SICKSENSE ‘Funerals’ EP

SICKSENSE
Funerals EP
Independent

SICKSENSE Finds Its Balance Between Nu-Metal and Metalcore on ‘Funerals’

SICKSENSE has never sounded like they were interested in staying inside the lines of one clearly labeled corner of heavy music. The Phoenix-based band pulls from nu-metal, metalcore, industrial metal, hip-hop, and melodic alternative metal, then drives those influences through the dual-vocal approach of Vicky Psarakis and Robby J. Fonts. Their four-track independent EP, Funerals’, arrives on September 25, 2026, offering a short but varied look at where the band is heading. 
Hip-hop has been part of nu-metal’s foundation for decades, with bands such as LIMP BIZKIT, LINKIN PARK, P.O.D., and (HƏD) P.E. proving how effectively rhythmic vocal flows can work alongside heavy guitars. SICKSENSE continues that tradition without allowing it to define everything the band does. 

Fonts handles all the rapping, but describing him strictly as the rapper would sell his range short. He also sings and delivers gutturals, screams, and both high and low harsh vocals. Psarakis possesses an equally broad range, moving between melodic highs and lows, screams, and deep gutturals. Her cleaner passages sometimes carry the melodic sweep of Amy Lee, while her ability to transition into heavier territory brings some Tatiana Shmayluk familiarity. Their voices intertwine rather than filling two rigidly defined roles, allowing SICKSENSE to move between genres without sounding like several different bands fighting for control. 

SICKSENSE sounds like nu-metal survived Y2K, discovered metalcore, and returned for the AI age ready to fight the algorithm one breakdown at a time.

The EP opens with “Artificial Irrelevance.” The strongest track on ‘Funerals’ and my personal favorite. The song leans closer to modern metalcore than traditional nu-metal, but both styles remain present. It is heavy, rhythmically tight, and loaded with punishing breakdowns, with enough movement to keep the arrangement unpredictable. Industrial electronics underneath the guitars bring some early SPINESHANK and STATIC-X character into the mix. That background layer creates the clearest old-school nu-metal connection, while reinforcing lyrics focused on online manipulation, manufactured importance, censorship, doomscrolling, and the emptiness behind digital status. 

Fonts supplies a clear rap-metal cadence carrying traces of CYPRESS HILL, INSANE CLOWN POSSE, and Fred Durst’s work with LIMP BIZKIT, but the song never restricts him to that role. Fonts and Psarakis trade melodic and aggressive passages throughout the track, giving it more depth than a standard rapper-and-singer arrangement. The rapped section remains understandable, fits the rhythm, and never overstays its welcome. Once the electronics, breakdowns, vocal exchanges, and metalcore rhythms lock together, “Artificial Irrelevance” hits exactly where it needs to. Whatever label you place on it, metalcore, nu-metal, industrial metal, or some combination of all three, the heavy side of this song is hands-down primo.
“Newsflash” brings the hip-hop influence directly to the front without drawing the idea out. Fonts opens the track over a strong beat with a clear rap-metal flow before the song moves quickly into chugging guitars, breakdowns, and heavier vocal exchanges. This is probably the most hip-hop-driven and traditionally nu-metal-friendly song on ‘Funerals’, but the arrangement does not remain locked into one approach. Psarakis adds melodic passages carrying an Amy Lee-style emotional quality while also providing a harsher counterweight when the track gets heavier. SICKSENSE uses the cleaner moments sparingly enough that they never soften or overshadow the song’s aggression. The strength comes from hearing Fonts and Psarakis trade roles, overlap vocally, and reinforce each other instead of remaining confined to separate sides of the music. Fonts’ rap delivery gives the track its rhythmic identity while the changing vocals, chugging guitars, and breakdowns provide enough muscle to reach beyond a strictly hip-hop-influenced audience. “Newsflash” understands exactly what it wants to be, and every ingredient is placed with purpose.

“Seller’s Remorse” finds the best overall balance on ‘Funerals’. It is not my favorite track, that position still belongs to “Artificial Irrelevance,” but this is where every part of the band’s sound flows together most naturally. Nothing feels overused, underdeveloped, or forced into the arrangement. Fonts adds just enough hip-hop flavor to give the track its nu-metal character without allowing that element to dominate, while Psarakis provides the melody and additional weight needed to keep the song moving. Their performances weave through each other rather than competing for control, and the transitions feel like an actual conversation. The song moves smoothly from one section to the next, allowing every element enough room to make an impact. That balance separates “Seller’s Remorse” from the other songs. It does not lean too heavily into melody, aggression, groove, or hip-hop. Instead, it finds a convincing middle ground between all four. “Seller’s Remorse” is what happens when every influence stops fighting over the aux cord and agrees to write one damn good song. It may rank second among my personal favorites, but from a songwriting and balance standpoint, this track takes the cake. If someone wanted one song representing the complete SICKSENSE formula, this would be the one.

The closing track, “A Moment of Violence,” moves into a much different emotional space. Its piano-led arrangement and Psarakis’ melodic delivery carry a strong EVANESCENCE and FLYLEAF familiarity that should connect with listeners who grew up on the emotional side of nu-metal and alternative metal. The song deals with death, survivor’s guilt, anger at God, and the isolation left behind when someone is gone. Psarakis delivers the cleaner passages with restraint before the heavier back half provides the emotional release the song has been building toward. My issue is how long it takes to reach that release. The heavier section does not arrive until approximately 2:20 into a song lasting around four minutes, meaning the piano-driven portion occupies more than half the track. I would have preferred that section to be trimmed to around a minute, giving the heavier back half more room to develop. I am not the songwriter, I am the reviewer describing what landed in my ears, but the build feels stretched beyond what the payoff requires. It remains a good song with strong production and genuine emotional weight, but a tighter arrangement could have made it hit harder. 

Overall, I am giving ‘Funerals’ 3.5 out of 5 stars. It sits close to a four, but four songs do not provide the full picture I want from SICKSENSE. A full-length album would show whether these influences can remain cohesive across a larger body of work. The band is not in my regular rotation right now, but would I pass up an opportunity to see SICKSENSE live? Hell no! The vocal chemistry, breakdowns, rhythmic shifts, and changes in intensity sound built for a live room. For now, ‘Funerals’ presents a band moving in the right direction with a recognizable identity that continues to take shape.

3.5 Out Of 5.0