise through PledgeMusic. The resulting six-track EP, Opacities, was officially released on 4 December 2015. Following this, Sikth supported Slipknot during their February 2016 UK tour alongside Suicidal Tendencies. Although initially booked for the Arctangent Festival in August 2016, Sikth withdrew but returned to perform there in 2017.
On 3 June 2016, vocalist Justin Hill departed to dedicate himself to production work; his place was taken by Joe Rosser from Aliases. The band embarked on a UK tour in September 2018 with support from Loathe during the "Riddles of Humanity" tour. Their final performance that year occurred at Festivile on 20 October, where frontman Mikee Goodman suggested an indefinite hiatus with no clear plans for future releases.
Between 2019 and 2021, Joe Rosser exited the band to focus on other endeavors. Towards the end of 2022, Sikth announced Justin Hill’s return for special anniversary shows in November. At the Manchester concert, Joe Rosser appeared for select tracks as a tribute to his contributions during his tenure with the group.
Musical style
Sikth are frequently identified as progressive metal artists due to their unconventional methods, while also being classified under avant-garde metal and mathcore owing to their intricate musicianship and prevalent use of dissonant elements.
Guitarist Dan Weller commented;
"We have always drawn inspiration from energy—things that truly excite you. While we play extreme music, it’s because we push all boundaries. If a sound appeals to us, we embrace it, including melodic and beautiful music that we all appreciate."
Guitarist Pin added;
"Our focus is always on crafting quality songs; simply producing complex music isn’t sufficient. I believe this distinguishes us from other bands that prioritize technicality without songwriting. We are definitely songwriters."[1]
DecoyMusic.com characterized their sophomore album Death of a Dead Day as a fusion of "speed metal, progressive metal, thrash, nu metal, metalcore, and cock-rock" influences. Drowned in Sound likened Sikth's sound to a blend of the intricate guitar arrangements of Dillinger Escape Plan with the rhythmic patterns of Korn, combined with the distinctive style reminiscent of System of a Down.
Their debut album The Trees Are Dead & Dried Out Wait for Something Wild was highlighted by MusicOMH.com for its "guttural throaty vocals paired with harmonized melodies, ferocious rhythmic drumming evolving into complex percussion, alongside haunting atmospheric piano passages amidst metal intensity." Early in their career, vocalist Goodman described their style as "scatcore," referring to their rapid-fire scat vocal technique.
Current members
- Mikee Goodman – lead vocals (1999–2007, 2013–present)
- Dan Weller – guitar, piano (1999–2008, 2013–present)
- Graham "Pin" Pinney – guitar (1999–2008, 2013–2018, 2022–present)
- Dan "Loord" Foord – drums, percussion (2001–2008, 2013–present)
- James Leach – bass guitar (2001–2008, 2013–present)
- Justin Hill – vocals (2001–2007, 2013–2016, 2022–present)
Former members
- Tristan Lucey – vocals (1999–2000)
- Jamie Hunter – bass guitar (1999–2000)
- [name unknown] – role unspecified (1999–2001)
- Joe Rosser – vocals (2016–2021)
- Mikee Goodman – lead vocals
Goodman is active as a producer and vocal coach. He collaborates in Primal Rock Rebellion alongside Iron Maiden’s Adrian Smith and Sikth drummer Dan Foord. His other ventures include The Painted Smiles and Outpatients (later renamed Outside the Coma), a project blending electronic, rock, and metal elements.
- Dan Weller – guitar, piano
Weller fronts the band In Colour with Tesseract’s Daniel Tompkins on vocals. His production credits include Enter Shikari’s A Flash Flood of Colour and contributions to Common Dreads, as well as two albums by Young Guns. Additionally, he co-composes music for BBC’s Transmission Impossible with Ed & Oucho.
- James Leach – bass guitar
Leach is a bass instructor and also works as a drum technician for Gallows. He performs in supergroups Krokodil and Gold Key and supported Pure Love during their final tour. Devin Townsend has confirmed Leach’s participation in the upcoming album Lightwork.
- Dan "Loord" Foord – drums, percussion
Foord has provided session performances for Primal Rock Rebellion, Sol Invicto, and The HAARP Machine. He currently teaches music at West Herts College.
- Justin Hill – vocals
Hill has contributed vocals to tracks by This Is Menace, Malefice, and Heart of a Coward. He is also engaged in music production.
