English metal outfit Sylosis have released their 4th album. Musical Chairs once again got their metal musical magistrate on the case, to see what the boys from Reading had on offer.
So it is here; the new Sylosis album. I have been undecided about this release ever since the singles Mercy and Leech. But I have been reserving judgement 'til the album was released.
This album is the 4th studio album from metal band Sylosis. Sylosis, who are from Reading in the UK, have released all 4 of their albums on the Nuclear Blast label. Their debut album, Conclusion of an Age (2008), is in my opinion the strongest of their releases. This was followed by Edge of Earth (2011), Monolith (2012) and now Dormant Heart.
Stylistically, the band is driven by riffs that evoke early thrash metal guitarists such as Kirk Hammet of Metallica and the dual vocal styles of Josh Middleton, who deals in both clean and screamed vocals, which on occasion seems to point towards an influence from more modern thrash bands such as Trivium. However, Sylosis have also shown that on occasion, they are capable of stretching their wings on the deeper cuts and pushing more towards a progressive metal style, as shown by The Last Remaining Light from their 2008 release Conclusion of an Age.
So where does that leave us with this album? Well, I had accused the band of being "safe" on the singles. Although I will concede that there were snatches of interest within those songs, they sat on a very formulaic framework and in short, I wanted more from these guys. There are certainly more songs of that ilk on this album, Victims as Pawns is a pretty big offender here, not least because the track that precedes it as the album opener, Where Wolves Come to Die, does a great job of hooking you in.
Where Wolves Come to Die is a moody, brooding atmospheric opener that creates an oppressive tension. The slow funeral tempo building to a blood freezing scream by Josh; who told Metal Hammer "it's a very gloomy and atmospheric album, we've been through a lot as a band and individuals and made our darkest album to date." Nowhere else in the album is it more clear than here. Sadly the tracks that follow fail to grab me which, considering they are the opening quarter of the album and that should be their function, feels like an error. Once again, it's not that they are "bad" tracks, they just aren't the type of track I would go to when showcasing the band to others and nor are they memorable.
Overthrown is another solid track on this release. It makes good use of tempo and rhythm to create a nice groove. The moaning guitar harmonics does wonders to echo the "darkness" of this album before bursting into a high speed shredding affair. Once again the vocal performance is incendiary. I wish there was more of this on the album as a whole. This track has more hooks and feeling than many of the tracks that come before it and it's mostly down to the groove that pulls you through it and makes it fun to listen to. I particularly like the outro, that fades out with a floor-filling chant.
The following song, Leech, has already been covered. However, after Leech, come two songs that are worth mentioning. Servitude is a fine return to the Metallica-esc riffing form and the way the melodic intro riff gives way to a chunky motif that is played throughout the track echos some of the early work of the veteran thrash metallers. I am once again a fan of the down tempo drums that keep your head nodding before building to a macho, trash bridge. Indoctrinated works on a similar level. However, the intro is another moody piece that builds the tension, before breaking into what might be the most aggressive and full throttle track on the album. Once again complete with some early thrash-type shredding.
As the album hits it's closing section we come to their lead single Mercy, and the song I was perhaps hoping for the most; Quiescent, the 9:03 progressive "epic". It is usually these kind of tracks where Sylosis are able to prove themselves a little more and they do exactly that here. A well constructed ballad that is as melodic as it is methodical. The clean vocals work well and show Josh's range before the song rips into his fiery screams around the 5 minute mark. This song is another song that shows the darker edge to this album and is a very good album closer.
Depending on the edition of the album you bought, it may offer two bonus tracks. Pillars Erode is another track in the vein of Indoctrinated, a slow plodding gloomy track with hints of aggression. It is a fine addition to the album. However the last bonus track Zero, was probably an erroneous inclusion. It is a cover of the Smashing Pumpkins classic and I feel will end up being a very divisive track. Some fans will love their version and perhaps prefer it. However, many I feel, will not. I know just reading about this cover will probably send Ryan Sweeney (our "alternative" writer) into fits of rage, just as it may many other Pumpkins fans. Personally, I am not a fan of this cover.
In conclusion, Sylosis haven't blown me away with this release. But I do think it is probably better than I was expecting and it has the potential to get better the more I listen to it. However, I feel it still suffers from having a few tracks on it that really should have been left on the cutting room floor.
Dormant Heart is available now, released on Nuclear Blast records.
Article by: Gary Lee (@thewheelbear)
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