New album from Sylosis!
Since their last release, the English band led by Josh Middleton (guitar/vocals, ex-Architects) has undergone some changes: while Ali Richardson (drums, Bleed from Within) remains at his position, Conor Marshall (Conjurer) has switched from bass to guitar, and Ben Thomas (guitar, Venom Prison) has joined the band. Together, they release The New Flesh, the band’s seventh album, via Nuclear Blast.
Beneath the Surface takes just a few seconds to hit, coupling jerky riffs with a vindictive touch, drawing on both Melodic Death Metal and catchy Metalcore roots, particularly in the vocals and backing vocals. I have no doubt that this song will be effective live, whether it’s the furious rhythm or the groovy mosh parts, especially if the musicians follow it up with Erased, which offers a unifying clean chorus framed by energetic riffs that will turn into a real headbanging incentive. All Glory, No Valour allows us a very brief moment of respite before unleashing its fast-paced rhythm, offering fairly obvious and motivating Hardcore roots for this short and incisive track, then we venture into heaviness with Lacerations, a track that is sometimes heavy and dissonant but knows how to accelerate with ease. The two worlds naturally give way to each other and clash before converging into rage on Mirror Mirror, where we find that raw touch which, although supported by various harmonics and samples, has the sole purpose of making us bang our heads. The tone becomes even more brutal with Spared From The Guillotine, which doesn’t hesitate to draw on more Old School Thrash to reinforce its solid rhythm filled with screeching leads, but the track is also quite short, and Adorn My Throne offers us a well-deserved respite before the chaos returns. We can feel the modern influences mingling with atmospheric touches, but also that the musicians are giving their all in the liveliest parts, while the eponymous track The New Flesh then displays its massive groove, which it skillfully transforms into riffs infused with aggressive but incredibly solid Heavy Metal. We discover a more sensitive note on Everywhere At Once, which follows suit, positioning itself as the album’s power ballad with almost exclusively clean vocals despite a few intense bursts, then the violence resurfaces with Circle Of Swords, the next track, which once again gives way to roars while the rhythm hits us regularly. It’s impossible not to feel that the track is tailor-made for live performances, whether at festivals or in venues, while Seeds In The River is much more diverse, willingly swapping furious riffs for much softer choruses, passing through raw groove to finally come to an unexpected end.
Sylosis has always embraced its heterogeneous mix, moving effortlessly from Metalcore to Thrash to Heavy Metal to build its own style, which now comes to life in a very intense way on The New Flesh. Thrills guaranteed!
85/100