Review Summary: Sylosis comes full circle…
It’s almost no secret that as far as Sylosis material is concerned I’ve always favoured the band’s debut,
Conclusion Of An Age and
The Supreme Oppressor before it. Sure, you could probably blame it on (former vocalist) Jamie Graham’s departure from the band, but I never found the same ‘engagement’ from the likes of
Edge Of The Earth,
Monolith or
Dormant Heart despite the clear testament to modern groove dressed up as thrash, masquerading as metalcore. Josh Middleton’s stint leading the band forward wasn’t without its moments, too far and few between to change the personal perception of a fan too caught up in a whirlwind debut and natural expectation. A dozen years after the debut full-length and Sylosis begin to close the gap, coming full circle on
Cycle Of Suffering.
Despite my concerns regarding non-debut Sylosis music, I fell into the album’s pre-release singles with an open mind. “I Sever” stood audacious; bringing back fond memories of the band at a peak. The track’s softer introduction melds instantly into a thrash-y foundation to which Josh’s harsh (yet understandable) screams punch through guitar melody and complimenting percussive hits. Sure, it’s predictable; largely running through the same tropes that Sylosis has become known for since
Edge Of The Earth, but the song’s flamboyant nature was limited to a tasteful flurried guitar solo and a mid-paced coda - sticking instead to a proficient display of rhythmic chops. “Calcified'' was likewise impressive; leaning on recurring melody patterns and tension building atmosphere and sticking vocal hooks while staying true to a foundation of genre-hopping thrash metal.
With that in mind I leapt into
Cycle Of Suffering (and everything after) under better circumstances than the group’s previous records. Album opener “Empty Prophets” however didn’t make the same impact as the singles released before it, falling into a calculated display of head-turning volition bred of the same misgivings that ruled a complacent
Monolith. The album’s title-track however is a vehement showcase of driving riffs and intoxicating groove specially made for the head-banging numbness that’s dominant in today’s mainstream metal scene and more importantly; a throw-back to the band’s earlier days. On consecutive spins,
Cycle Of Suffering is noticeably more accessible than the group’s earlier releases, sticking to a formula cater made to a more mainstream thrash fan base and occasionally Sylosis’ newest lacks some of the edge and punch in the chords of “Idle Hands” and the floundering “Devils in Their Eyes” which loosely follows the same rhythmic nuances as an
Ascendancy era Trivium.
Fairly, the point could be argued that I’m taking on Sylosis’
Cycle Of Suffering with some pretty focused nostalgia goggles. Despite this, Sylosis’ newest effort holds up pretty well. I may not have found a new “After Lifeless Years” or “Teras” (both of which are on the debut mentioned above), but I’ve definitely found a new respect for a band that’s explored their sound enough to retain the group’s natural sound progression
and bring back some of that ‘glory day’ feeling.
Cycle Of Suffering is a solid, if somewhat monotonous release hampered by its fifty-one minute run time and
Cycle Of Suffering could have done with a light track shaving. As much as it’s become a cop-out to say; Sylosis are clearly on an upward trajectory...consider me hyped for the next Sylosis release.
