Anyone who knows me knows that my current love affair with the band Sylosis exceeds words. While I once merely "liked" them as an up-and-coming band, their last few albums have completely cemented them as a band I absolutely adore.
"Conclusion Of An Age" was a great album that mixed modern metalcore production with melodic death metal tones and strong thrash influences into something that was fresh and really well-done, but was mostly territory that had already been tread. Then, the departure of vocalist Jamie Graham changed everything for the band.
Instead of having to cater towards predictable clean vocals or dropped tuning, the band decided to keep on going, letting primary songwriter and band mastermind Josh Middleton, the (extraordinary) lead guitarist, take over on vocals. Ever since then, they have put out the album "Edge Of The Earth," which was an extremely well-done album released only last year, and an offshoot single titled "Slings & Arrows," which was largely of the same style.
"Edge Of The Earth" was one of the greatest albums I had ever heard. I still think that, nearly two years later. So when I heard that Sylosis had a new album coming out so quickly (about 18 months later), I was excited yet worried at the same time. I was, of course, excited for new music, but worried that the band's inspirational well would be running dry: "Edge Of the Earth" DID clock in at almost an hour and a half... impressive by even movie standards.
So how is their new album, the appropriately-titled "Monolith?"
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1.) "Out From Below"
The album starts off with a cleanly-picked guitar intro, almost a necessity for any thrash-metal album. However, from the get-go, it's easy to tell that Sylosis is doing something new here. Instead of nonstop thrash, the band chooses to lead off with more doom-inspired overtones before getting into the heavy nitty-gritty that the band excels at. "Out From Below" is a perfect song to start the album out with, as it features quite a bit of everything that the rest of the album has: doomy tones, thrashy riffs, driving grooves, and intense melodies that you can feel in your bones. A great way to start off any metal album.
2.) "Fear The World"
This track gets off to a Mastodon-like beginning, before quickly beginning the metallic madness once again. Now, I have to foreword by saying that this is my favorite track on the record. The song is largely fast and heavy, yet features a very progressive midsection that is very unlike anything Sylosis has done thus far in their career, featuring atmospheric clean vocals that are anything but cliche. This track definitely features that Sylosis is willing to try new things, and when they do, they exceed the hell out of them. Guitarists Middleton and Alex Bailey get to stretch out with very interesting leads and rhythms throughout the song, never quite resting on their laurels when there is something new to do (not to mention Middleton's truly amazing sweeping techniques). Truly an exciting, inventive metal song.
3.) "What Dwells Within"
This track gets off to yet another doom-inspired beginning, and I have to comment that drummer Rob Callard is truly on point with this song (particularly the intro). The drums sound truly organic and creative throughout the song's running time. The creativity of Sylosis continues into the third track, featuring many elements (such as sliding techniques that sound almost orchestra-like) and melodies that push the band into new territory. I can't help but make a comparison to Mastodon again, as the midsection seems heavily inspired by the progressive metal band, yet somehow ten times heavier.
4.) "Beyond The Sun"
I hate to say that this is their most "metal" song to date, but it's true. Middleton sounds truly pissed off and passionate when screaming the vocals, which seem much more pained and angry than the previous three songs, where he occasionally veered off into new, cleaner territory (as far as his voice is concerned). The lyrics really drive this point home with a simple line of lyrics that may seem childish, yet heavily resonate with me: "I don't belong to this world, this world belongs to me!" *chills* The solos in this song reach Maiden-levels of synchronization, and there is yet another midsection that is the doomy calm within the storm where they showcase their progressive side.
5.) "The River"
"The River" is another great song that showcases how great Sylosis and particularly Middleton can be at executing melodies. When you can have a song still be heavy as hell, yet still be melodic during the chorus as to inspire goosebumps, you've done an amazing job as a songwriter and musician. This track has probably the best chorus Sylosis has ever written, a part of the song that begs you to headbang while holding back the tears (truly showcasing its epic-ness). This song is another great exercise in technicality, yet still features some of the amazing grooves/hooks that attracted me to Sylosis in the first place with the melody that they've learned to master since "Edge Of The Earth."
6.) "Monolith"
This track is yet another of their progressive batch, perhaps their strongest of those yet. It's the title track, so lyrically, it makes a lot of sense in correlation to the themes of the album, but it still features many of the doom-inspired tones of previous tracks with a ton of progression in tow. I have to give credit to drummer Callard and bassist Carl Parnell for driving throughout this song, as much of the guitar work is dedicated to maintaining that doomy vibe.
7.) "Paradox"
This song, to me, resembles the bands Trivium and Machine Head in terms of composition, while still retaining the sound and tone Sylosis has cultivated on this album (and still being much "heavier" than the other two bands mentioned). I think this may be the most accessible metal track on the album, despite clocking in at a little over 6 minutes long. I wouldn't say it's "filler," per se, because it's still an amazing track, yet is largely a song that bleeds into the ones surrounding it.
