SikTh ready to unleash their brand of metal at Euroblast

Sep 19 • Events, International News, Interviews, News • 5911 Views

Unique , high paced , technical , yes we are talking about progressive metal veterans SikTh. The band that was ahead of time , the sound was innovative, the technicality was mind-blowing and the pace was unrelenting. The band announced their hiatus back in 2007-08, it was six long years until the band announced their reunion. In December 2013 the band announced they were playing at Download 2014. The band since has been (and will be) playing select festivals in UK, Germany and Nepal. We sat down with Dan Weller and spoke to him regarding their appearance at Euroblast and what can fans expect from SikTh now that they are back

Metalbase India: It’s incredible to have you guys back up on the stage, fellas, how is it going for SikTh 2.0?
Dan Weller(SikTh): Ha, it’s going really well. Lots of fun and lots of excitement around.

MBI: It’s been close to seven years since you guys were in the thick of actions, and now you are back doing what you guys do best. What does SikTh feel has changed about the music industry, community, the live gigs themselves? Do you feel your work has been cut easier for you given how the Internet is suddenly in the middle to catalyze it all?
DW: The industry is an ever evolving beast. There certainly feels like there’s a ‘before and after’ sense to the music scene now. SikTh was there before Myspace/facebook/twiiter so to come back now feels very different. We will never go back to those pre-internet days where bands were discovered in multiple ways so I feel thankful and lucky that we were there in the last years of that era,Having said that, the internet has benefitted SikTh a lot as it’s kept our name alive.

MBI: Firstly, getting to the bone of contention, what made you guys vote to go into hiatus? When you decided to reform where those issues resolved?
DW: We just didn’t have the collective drive to carry on. But yes, things are very different now and we are all enjoying it a lot more.

MBI: Was getting the band back together easier said than done or otherwise? Did you guys deal with any form of unforeseen obstacles on the path to your reunion?
DW: It was very easy. The hardest part was learning the songs again as most of the riffs had been forgotten.

MBI: Given some of the updates you made on social media, we understand that you guys are pulling all the stops, practicing at for inhuman stretches of hours to prepare for your comeback line of gigs. What is SikTh’s mantra for getting back to square one, re-learning all your own old compositions?
DW: Well the most important thing for us has always been to respect our music. We spent many years writing and creating a sound of our own so it was vitally important to be able to execute them well. We would like to practice a lot more but we are spread all over the UK so it’s difficult.

MBI: Given how SikTh’s line-up has withstood the test of time and how much your act banks on the chemistry you share as musicians, would the unforeseen departure of a core member mean the end for SikTh and its other members playing together, playing SikTh material live? Or would you still carry on finding a decent replacement?
DW: SikTh is this line-up only. The sound we have discovered is a direct manifestation of six vary different personalities and musicians coming together and exploding in the middle. It just wouldn’t be the same.

MBI: If our knowledge is correct, all the members of Sikth were involved in one or more projects and side projects and so on in the past 7 years. Could you list some of the notable side/live/studio projects you all have undertaken in between?
DW: Well Mikee, James and Loord formed a band with Adrian Smith from Iron Maiden. Pin did a side project with insane Drummer Thomas Lang and created ‘Aliases’. In addition to those bands James has been playing Bass in ‘Pure Love’, Loord’s been Drumming for Thrash band ‘Whiplash’ and the two of them have a new band ‘Krokodil’ with Laggs from ‘Gallows’ and Dan P Carter from Radio 1 Rock show. Justin and I have moved into careers as Producers. I play in a band with my close friend Dan Tompkins from ‘Tesseract’ and ‘SkyHarbor’.

MBI: It’s been a decade and a half almost since the inception of SikTh. How has the journey been so far, including the hiatus, as SikTh?
DW: Our only reason for forming SikTh in the first place was to create something special that would stand the test of time and play some kind of role in the metal landscape. I feel that we’ve done that so I’m very proud. SikTh has given us all long term careers in music so we are thankful.

