✦✦✦✧ SikTh manage to thread a very fine needle here, harnessing their djenty brand of prog (or proggier brand of djent) in service of a catchy accessibility that generally eludes the genre. Along the way, these veterans don’t return to form, so much as they call on old debts, incorporating elements from descendants such as Periphery, Protest The Hero, TesseracT, and many others.

★★★☆ This EP is an excellent return from the long-dormant but well-beloved prog metal quartet. Their djent stylings are less front-and-center this time around, which I think is appropriate given the state of the subgenre. More importantly, you’ve got great headbanging moments, interesting chord progressions, and their best production to date.