I’m going to start this review with a gripe. In press materials for Sylosis’ new album, The New Flesh, main man Josh Middleton said something that I always sneer at. He stated that there’s not a lot of “good” metal out there nowadays. I think he meant that the mainstream type of metal I review is stale and doesn’t have a lot of good bands. On that, he is right. However, if taken at face value, I always say that if you can’t find metal you thoroughly enjoy, check out the underground, and I guarantee your mind will change.
In an attempt to air grievances before praise, I want to mention the ballad, “Everywhere at Once.” It threatens to derail the entire album. Luckily, there are some excellent melodies in this personal track written about Josh having to leave his kids at home when he goes on tour. When I first heard it in passing, I groaned because I immediately thought about what “Meant to Be” did on the latest Testament album. “Everywhere at Once” is a much better song, but they also immediately redeem themselves.
The track immediately afterwards, “Circle of Swords,” is vicious enough to restore order in the court of heavy metal. It brings back the thrashier side of the band with a frantic riff in the verses, but a heavy, almost sludgy chorus riff. There’s so much to like about this track, such as the drum performance of Ali Richardson. Of course, there’s always a great solo in Sylosis songs, and that ending, quick breakdown just puts the icing on this layered cake of excitement.
If we backtrack all the way to “All Glory, No Valour,” it’s clear early that Sylosis was going to bring the heaviness. It’s one of the fastest songs in tempo, as well as length. It has some thrashy riffing but begins with a black metal rasp. Upon several listens, I was convinced that Chuck Billy of the previously mentioned Testament was on vocals, but I have found zero evidence to support that claim. If I still had my long hair, I’d probably throw it back with around a minute left because of the brief breakdown, which is followed by a frenetic solo.
Of course, none of this works well if the modern production didn’t have some grit. The guitars and vocals are out front. Some may argue the bass is buried, which is mostly true, but there are moments where it shines through, and that drum sound is nearly perfect.
If you didn’t know, I’ve been a Sylosis fan almost since the beginning, enjoying all their albums. I was ecstatic about seeing them live last year for the first time, and it’s emblematic of a self-assured band seemingly on the rise that the new album is scorching. In fact, this very well could be their best one yet. It comes across in every note, every vocal, and every solo. I know it won’t convince those who have heard and not enjoyed the band previously, but perhaps this isn’t for them. It’s for those who have followed the band for a long time, and they deliver. Hard.
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