Sylosis' 'The Path' - EP Review

Before I get into today's review, I would just like to put on record how great it is to have the Reading-based metal four-piece Sylosis back. The genre-hopping band that has throughout their career mixed thrash metal, melodic death metal, metalcore, and progressive metal influences to create a unique and memorable sound became a real favourite of mine in the early 2010s. I first came across them in 2009 when I saw them open for DragonForce, but it was not until 2011 and the release of second album Edge of the Earth that I became a fan - and I have not looked back. It was a real shame, then, when the band, after four albums, quietly called it a day in 2016. I am not sure that the band ever officially broke up, but it was clear that bandleader Josh Middleton had other priorities at the time - and, looking back, I imagine there was frustration regarding glass ceilings that never quite seemed to break. I hoped that the band would return, though, and thankfully they did in 2020 - releasing their fifth album Cycle of Suffering (which I reviewed here), although any plans to promote it were soon scuppered by the pandemic. Over the next couple of years, though, it became clear that Middleton was viewing Sylosis as a going concern again. I saw the band for the first time since 2016 at 2022's Bloodstock Open Air - and I have since seen them live twice more: supporting Malevolence last year and headlining back in April. As I write this review, the band are on their first US tour for over a decade - and they are touring the UK again later this month alongside deathcore act Fit for an Autopsy. Sylosis really are back in a big way - and in many ways their rebirth was completed last year with the release of lean and mean sixth album A Sign of Things to Come (which I reviewed here). The album could have been seen as a bit of a controversial change of pace from the Reading band - but I pretty much loved it from the off. It certainly saw quite a significant reining in of their more progressive tendencies, so there is a case to be made that some of Sylosis' unique identity was lost, but, in truth, they had been toning down that side of their writing from 2015's Dormant Heart (which I reviewed here) onwards - meaning that A Sign of Things to Come did not feel all that unexpected, despite a stronger dose of metalcore being present. I imagine the streamlining did turn some off, but I still listen to A Sign of Things to Come pretty regularly - and the songs really deliver live, which I imagine was the goal. I was not expecting to hear anything more from the band so soon after the last album's release, so it was a surprise last month when Sylosis dropped the five-track digital-only EP The Path without warning. In its press release, the band stated that the songs were leftovers from the A Sign of Things to Come sessions - held back at the time for a future release. Given the band's desire to create a more streamlined album, an additional five songs would have hindered that goal - and the tracks which make up The Path perhaps feel a little different from the more anthemic vibe of the last album. There are hints to the band's more progressive inclinations here - alongside some other influences which show a different side to Middleton's songwriting. It is also the last release from the band's post-reunion line-up - as not long after the EP's release it was announced that guitarist Alex Bailey had amicably stepped down from the band after 16 years. Bassist Connor Marshall has since switched to guitar - with Ben Thomas (Venom Prison) becoming the new bassist.

