Published: June 25, 2026
The Montreal formed modern metal band addresses internet culture, online personas and AI-generated content on “Artificial Irrelevance,” ahead of the Funerals EP due September 25, 2026
SICKSENSE have released “Artificial Irrelevance”, a new single arriving with the announcement of the band’s upcoming EP Funerals, scheduled for release on September 25, 2026. The track addresses internet culture, online identity and the growing presence of artificial intelligence across digital platforms.
Rockum previously covered SICKSENSE’s single and video “In This Carousel” in February 2025. Rockum also reported on SICKSENSE’s 2025 summer tour with The Union Underground, Spineshank and Adema.
According to vocalist Robby J. Fonts, “Artificial Irrelevance” is a social commentary on modern internet culture.
“The song points out the phoniness of people's online personas. They present themselves one way, when in reality they live and act differently. They become addicted to being someone they aren't and obsessed with superficial numbers from the engagement they receive online.”
Vocalist Vicky Psarakis said the song also reflects on the role of social media, phone addiction, doom scrolling, online validation and the rapid growth of AI-generated content.
“What is relatively new however is the insane rise of AI content and ‘creators’ on these platforms, which is deeply disturbing when it comes to anything artistic. Musicians are seeing their work stolen. We keep getting fed reels that are 100% fake and it's a big issue that AI has gotten so hard to distinguish for most people. So not only are we living in a non-existent space, we're also constantly second guessing if what we are looking at is even real. It's a whole new layer of unsettling.”
The press release describes the track as combining ferocious rhythms, intricate riffs, rap passages and melodic vocals. Those elements connect the lyrical subject matter with the band’s established mixture of modern metal, nu metal, metalcore and djent influences.
The official video for “Artificial Irrelevance” was built around a visual mockery of internet culture. According to Vicky Psarakis, each band member created an exaggerated persona for the video, with scenes designed to look unrealistic alongside a full-band performance filmed at Nile Underground in Mesa, Arizona.
“At the end of the day, AI can't do what we do in a live environment and music fans will always connect with bands that are the real deal and able to deliver that to you in person.”
Funerals follows the band’s 2025 full-length album Cross Me Twice. Robby J. Fonts said producer Joey Doherty encouraged the band to push its sound further during their work together.
“Musically, from the very beginning when we started working on our previous album with our producer, Joey Doherty, he really wanted to take what we are as SICKSENSE and push us and our sound to the next level. I definitely feel this is a step in that direction, hinting at more of what we are capable of doing as artists.”
SICKSENSE was originally formed in Montreal, Canada after Vicky Psarakis and Robby J. Fonts met backstage at Heavy Montreal in 2015. At the time, Psarakis was fronting The Agonist, while Fonts had recently served as vocalist for Stuck Mojo.
The band officially launched with the debut single “Make Believe” in 2021, followed by the EPs Kings Today in 2022 and Fools Tomorrow in 2023. The press release notes that Tank The Tech called the band “the best nu metal band you never heard of.”
In 2023, SICKSENSE signed with Earache Records. The band released its debut full-length album Cross Me Twice in 2025, with the press release stating that the album reached No. 10 on the UK Rock and Metal Albums Chart and No. 33 on the UK Independent Albums Chart.
During that period, SICKSENSE toured across the United States opening for Escape The Fate, Snot, The Union Underground, Spineshank and Calva Louise. The band also appeared at Louder Than Life 2025.
The press release states that SICKSENSE returned to independent releases in 2026. The current lineup features guitarist Jackson Snowden, bassist Richard Regier and drummer Sam Neumann alongside vocalists Vicky Psarakis and Robby J. Fonts.
Outside the band, Vicky Psarakis has provided voice work for Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, portrayed Ada Wong in Dead by Daylight, and contributed vocals to Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. Robby J. Fonts voiced Jonathan Byers in the original Stranger Things chapter for Dead by Daylight and graduated from Seth Rollins’ Black and Brave Academy in 2019.
LINEUP
Vicky Psarakis — vocals, lyrics, keys
Robby J. Fonts — vocals, lyrics
Jackson Snowden — guitars
Richard Regier — bass, violin
Sam Neumann — drums
With “Artificial Irrelevance”, SICKSENSE introduce Funerals through a song centered on online identity, social media behavior and AI-generated content. The single connects the band’s modern metal framework with a lyrical subject rooted in digital culture while documenting the first announced material from the group’s next independent phase.
Written by Gino Alache – Music Journalist
Watch the official music video for “Artificial Irrelevance” below.
