Edge of the Earth

At the start of the decade of 2010, metal as a whole saw a decline in traditional sound in favor of a more modern and overall accessible approach, most notoriously with the rise in the often hated and sometimes praised metalcore. For the case of British metallers Sylosis, their 2008 debut "Conclusion of an Age" broke all the stigma surrounding the aforementioned, a modern record with melodic death metal sensibilities and crushing thrash metal riffs filtered through progressive aspects that resulted in an interesting and unique premise for the young band; however, the album they created was in danger of being their only full length the moment long-time vocalist Jamie Graham left Sylosis, fortunately it would be quite the opposite and Josh Middleton would take vocal duties and create a massive album with the rest of the band.

The present record is really one of a kind in terms of sonic variety, the plethora of genres unified in the 72 minute runtime is impressive to say the least. The album starts with the track "Procession"; the abysmal and almost otherworldly sounding introduction quickly fades away by crushing riff and thunderous drumming awaiting for unprepared listeners, the energy doesn't stop throughout the album, having highlights such as "Empyreal" which tapping intro reminiscent of likes of Gojira and Death take prominence all along the track with mind-blowing solos and cathartic sections which will keep anyone hooked for the upcoming tracks. Is around this moment when the listener will understand that Sylosis follows a simple yet effective formula in their songwriting; the outro for every song takes a slower and more emotional tone which keeps songs interesting despite their length, however that same aspect sometimes acts against their favor once the formula is noticed.

The album continues to expand on the premise of thrash metal and melodic death metal mixing together, although the progressive aspects are more prominent than the ones seen in the band's debut, as previously explained, the destructive energy of tracks like "Sands of Time", "Awakening" and "Altered States of Consciousness" represent the most aggressive and thrashiest side of the album, while the melancholy and emotion is left to be held by standouts like "Kingdom of Solitude", "Eclipsed" and the closing track "From the Edge of the Earth". The extensive display of technical and melodic prowess of the band is nothing short of amazing, even more taking into account the youthfulness of the group and how their influences shine throughout the record. The listener will stumble upon fast and aggressive riffs of great inspiration by 80's bands like Testament, Metallica, and Slayer, while the progressive sections would trigger the enjoyment of fans of Opeth, Gojira or Death.

The bigger picture showcases an unique listening experience unlike anything present in the time of its arrival, the wide range of musicality allows every fan of metal to find something they will enjoy, the youth of the group which crafted such material is one of the reasons why Sylosis is to this day one of the bands that demonstrates that the younger generation of metal landed for a promising future.

If you have human ears and a functioning brain, you probably hated The Haunted's Unseen. And if you're anything like me, you were probably disappointed by that, because they were one of the best bands to fill that melodic death/thrash niche. Maybe that left you wanting something to fill the void. Well, Sylosis just might fit the bill.

Sylosis is a young band out of the UK. I've begun to notice that I don't usually care for music made by people who were born after me. I'm guessing that's what happens to everyone as they approach 30. But these guys really have something going. Their style is a lot like The Haunted's older Gothenburg-style thrash, as interpreted by members of the metalcore generation. It's mostly mid-paced, but with faster sections here and there, and, yes, the occasional breakdown. But they don't let the breakdown speak for itself--there's always something else (like a solo) going on to keep things interesting. The vocals are mostly growled semi-melodically, but there are also some clean vocals that sound like a non-irritating version of metalcore singing.

A lot of ideas on the record are really great. "Empyreal" stands out as the best track, channeling At the Gates the most effectively (I swear he said "under a serpent sky"). It starts with a slow, heavy riff with a high-pitched noodling lead before it picks up the pace and destroys. But there are a lot of bad ideas in here too. Like most of their generation, Sylosis seems to think there needs to be a weak, introspective-sounding/emotional part in just about every song. Listen up guys: you don't need that.

I can get past the generational differences in how they prefer to write songs, though. I'm not much older than them, after all, and most of the material is killer. But they get a failing grade in putting the package together as a cohesive whole. They clearly come from the iTunes school of thought, trying to cram as many catchy songs into the album as possible so they can sell individual songs or so buyers can get "more" for their money. But that's not conducive to the album listening experience. This unwieldy beast clocks in at nearly 73 minutes, and it gets tiresome after a while. Each of the last 6 songs sounds like it should be an album closer, so if you're not looking at the track list you keep thinking it's going to end. If you are looking at it, you keep wishing it would. Look, guys, I don't care how many album closers you write. You can only close out the album with one, and it should have been the first one. "Dystopia" could have ended things nicely (in the healthy 40+ minute range) with its almost "Damage, Inc." qualities.

The Verdict: Edge of the Earth is a younger band's very positive interpretation of melo-death/thrash. It has a lot of solid material, but it really starts to drag near the end. If they had cut it off a half hour earlier, it would have been a great album (and they probably could have sold the rest as an EP for an extra cash grab).

originally written for http://fullmetalattorney.blogspot.com/