MBI: I bet it is futile to ask this but what genre can SikTh be categorized as? Would you characterize yourself with the onomatopoeia masquerading as genre i.e. “Djent”, or Math Metal?
DW: Hell no. Never have, never will.

MBI: What was the first thought that occurred to each of you at the prospect of going back up on stage again as SikTh, knowing that there are armies of fans everywhere hyped up on your comeback?
DW: We just wanted to do our songs justice and not damage our reputation. We also wanted to play to people that never had a chance to see us.

MBI: SikTh is headlining this year’s chapter of Euroblast. Given that most of these bands are by products of your brainchild, in a manner of speaking, how does it feel to see the SikTh genealogy in action under one roof, headlined by none other than yourselves?
DW: Well, who knows how influential we’ve been but it’s really flattering to be considered in that way. To be able to come back years later and be offered headline slots is an honour.

MBI: Has SikTh started working on any new material as of now? Regardless, is there any rough estimation to when we can hear a new SikTh record in full?
DW: Yes, Loord and i started doing so casual writing. It sounded great so I think we’ll do some more. We have no plans to release anything in the near future but it’s an ongoing discussion.

MBI: Given the common human meme that berates everything without fully understanding it, a lot of bands get flak for emulating Meshuggah and yourselves. What are your thoughts on the matter? What is your advice to those bands who give us glimpses to the “Sikth factor” every now and then in their performances?
DW: Speaking personally and not on behalf of the rest of the guys I think that there are far too many bands stealing Meshuggah’s blueprint and running with it, I love Meshuggah and think they’re the greatest Metal band since Pantera. But I think there are a lot of lazy Song Writers out there who have just created their very own Meshuggah and I find it all a little tedious. For me, Song Writing is your way of leaving a sonic signature on the world. I’ll never understand why so many people want to sound the same as someone else.
With regards to bands that are influenced by SikTh – I have no idea who they are but I can only be thankful and flattered

MBI: SikTh is due to play at the Silence Festival in Nepal alongside The Algorithm which was headlined by some of the biggest current heavyweights in Metal. Given since it is your first time around in these parts, what are your expectations from the show?
DW: I have no idea what to expect – we are all just very excited and privileged to have been invited there.

MBI: Did you have it in mind to play a show in this side of the world when SikTh reunited or was it just a good coincidence?
DW: We said “if we are going to get back together then let’s try to play everywhere”. We had no idea we would be offered a show in Nepal.

MBI: Given how much hype has been building in these parts with having SikTh and The Algorithm on the same bill, is there any chance that the two acts might collaborate on-stage?
DW: I don’t think so no. We struggle to get in the same room and practice as it is – so doing it with another band would be very unlikely

MBI: What’s on the cards for SikTh post Silence Festival? Do you plan to do touristy stuff alongside playing the show as well?
DW: Yes, I’d love to see the place. My Brother and Sister have both travelled around Nepal. In fact my Brother proposed to his wife there. So I’m very excited about going.

MBI: I think I always surprise my favorite musicians when I say this, but you guys have a heck lot of a following back here in India, were you aware of that? What would you say to an Indian tour? Do you have anything as such on the cards anytime soon because a gig so close to our own stages everyone’s jonesing for a taste of SikTh live at our own hometown stages?
DW: Yes, that does surprise me. It’s great to hear and makes me very happy. We are hopefully coming to India in the New Year.

Quick fire round:
MBI: 5 Non Metal artists SikTh is listening to right now.
DW: DEAD! The 1975, Madonna, Queen, Haim

MBI: 5 tracks that are guaranteed to be part of the SikTh playlist at Silence Festival.
DW: Bland Street Bloom, Flogging the horses, Skies of Millennium night, Pussyfoot, Part of the friction

MBI: This is SikTh’s space. Do you have any messages for your fans in this part of the world, some of whom have of course planned traveling to Nepal to catch you live in action for the very first time?
DW: We are a bunch of normal guys who still can’t believe that people that far from home want to hear our music. It makes us proud, honored and really excited to come and perform for you. We appreciate every single one of you.

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