Sylosis
Encyclopedia
Sylosis is a British metal
band from Reading
, Berkshire
. In 2008 the band released their debut full-length studio album, the critically acclaimed Conclusion of an Age
. Their second studio album, entitled Edge of the Earth
, was released on March 11, 2011.
and death metal
. Over the years they went through various lineup changes, playing only a few gigs due to the members being unable to drive and being in school and also due to the fact that there was no underground metal scene at the time. Sylosis released a couple of EPs in the UK on a small indie label, In at the Deep End Records. In November, 2007 Sylosis got an email from Nuclear Blast saying they'd love to work with the band and signed to them a month later, in which their debut album was released on October 24 2008.
Lead guitarist Josh Middleton was quoted as saying on an interview with About.com
:
Their debut album Conclusion of an Age
has a lot of themes, but is generally not a concept album
. Lyrically, the album deals with the end of the human race, in how nature reclaims the earth again. The artwork shows a world living with the human race. There are no religious beliefs behind the writings however. After recording their debut album, guitarist Gurneet Ahluwalia was replaced by ex-Viatrophy guitarist Alex Bailey, ready for the early 2009 European tour with The Black Dahlia Murder, Cephalic Carnage
and Psycroptic
.
Sylosis were one of the opening acts on the Tuborg (third) stage at Download Festival
held at Castle Donington, along with appearances at the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival
, and an opening slot on the Bohemia stage at Sonisphere Festival
. A UK headline tour has been announced for October/November 2009, but was cancelled as the band were offered an opening slot on the Dragonforce
UK tour in November/December 2009.
On May 19th, 2010, Sylosis revealed through their Myspace blog that they had parted ways with vocalist Jamie Graham. Instead of replacing the vocalist, Josh Middleton (lead guitar) took up vocal duties as well as playing lead.
's European comeback tour. The October File
also took part in this tour. The tour ran through the middle of February taking in several stops before finishing with a show at The Camden Town Electric Ballroom
in London. The band are following up the Fear Factory tour with a headlining tour across the UK throughout late February and early March playing venues all across the country. Sylosis guitarist Josh Middleton also stated in an interview with rocksins.com just before Christmas 2009 that the band would like to be playing the summer festival circuit in 2010. Notably, Sylosis will be performing in Avalanche, the rock show of Moksha, the annual cultural festival of Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology (NSIT) in New Delhi, India on 27th March 2010.
On August 8th 2010 they played at the Hevy Music Festival
held near Folkestone
, Kent. They announced that their 2nd album
is due out next year, and played 2 new songs: "Sands Of Time" and "Altered States". "Altered States" was later renamed to "Altered States Of Consciousness".
Sylosis replaced Rise to Remain during the UK leg of As I Lay Dying's European tour in 2010.
.
Their words on the new album were as follows:
“We’re extremely proud of the new material.
We all know that these are our best songs to date and they are still evolving in the studio.
It’s a very different vibe this time around.
We’re pushing our producer [Scott Atkins] for a really raw and live sound.
We’re making sure we know when to loosen up and let a bit more ‘feel’ creep in so it’s not as sterile.
“The new album is definitely heavier and more progressive…
although despite being heavier, it’s still more mature on every level.
We know we’re still evolving as a band and I’m sure the album after this one will be different again. These kind of statements can be worrying to the fans but we’re very confident and happy with what we’ve created and we know we’ve taken the high road!”
On January 3, 2011, the band debuted both their new official website and a new song, entitled "Empyreal (Part 1)". In addition to this new song, the site contains the album artwork for Edge of the Earth along with the track names and running times.
On March 14, 2011, Edge of the Earth was finally released.
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band from Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. In 2008 the band released their debut full-length studio album, the critically acclaimed Conclusion of an Age
Conclusion of an Age
Conclusion of an Age is the debut album from Sylosis, a British metal band from Reading, Berkshire. The album was released October 24, 2008, and was produced and recorded by Scott Atkins at Grindstone Studios...
. Their second studio album, entitled Edge of the Earth
Edge of the Earth (album)
-Personnel:*Josh Middleton – lead guitar, lead vocals*Alex Bailey – rhythm guitar*Carl Parnell – bass*Rob Callard – drums, percussion...
