Sylosis' 'A Sign of Things to Come' - Album Review

When the Reading-based metal band Sylosis announced earlier in that year that they would be releasing their sixth studio album A Sign of Things to Come in September there was much rejoicing from the band's patient fanbase. Whilst it had only been three years since the release of Cycle of Suffering (which I reviewed here), which was followed by a handful of stand-alone singles, it was the content and tone of A Sign of Things to Come's announcement which caused the most excitement. A new Sylosis album is always welcome news, but within the statement the band stated that, from this point on, Sylosis would be more active than ever before. True to their word, the news of an upcoming tour with current Sheffield-based darlings Malevolence was announced not too long afterwards - and 2023 promises to be Sylosis' busiest year since 2016, which is when they last went on tour. For a while, it seemed that Sylosis were dead and buried. Whilst a hiatus was never formally announced, following that 2016 tour the band's activity was extremely limited until the release of Cycle of Suffering - and any further activity was almost immediately halted by the pandemic. There was good reason for this, of course, as Sylosis' leader Josh Middleton officially joined Architects in 2017 - and he held down the lead guitarist spot in the Brighton-based band until earlier this year, contributing to three albums in the process. During the early part of his Architects tenure, prior to Cycle of Suffering's release, Middleton seemed to want to leave Sylosis behind - or, at least, his head was in another place. It must have been hard for him in truth, as he had basically led Sylosis since they formed in 2000 and, despite a lot of excitement and positive reviews, the band had never really risen beyond being considered a 'hot prospect'. Sadly, this is a fate which befalls a lot of bands who deserve more - and given Architects' status it was understandable why he 'jumped ship'. I am not sure if Middleton's departure from Architects earlier this year and his promise that Sylosis will now be busier than ever are linked or not - but either way he seems the most enthused about Sylosis than he has done for years. Cycle of Suffering appears, in retrospect then, to have been a bit of a testing of the waters - with A Sign of Things to Come being the true 'rebirth' of the band. This is fitting, too, as the album is the most concise and hooky of the band's career. Sylosis are known for their complex sound which mixes thrash, extreme metal, metalcore, and progressive influences together - but they have arguably been moving away from this sound since 2015's Dormant Heart (which I also reviewed here), which was less complex than the two progressive juggernauts that preceded it. A Sign of Things to Come feels like the natural progression from the sound which started on Dormant Heart, then, but the songwriting still very much feels like Middleton despite the more focused arrangements. His amazing riffs and melodic solos are still here, and the vocal performance is easily his best and most diverse yet. Drummer Ali Richardson returns here from Cycle of Suffering, and the album sees the studio debut of bassist Conor Marshall - who was in the band when Cycle of Suffering was released but did not perform on the album (as Middleton essentially played everything on it apart from the drums). Long-time guitarist Alex Bailey rounds out the current band line-up - who is the only link, along with Middleton, to much of their past.

At 43 minutes long, A Sign of Things to Come really races past. There is still a lot going on within the 10 songs here despite the more concise arrangements - and opening cut Deadwood is a good example of the album's core sound. There is no slow build-up here, as the song kicks in from the off - with the first of the many big riffs. In classic modern metal style, the opening riff is left to hang in the air a little - letting the chords breathe as Richardson's drums fill in the blanks. This acts as a great intro, with a few little guitar leads adding colour, but when the band really lock in the song gets going proper - and the mid-paced verse is a mix of hard-driving grooves and the occasional metalcore guitar flourish. Richardson's ringing ride cymbal gives the song an organic side, whilst the powerful chorus provides a strong anthemic hook despite Middleton's assured harsh vocals. He may have been Sylosis' singer on most of their albums, but he very much took on the role out of necessity - but he has worked at his craft over the years, and his chorus hooks here are a great mix of harsh and anthemic. He has occasionally included clean vocal sections, too, and a short bridge here sees one of his best clean vocal deliveries to date. When the song was released online a few months ago it was clear that Sylosis were feeling leaner than ever - and it kicks off this snappy album in fine fashion. The title track follows, and a wall of cold synths set the tone before a doomy riff takes over. This riff is very much out of the Sylosis old-school, and feels like it could have appeared on one of their more progressive releases, but the tone soon changes - and sees Middleton singing clean against the opening synths, before the doomy riff kicks back in and the song grooves along at a slow place for a while. The song is very dynamic, though, and it builds from this slow-burning pattern - soon exploding into a thrashy section with a knotty guitar lead backing, before a mid-paced chorus somewhat mixes the two vibes together around another anthemic vocal hook. Those concerned that the clean vocals have become more dominant given the amount which I have already referenced them need not worry too much. This album certainly has more clean vocals than any previous Sylosis release, but Middleton's expressive harsh vocals still dominate - and I like the use of the cleans to add some colour, particularly given that Middleton has clearly been working on this clean delivery in recent years. Another melodic solo adds further colour, showcasing why Middleton is one of the best British metal guitarists today, but in general this song is more about the riffing - which is varied and heavy. Pariahs feels a bit more in-your-face. The overall pace feels a bit faster this time, and there is less of the groove-based riffing of the opening two tracks - with more of a thrash feel at times. The track does not speed away, but it has more of an urgency to it overall. There are still groovy sections, but the verses feel a little punkier with more of a straightforward riffing pattern overall - whilst marching drum-led sections, which often morph into the pounding chorus, add some groove. Cold synths are once again utilised to add depth, although this time they are mixed in with the riffing. There is little light this time, and the song is heavy from start to finish - with Middleton also making use of some of his trademark sweep-picked arpeggios during the solo section.

