31. Sigh - "Shiki"

In a first for this list, this is our second slice of metal tinged with Japanese culture and mythology. Matt Heffy’s Ibaraki may be the newcomers in this particular hybrid sandbox, but Sigh has been doing this brand of culture splicing for nearly thirty years. This is another album of utter musical insanity that blends instruments and musical forms from the east and west. 

It feels audacious and courageous but also confident and instinctive like these alien art forms belong together. It also manages to avoid feeling worthy and self-managed. This is still very much metal and has metal’s swagger and self-assurance. It has just broadened and expanded the spectrum of vessels that you can create metal with.