Sioum is an instrumental trio based out of Chicago, Illinois. Formed in 2008, the band consists of Dorian Zdrinc (guitar), Arthur Zdrinc (drums) and Kevin Clark (keys). They often draw inspiration from film, video games, and most frequently, emotion itself. Post-metal, as well as progressive influence are often noted, although occasionally, many broad (and unusual) influences, such as contemporary classical and chiptune, can be heard.
Almost six years after Sioum’s debut LP, in May of 2016 the group released their second full-length album Yet Further. It was recorded and engineered by Greg Norman (Russian Circles, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Pelican.) Whereas I Am Mortal was based mainly on fictional stories and imagery, the music of Yet Further serves more as artifacts that reflect and convey the personal tribulation, hopes, and fears experienced after their first album was released. The music maintained a similar cinematic and emotional core, but with more content, variation, and complexity throughout each song. A noticeably more progressive influence could also be heard, with heavier exploration of distortion passages.
Sioum’s debut full-length, I Am Mortal, But Was Fiend, was released on July 16, 2010. It was recorded, mixed, and produced by the group over a span of 8 months. The album consists of three songs split into movements, with artwork shadowing the untold stories of the music.
Under their soundtrack counterpart Sioum Compositions, they have also released an indie RPG soundtrack Towers of Ajura Original Soundtrack on October 30th, 2012. The music, although composed for the videogame, is meant to stand on it’s own as a homage to early-gen RPG music, such as Final Fantasy.
Currently, Sioum is playing shows to support the release of Yet Further, and are in the process of writing new music. All of Sioum’s music is available for download on bandcamp. Proceeds go directly to the artist.