Poison for the Lost ups the pace again, and it is easily the fastest track on the album up to this point. Sylosis have always had a strong thrash influence, and there is plenty of that on display throughout Poison for the Lost - as well as a few riffs which definitely hark back to the origins of the metalcore genre in the mid-2000s. Sylosis have always been heavier than that, though, and this song is a good example of such - with pacy, breakneck riffing dominating, with Pantera-esque moments injecting moments of mid-paced groove. The chorus is a bit slower, and again goes for something of a more anthemic approach. Middleton really barks the vocal hooks over the the chugging chorus riff - and it adds a change of pace from the hard-driving verses which generally characterise the rest of the track. The solo section is also full of speed - with Middleton instead going for an all-out shredded flurry of notes this time, which fits in with the song's fast-paced aesthetic. Descent showcases the band's current approach perhaps better than any other song here. I am disappointed that the stand-alone single Heavy Is the Crown was not included here, as it is one of the hookiest songs that the band has ever done, but Descent treads a similar path - with a chorus which sticks in the brain from the off. The song is another mid-paced rocker - with a slower pace during some fat verses which feature a strong bass presence from Marshall. The verses are packed full of groove, with Richardson laying down a pretty straight drum beat which the crunching riffs sit atop, whilst the chorus ups the pace somewhat. Subtle guitar leads add depth, whilst Middleton sings in more of a gritty clean manner - with synths adding an extra melodic edge. The band have not done many choruses in this manner before, but it works well in the context of the hooky song. Some may consider the song a bit on the poppy side, but it is really only the chorus vocal hooks which feel that way - and the rest of the track is still very much classic Sylosis, and the song will likely become a live favourite due to its mix of grooves and hooks. Absent is much moodier, and it essentially acts as a ballad. Sylosis have done songs like this before, or at least have had substantial sections of songs which sound like this, but Absent essentially stays in this low key manner throughout - despite getting heavier later on. Middleton's clean vocals dominate here, and he sings against a wall of synths and industrial noises in an emotional manner. The song actually reminds me Nine Inch Nails the most - and the production and vocal delivery very much remind me of the cold ballads of that band's early days. The band does kick in about two-thirds of the way through, and it does get heavier - but after a few screams a mournful guitar solo takes over, and this dominates much of the rest of the track, until a few more screams see the song close out. Eye for an Eye returns to something more typical, and the heavy song hits harder following the previous atmospheric piece. There are still quite a lot of synths here, though, and the chorus is another which features prominent clean vocals. It is not as hooky as Descent's chorus, though, but there is an anthemic moment which sounds awfully similar to Trivium's Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr for a brief moment. This bit is always a bit jarring, but the song in general is another good example of the album's core sound - although the stronger synth presence ensures that the previous song's industrial edge is retained, despite the groovy riffing throughout.

Judas, following a synth-led intro, is another faster track - and the band's thrash influences are very much on show again here. The chorus is more mid-paced, despite some relentless double bass drums, and slightly anthemic, but the rest of the song really goes for the throat with plenty of busy drumming and some more riffing which sounds like beefed-up metalcore patterns. Richardson really excels on this album, and the tone of his drums throughout is excellent. Like the first song, his ride playing here is great, and I love how the drums have been mixed to allow things like that to shine. Middleton has always made the point of recording drums in an organic way - and Richardson has been a great addition to the band in recent years. He locks in perfectly with Middleton and Marshall here, and the fast-paced song is full of energy thanks to this approach from the rhythm section - and Middleton's melodic solo is another prefect example of his talents as a guitarist. The song is not as anthemic as some of the others here, but the depth of the arrangement, which features some mournful synths at times despite the heaviness, gives the song a bit of a different edge - and the track is not just pure thrash. Thorns is another slower song, but it is not as sparse as Absent. At first it feels like it might be, thanks to some synths and distant acoustic guitars, but the band soon crash in - and the track becomes a lumbering semi-ballad which mixes clean guitar-led sections with doomy riffing. Middleton mixes clean and harsh vocals throughout - with the chorus showcasing a surprisingly poppy side to this voice, whilst the verses are more mournful. The verses are where the doomy side of the band shines, with occasional clean lines mixed in with gigantic roars. The riffing here is slow-burning, but it works well, and this allows the poppy chorus to feel more uplifting overall - with big synths and vocal harmonies dragging the song briefly out of the darkness. The acoustic guitars from the intro are repurposed during the bridge section, and the song is surprisingly dynamic as a result. The album then comes to a close with A Godless Throne, which kicks off with a massive riff following the slower previous song. The song is pretty fast throughout, with lots of thrash influences on show, and it is also the longest piece here at just over five minutes. It is also the song here which feels most like the band's older albums. The longer run time allows the band to stretch out a little, and there is lots of progressive chopping and changing throughout - with endless riffs knotting together to create something interesting. Thrashy sections sit side-by-side with groovier patterns - and some of Middleton's trademark lead guitar melodies are used here to add plenty of depth. The chorus is more in line with the album's core sound, though, thanks to some gritty clean vocal hooks and synths, but the rest of the song is pretty ferocious. The guitar solo is more of a slow-burn, though, but it allows Middleton to really stretch out - and it is probably his best on the album. A short, punky vocal section follows this - before another flurry of riffing then gives way to some synths which see the song fade out nicely. It is a dynamic way to the end the album, and it is great to see some of the band's old ethos shining here. Overall, then, A Sign of Things to Come is, hopefully, just that. Despite loving the band's older, knottier albums, I like how the band have reinvented themselves here without throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Some may lament the loss of the more complex arrangements, but the songwriting here is tight as anything - and the performances throughout are some of the best of the band's career. I for one am excited about this new era of the band, and I am already looking forward to seeing them live again later in the year.

The album was released on 8th September 2023 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Deadwood.