8.) "A Dying Vine"
This song was leaked/debuted a few months back, so I've had plenty of time to dissect it and grow to love it while I anxiously awaited for the rest of the album. Drummer Rob Callard completely rocks throughout this song, whether it be the fast, Metallica-inspired intro or the thrashy verses that eventually lead to an epic and melodic midsection. Speaking of which, this song is largely thrash-inspired melodic death metal, but the midsection is completely large and epic, very reminiscent of a track that could be on their last album, "Edge Of the Earth."
9.) "All Is Not Well"
Perhaps the most doom-inspired track on the album. The main riff is nothing if not doom metal, despite still being as heavy as their other tracks. It's really a change of pace for the band, which usually plays a quickened thrash-style of music, to slow down and play this track, which is incredibly bottom heavy with bassist Parnell and the melodic doom overtones that are present on other tracks. This is truly another ingenious song by the band, which keeps expanding its borders to try and encompass all elements and styles of metal.
10.) "Born Anew"
Without a doubt the most straight-forward metal song Sylosis has ever written (whether it be the current incarnation with Middleton on vocals or any of the previous vocalists' versions). This song sounds largely like if Metallica got a new vocalist and played melodic death metal, including the post-solo Lars Ulrich-inspired drums and the solos Kirk Hammett would struggle to play. This track takes heavy inspiration from 80s thrash metal without becoming too self-absorbed (as much of that generation's music is).
11.) "Enshrined"
While this track clocks in at 19 minutes long, it actually takes up the audio waves throughout about half of that: the first part being the epic and heavily melodic closing track, and the shorter, acoustic track at the tail end of the 19 minutes. The first part of the song, the heavier track, is a total conclusion to the album. It is much like "Out From Below," which previewed the elements present on the album; this track just happens to review them. The song fades out as majestically as it came, and after about 10 minutes of silence, we are treated to the most unusual Sylosis track to date, which just happens to be hidden: an acoustic song that features Middleton actually singing (something we've barely gotten to hear in his 2 albums as lead vocalist) and he's actually really good at it! His soft crooning carries the album into silence, but not before picking up for a few more seconds of Sylosis goodness.
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I can't believe I ever doubted that Sylosis would release an album that wasn't great. This album, to me, completely tops everything they've ever done, which was already an impressive feat in itself. Sylosis has essentially become my favorite band, considering they've put out 3 absolutely amazing albums in just 4 years, retaining most of the band members and remaining uncompromising. They are a band that has truly crafting their own unique style, mixing elements inspired from other bands into their original formula. It has truly become a formula for success.
Vocally, Josh Middleton has become a great frontman. When he first took over lead vocal duties, I had a hard time adapting to his voice, which is a more guttural scream than original vocalist Jamie Graham, yet Middleton has perfected his craft and made the vocals for Sylosis unique. While the clean vocals are more prevalent than on their previous album, "Edge Of The Earth," they are still rare and blink-and-you'll-miss-them hard-to-find.
Guitar-wise, I'd be hard-pressed to find a band more talented than Sylosis. Josh Middleton, despite increasing in capabilities as a vocalist, has become a truly ingenious songwriter and guitarist, his technicality increasing with every album. Of course, his comrade, Alex Bailey, is no pushover; Bailey helps Middleton craft perfectly-sounding guitar tones and melodies throughout the album, and largely plays the impressive lead parts live due to Middleton's singing contributions.
I always have a hard time passing reward off to bassists, considering how little their instrument is actually heard through the recordings, but Carl Parnell is as good at it as any. When it comes down to him holding a tune, he can do so with the best of them.
Rob Callard is exactly the type of drummer that Sylosis needs: a guy that can play the technical pieces without being too flashy. He isn't the sort of drummer like Gene Hoglan that contributes bullet-fast double bass hits throughout a song, or a drummer like Neil Peart that relies on drum fills to fill-in the space, but he is a drummer that holds the beat and does so incredibly well. Considering the guitarists that he has to keep up with... Callard does an amazing job and not ruining the song with flashiness, which he is more than capable of.
Whenever someone asks me who or what Sylosis sounds like: I've always liked to tell them that they sound like Metallica and the band Death getting thrown into a blender, with a pinch of some epic orchestra getting thrown in there. Now, I'd say that they made need just a splash of Mastodon-inspired progression, based on their current trajectory. They are as talented as any young metal band to ever exist, and the sky is the limit. They've reached success early, seeing as "Monolith" is, to me, the album of the year BY FAR. It's not even a competition anymore. Sylosis have wiped the floor with their so-called "competitors."
If you like metal in any aspect of the word, go out and buy this album right now. If I were to ever lose this album, I'd immediately go out and buy a new copy, that is how good it is.
