Sick Joy – Video Game: Raw Alt-Rock Momentum Meets Personal Reckoning

Sick Joy are a Brighton-based alt-rock band led by vocalist/guitarist Mykl Barton, known for fusing grunge-inflected rock, industrial touches, and emotionally candid lyricism. Originally emerging from Newcastle’s underground scene before settling in Brighton, Sick Joy have built a reputation for contrasting beauty and ruin—melding widescreen choruses with abrasive sonic textures. Their second album More Forever (due January 30, 2026) pushes this balance further, capturing themes of grief, persistence, and self-examination with visceral intensity and dynamic production.

“Video Game” is one of the lead singles from More Forever, built around a propulsive beat and hypnotic momentum that mirrors its lyrical core. Vocalist Mykl Barton describes the track as “a recount of watching another version of myself die”—a meditation on grief, spite, and personal evolution, as well as the tension between moving forward and looking back. The song’s driving rhythms and layered textures reflect its emotional depth, making Video Game both an alt-rock anthem and a raw admission of vulnerability and resilience.

Band Page: https://www.instagram.com/sickjoyband/reels/