Rough Edge: Sylosis CD Reviews

SYLOSIS

"Dormant Heart" (Nuclear Blast; 2015)

Reviewed by Jeff Rogers

Sylosis are a metal band from Reading, Berkshire England. This is their fourth release. These guys are thrash, death and progressive metal. Heavy on the vocals, drums and chunky guitar, this quad from over the pond churn out some beefy tunes. Their style doesn't change much. It's got a stout approach thoughout and the guitar can sound progressive when a song extends time, the death element comes from the vocals, no clean release here, just aggression and progression.

These guys signed with Nuclear Blast in 2008 and have been putting out top-heavy riffs every since. They've toured with plenty of heavyweights so they have cut their teeth while knocking yours out. A couple of listens through "Dormant Heart" and you'll hear more and more layers of each track. They like their music to be brutal but melodic. The guitar offers up plenty of solos and tons of filler. You'll dig the riffs and extension of playing.

Sylosis: Josh Middleton - lead guitar, lead vocals; Alex Bailey - rhythm guitar; Carl Parnell - bass; Rob Callard - drums.

For more info, check out: http://sylosis.com.

"Edge of the Earth" (Nuclear Blast; 2011)

Reviewed by Mike SOS

UK modern metal troupe Sylosis return with a dramatic shift in their lineup, as they’ve ditched their singer and now operate as a quartet with the guitarist assuming the vocal duties as well as the tactful six-string shredding. Despite the turmoil, this squad delivers a mauling multi-faceted metal assault that fuses Bay Area thrash and Euro melodeath with an endless supply of the stellar musicianship present-day metal demands on "Edge of the Earth."

Pounding out with explosive movements of double barrel aggression without sacrificing technical prowess (“Empyreal”), Sylosis administers a fine amalgamation of growling heaviness, blistering fretwork, and forward thinking compositions to strike a medium between Trivium, Arsis, and Scar Symmetry (“Kingdom of Solitude”), making this 14-track tour de force something worth checking out for those who enjoy today’s metal sound.

For more information, check out http://www.myspace.com/sylosis.

"Conclusion of an Age" (Nuclear Blast; 2003)

Reviewed by Mike SOS

Newbie UK metal mavens Sylosis employ a myriad of modern touches to their latest offering, a disc heavily steeped in thrash metal's golden era of double-barrel ambushes. "Conclusion of an Age" blends the musicality of Trivium, Strapping Young Lad, Shadows Fall and Megadeth with a bevy of blistering Exodus-esque solos ("Stained Humanity"), volatile vocals ("Withered") and complex arrangements ("Blackest Skyline") fortifying this 12-track affair, rapidly placing Sylosis alongside metal's most elite craftsmen.

Striking a balance between crunchy and razor-sharp thanks to their metalcore meets Bay Area merger ("Transcendence"), this act eagerly doles kudos to elder statesmen such as Testament and Kreator without sounding like a retread while embracing a slew of contemporary metalcore nuances for a well-rounded attack that skillfully references the good old days without going full-on retro.

For more information, check out http://www.myspace.com/sylosis.

Rating Guide:

A classic. This record will kick your ass.

Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.

So-so. You've heard better.

Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.

Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.

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