, was released on March 11, 2011.
History
Sylosis was formed in 2000 by original member Josh Middleton when they were back in school, as a bunch of kids who just wanted to play metal, mainly old school thrashThrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
and death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
. Over the years they went through various lineup changes, playing only a few gigs due to the members being unable to drive and being in school and also due to the fact that there was no underground metal scene at the time. Sylosis released a couple of EPs in the UK on a small indie label, In at the Deep End Records. In November, 2007 Sylosis got an email from Nuclear Blast saying they'd love to work with the band and signed to them a month later, in which their debut album was released on October 24 2008.
Lead guitarist Josh Middleton was quoted as saying on an interview with About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
:
"The foundation of our sound is old school Bay Area thrash. We don't downtune and we don't play breakdowns. We do like to incorporate lots of different metal styles and textures into our music. We like make all of our songs really epic. We like progressive stuff, brutal stuff and melodic stuff."
Their debut album Conclusion of an Age
Conclusion of an Age
Conclusion of an Age is the debut album from Sylosis, a British metal band from Reading, Berkshire. The album was released October 24, 2008, and was produced and recorded by Scott Atkins at Grindstone Studios...
has a lot of themes, but is generally not a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
. Lyrically, the album deals with the end of the human race, in how nature reclaims the earth again. The artwork shows a world living with the human race. There are no religious beliefs behind the writings however. After recording their debut album, guitarist Gurneet Ahluwalia was replaced by ex-Viatrophy guitarist Alex Bailey, ready for the early 2009 European tour with The Black Dahlia Murder, Cephalic Carnage
Cephalic Carnage
Cephalic Carnage is an American grindcore band formed in 1992 in Denver, Colorado. The band comprises vocalist Lenzig Leal, guitarists Steve Goldberg and Brian Hopp, drummer John Merryman and bassist Nick Schendzielos...
and Psycroptic
Psycroptic
-External links:**...
.
Sylosis were one of the opening acts on the Tuborg (third) stage at Download Festival
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
held at Castle Donington, along with appearances at the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival
New England Metal and Hardcore Festival
The New England Metal and Hardcore Festival is an annual festival held in Worcester, Massachusetts. It is a weekend-long concert of heavy metal and hardcore bands along with a merchandising and promotional area for record labels and other vendors...
, and an opening slot on the Bohemia stage at Sonisphere Festival
Sonisphere Festival
The Sonisphere Festival is a touring music festival which takes place across Europe between June and August. The festival is owned by John Jackson and Kilimanjaro Live. It is jointly-promoted by K2 and Kilimanjaro Live...
. A UK headline tour has been announced for October/November 2009, but was cancelled as the band were offered an opening slot on the Dragonforce
DragonForce
DragonForce are an English power metal band from London. Formed in 1999, the group is known for its long and fast guitar solos, fantasy-based lyrics, and electronic sounds in their music to add to their retro video game-influenced sound. Guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman are the only two...
UK tour in November/December 2009.
On May 19th, 2010, Sylosis revealed through their Myspace blog that they had parted ways with vocalist Jamie Graham. Instead of replacing the vocalist, Josh Middleton (lead guitar) took up vocal duties as well as playing lead.
2010 Tours
At the beginning of 2010, Sylosis were announced as the main support for Fear FactoryFear Factory
Fear Factory is an American industrial metal band. Formed in 1989, they have released seven full-length albums and a number of singles and remixes. Over the course of their career they have evolved from a succession of styles, as well as steadily pioneered a combination of the styles death metal,...
's European comeback tour. The October File
October File
October File are a British Post-Punk Band, named after the die Kreuzen album. Their debut album was released in 2004; subsequent releases followed on the labels Golf Records and Candlelight Records. Their music uses elements of punk, hardcore and industrial metal, often with political overtones...
also took part in this tour. The tour ran through the middle of February taking in several stops before finishing with a show at The Camden Town Electric Ballroom
Electric Ballroom
The Electric Ballroom is a performance venue and indoor market located at 184 Camden High Street in Camden Town, London . The Electric Ballroom has been in operation for over seventy years, during which time it has been used in many different ways.The two storey building has two dance floors and...
in London. The band are following up the Fear Factory tour with a headlining tour across the UK throughout late February and early March playing venues all across the country. Sylosis guitarist Josh Middleton also stated in an interview with rocksins.com just before Christmas 2009 that the band would like to be playing the summer festival circuit in 2010. Notably, Sylosis will be performing in Avalanche, the rock show of Moksha, the annual cultural festival of Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology (NSIT) in New Delhi, India on 27th March 2010.