The EP opens with its title track and lead single, with guitar feedback and a pounding bass drum the only backing for Middleton's opening screamed vocals - before a snappy mid-paced riff kicks in and the band career off in typical fashion. The Path is somewhat close in style to the material on the last album - in so far as it features a pretty anthemic chorus and a bit more of a straight ahead arrangement. Despite this, though, there are a few twists and turns to be found. The verses feature some pretty interesting call-and-response vocals, with Middleton whispering and screaming back and forth, whilst the chorus, despite being hooky, features a bit more of a doomy sound - which brings Dormant Heart to mind. The mid-paced overall feel means that the track is perhaps not as infectious or as immediate as some of the tracks on the last album, but there is some of that old Sylosis magic to be found - with a few tricky riffs and little guitar runs which were less of a focus on the last album. A bridge section features some higher screams from Debbie Gough (Heriot) and, of course, there is an impressive solo from Middleton - with the last chorus also expanded to include some additional lead guitar moments. Soured Ground is much closer to the sound of the last album - with tracks like Pariahs and Poison for the Lost certainly touchstones. Perhaps it was wise to hold the track back given its similarity in vibe to those others - but, despite the familiarity, there is still a lot to like here. Like the last album, the goal here is hooks - and the track is probably the EP's most immediate. The riffing is much more frantic here, with drummer Ali Richardson really laying into his double bass drums at times, whilst the chorus sees the pace slowed somewhat, cold synths introduced, and Middleton screaming the anthemic melodies in his confident manner. Some iterations of the chorus feature the occasional clean vocal line, too, whilst a heavy bridge and some breakdown riffs later are full of venom. A lengthy guitar solo sees some of Middleton's classic sweep picking, which was not as prevalent on the last album, return, though, so despite the song very much being routed in the sound of the last album there is still a nod to the past. As Above So Below opens with a pretty heroic-sounding vocal from Middleton against some staccato stabs and drums from the band - but once the main riff kicks the track feels pretty thrashy. Whilst the overall arrangement is a bit more varied than the opening riff suggests, I like the main riff as it feels like something different for the band. It has an old-school vibe, perhaps recalling the speedy chug of some of the original death metal bands, whilst the chorus also features some pretty intense extreme metal influences due some some of Middleton's lowest growls ever. As the song moves along, though, it does feel more expansive. The riffing becomes more varied throughout, and the pace switches back and forth between thrashier sections and mid-paced groove-led parts. Some of the songwriting quirks of the band's older albums push through here - and there are riffs here which recall 2008's Conclusion of an Age somewhat, whilst the use of dense strings later in the track recalls Edge of the Earth. The chorus retains the hookier approach of more recently, though, and the track feels like a real mix of old and new.

No Saviours is perhaps the track here which has, so far, connected with me the least. I do not dislike it, and there are few Sylosis songs that I dislike in general, and it is certainly growing on me - but at this stage it feels like the weakest of the five. There is certainly a strong groove metal vibe throughout and it does feel influenced, at times, by some of the modern UK hardcore bands like Malevolence. Much of Sylosis' classic sound remains, and there a few great Middleton riffs here as usual, but there are a few sections of the song which feature those semi-spoken vocals which hardcore bands often make use of - and I am not sure that this approach suits Sylosis that well. Sylosis have always been more musical and technical than that, so I could do without that sort of posturing in their music, but thankfully those influences are limited to a few moments. Elsewhere, though, there is a lot to like - with more dense strings utilised at times, a slow-burning guitar solo which is surprisingly atmospheric for Sylosis, and some really fast-paced sections which are perhaps some of the heaviest moments on the EP. Despite my dislike of some of the hardcore-esque inclusions, though, I am still warming to the song - I just hope that the band do not decide to step too much further down that path on subsequent albums. The EP then comes to a close with Disavowed - the longest piece here at just under six minutes. Many of Sylosis' older songs are that sort of length, but that has been a rarity of late - so it is unsurprising that the song is the EP's most expansive piece. There are certainly strong shades of Middleton's progressive tendencies here, with lots of different riffs crashing back and forth - and the melodic verses really feel like another throwback to the shout-along yet sophisticated sound of Conclusion of an Age, with a hooky guitar lead sitting beneath his strident vocals. Clean vocals are utilised here in quite a big way, too. Sylosis have often dabbled with clean vocals, but they tend to use them sparingly - either during bridge-like sections or slower openings. It is quite rare that a whole chorus has largely been sung clean, though, but doing so works well here. Middleton is not the most expressive of clean singers, but his tone is pleasing against the chorus' slightly more atmospheric backing - and he slowly transitions to a harsher tone as he moves along. The chorus is still hooky, though, and it contrasts nicely with the more fist-pumping verses - and the song, like As Above So Below, feels like a really pleasing mix of old and new. Another slow-burning solo is thrown in, too, as the band slow things down somewhat towards the end - with Middleton launching into something pretty cinematic and progressive rock-inspired. This expansive closing section rounds out the EP in fine fashion - and the track is a real grower that, pleasingly, showcases a lot of progressive vibes. Overall, then, The Path is another strong release from Sylosis. As essentially a collection of leftovers, the EP is a compelling listen which shows some disparate influences and a few new ideas from Middleton and the band. Some of the songs compliment A Sign of Things to Come, whilst others would not have fit on the album - and, as a long-time fan, the nods to the past are welcome. Sylosis continue to go from strength to strength and I am sure that whenever album seven drops I will be first in line to listen.

The EP was released on 3rd October 2024 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for The Path.