Album Review: Sylosis - A Sign Of Things To Come

Sylosis A Sign Of Things To Come will be released September 8th 2023 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Leading the charge as one of Britian's most underrated modern metal bands of the underground scene for the last decade or so, Sylosis have returned with their muscular 6th studio album A Sign Of Things To Come, and the name in itself could very well be the case here.

Vocalist and guitarist Josh Middleton says:

"In terms of the album title and what the title track is about lyrically, it's kinda about that feeling of, I guess like anxiety about the state of the world, like politically, socially or like, environmentally. Particularly during the pandemic when everyone is just doom-scrolling on their phones just having a kinda sinking feeling, like "what is happening? Where are we heading in civilization or like, in terms of what we're doing to the planet?" Yeah, just that kind of feeling of , you know everyone being pitted against each other and everything, just feeling very, unnerving I guess."

The record starts off with 'Deadwood;' a heavy, stomping groove before it explodes in to frantic shredding and rasping, urgent vocals. It's clear that the band's intention here is "go big or go home" with addictively catchy moments and soaring solos interspersed with crisp, melodic cleans. The title track is a trudging, groove-heavy stomp with haunting cleans and slow, rolling drum beats before Middleton's gutteral screams rip the track apart to make way for more epic riffage. 'Pariahs' has a distinctly sinister, thrashier feel to it yet still maintaining that precise, edgy, groove-stomp. 'Poison For The Lost' is a shredding frenzy which charges straight out the gate and continues to wreak absolute havoc with the added bonus of ambient-building atmosphere and insane solos.

'Descent' is a chugging, atmospheric menace with ethereal synths, muscular riffs and chant-worthy vocals that are heavily addictive. 'Absent' is full of emotive clean vocals, ambient synths and dense atmosphere, most definitely the ballad of the record yet the power it displays when it bursts forth is absolutely incredible. 'Eye For An Eye' picks up the pace once more with thunderous drumming, chugging riffs brimming with attitude and catchy vocals. The solo in this track showcases the band's technical precision as it soars.

'Judas' is thunderous and takes a melodic death turn with it's synth heavy atmosphere, ethereal chants and melodic chugging madness. 'Thorns' is emotive and experimental in nature with contrasting acoustics and a slower pace to break up the heavy riffage and gutteral growls. The immediate change between gutteral and clean vocals highly demonstrates Middleton's advanced capabilities. 'A Godless Throne' closes the record with a charging flurry of flying riffs and thunderous drums before ascending in to an epically charged solo and a crushing breakdown before disappearing in a haunting wave of synth and acoustics.

How Sylosis aren't bigger than they are is anyone's guess. The layers are incredible, the attitude is crushing and it's safe to say that A Sign of Things to Come is just that.

Rating: 9/10
Release Date: September 8th 2023
Released By: Nuclear Blast Records
FFO: Arch Enemy, Unearth, Darkest Hour, Allaegeon

Tracklist

01 - Deadwood
02 - A Sign of Things to Come
03 - Pariahs
04 - Poison For The Lost    
05 - Descent
06 - Absent          
07 - Eye For An Eye        
08 - Judas          
09 - Thorns      
10 - A Godless Throne