- Graham "Pin" Pinney – guitar
Pin plays in the progressive metal band Aliases under Basick Records and offers guitar lessons.
- Joe Rosser – vocals
Rosser stepped in for Justin Hill during Hill’s break focused on production work. He is also part of Aliases and shares vocal duties with Mikee Goodman on Sikth’s album The Future In Whose Eyes?.
Limited information exists regarding the early lineup before 2001; Tristan Lucey performed vocals alongside Goodman, with Jamie Hunter on bass among two other members.
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Highest chart rankings | Certification | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | UK Rock | UK Indie | US Heatseekers | US Indie | Scotland | |||
| 2003 | The Trees Are Dead & Dried Out Wait for Something WildTemplate:Smalldiv | 106 | 8 | 13 | – | – | – | |
| 2006 | Death of a Dead DayTemplate:Smalldiv | 94 | 7 | – | – | – | – | |
| 2017 | The Future in Whose Eyes?Template:Smalldiv | 100 | 3 | 9 | 20 | 50 | 88 | |
EPs
| Year | Release information | Highest chart ranking |
|---|---|---|
| US Heat | ||
| 2002 | Let the Transmitting BeginTemplate:Smalldiv | — |
| 2002 | How May I Help You?Template:Smalldiv | — |
| 2006 | Flogging the HorsesTemplate:Smalldiv | — |
| 2015 | OpacitiesTemplate:Smalldiv | 21 |
| Year | Track title | Highest chart rankings | Associated album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | UK Rock |
UK Indie | |||
| 2003 | "Scent of the Obscene" | 101 | 12 | 28 | The Trees Are Dead & Dried Out Wait for Something Wild |
| "Pussyfoot" | — | — | — | ||
| "Peep Show" | — | — | — | ||
| 2015 | "Philistine Philosophies" | — | — | — | Opacities |
| 2017 | "No Wishbones" | — | — | — | The Future in Whose Eyes? |
| "Vivid" | — | — | — | ||
| "Golden Cufflinks" | — | — | — | ||
Music videos
| Year | Song title | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | "(If You Weren't So) Perfect" | Greg Brimson |
| "How May I Help You?" | ||
| 2003 | "Scent of the Obscene" | |
| 2004 | "Peep Show" | |
| 2006 | "Scent of the Obscene" (alternate cut) | Patrick Ryan |
| "Bland Street Bloom" | Tim Fox | |
| 2015 | "Philistine Philosophies" | Mikee Goodman |
| 2017 | "Golden Cufflinks" |
Demos and promotional releases
- Pussyfoot/Suffice (2000)
- Hold My Finger/Such the Fool (2001)
- Pussyfoot (2003)
Tours and festivals
- 2000 – UK tour alongside Sanctum
- 2001 – UK tour with Dead Life Portrait
- 2002 – UK tour supporting American Head Charge
- 2003 – UK tours opening for Mad Capsule Markets and Mudvayne
- 2003 – Performed on the third stage at Download Festival, Donington Park
- 2003 – European tour supporting Machine Head
- 2004 – UK headline tour featuring Akercocke and Hondo Maclean
- 2004 – Tour across Ireland with Akercocke and Labrat
- 2004 – Japanese tour supporting Anthrax and Killswitch Engage
- 2004 – Appearance at Japan’s Fuji Rock Festival
- 2004 – UK tour supporting Pitchshifter
- 2006 – Fury Fest in France; French headline dates; Barfly/Jägermeister UK tour
- 2006 – Album launch event in High Wycombe; performed on second stage at Download Festival
- 2006 – UK headline tour for Death of a Dead Day with Dead Man in Reno and Architects
- 2007 – Death of a Week Day UK tour; final performance before hiatus at Islington Carling Academy, London
- 2014 – Headlined Red Bull Stage at Download Festival; participated in Silence Festival in Nepal
- 2015 – BIG69 Festival in Mumbai; Breakout Festival in Brighton
- 2016 – UK tour supporting Slipknot and Suicidal Tendencies; performed at 2000 Trees festival; USA tour supporting Periphery
- 2017 – European and UK tours supporting Trivium and SHVPES; main stage appearance at Download Festival; played at ArcTanGent Festival
- 2018 – Participated in UK TechFest; UK tour with Loathe; performed at UK Festivile
- 2019 – Played at PULP Summer Slam, Quezon City, Philippines
References
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