On August 8th 2010 they played at the Hevy Music Festival
Hevy Music Festival
Hevy Music Festival is a rock festival that takes place annually near Folkestone in the UK. It was originally held on 1 August 2009 on Folkestone seafront as a one-day festival with Feeder, Gary Numan and Ash as headliners. In 2010 it moved to Port Lympne Wild Animal Park and grew to a weekend...
held near Folkestone
Folkestone
Folkestone is the principal town in the Shepway District of Kent, England. Its original site was in a valley in the sea cliffs and it developed through fishing and its closeness to the Continent as a landing place and trading port. The coming of the railways, the building of a ferry port, and its...
, Kent. They announced that their 2nd album
is due out next year, and played 2 new songs: "Sands Of Time" and "Altered States". "Altered States" was later renamed to "Altered States Of Consciousness".
Sylosis replaced Rise to Remain during the UK leg of As I Lay Dying's European tour in 2010.
Edge of the Earth (2011)
Sylosis entered the studio in 2010 to record their second full-length studio album, entitled Edge of the EarthEdge of the Earth (album)
-Personnel:*Josh Middleton – lead guitar, lead vocals*Alex Bailey – rhythm guitar*Carl Parnell – bass*Rob Callard – drums, percussion...
.
Their words on the new album were as follows:
“We’re extremely proud of the new material.
We all know that these are our best songs to date and they are still evolving in the studio.
It’s a very different vibe this time around.
We’re pushing our producer [Scott Atkins] for a really raw and live sound.
We’re making sure we know when to loosen up and let a bit more ‘feel’ creep in so it’s not as sterile.
“The new album is definitely heavier and more progressive…
although despite being heavier, it’s still more mature on every level.
We know we’re still evolving as a band and I’m sure the album after this one will be different again. These kind of statements can be worrying to the fans but we’re very confident and happy with what we’ve created and we know we’ve taken the high road!”
On January 3, 2011, the band debuted both their new official website and a new song, entitled "Empyreal (Part 1)". In addition to this new song, the site contains the album artwork for Edge of the Earth along with the track names and running times.
On March 14, 2011, Edge of the Earth was finally released.
Members
- Josh Middleton – Guitars & vocals
- Alex Bailey – Guitars
- Carl Parnell – Bass guitar
- Rob Callard – Drums
Former members
- Jamie Graham – Vocals
- Chris Steele (Exit Ten) – Drums
- Ben Hollyer (Jor, October File) – Vocals
- Adam Mayes (Viatrophy) – Vocals (fill in for tour)
- Gurneet Ahluwalia (Viatrophy) – Guitar
- Dan Peirce (Viatrophy, Chapters) – Vocals
- Glen Chamberlain – Vocals
- Richard Zananiri – Guitar
- Dave Anderson – Vocals
- Jay Colios-Terry – Fluffer/Towel Holder/Trumpet Polisher
Studio albums
- Conclusion of an AgeConclusion of an AgeConclusion of an Age is the debut album from Sylosis, a British metal band from Reading, Berkshire. The album was released October 24, 2008, and was produced and recorded by Scott Atkins at Grindstone Studios...
(2008), Nuclear Blast - Edge of the EarthEdge of the Earth (album)-Personnel:*Josh Middleton – lead guitar, lead vocals*Alex Bailey – rhythm guitar*Carl Parnell – bass*Rob Callard – drums, percussion...
(2011), Nuclear Blast (UK chart peak: #139)
EP's
- Casting ShadowsCasting Shadows EPCasting Shadows is the first EP from Sylosis, a British thrash metal band from Reading, Berkshire. The EP was recorded by the band at guitarist Josh Middleton's recording studios, Shredroom Studios in Reading.-Track listing:# "Dark Revelations" – 4:03...
(EP, 2006), In at the Deep End - The Supreme OppressorThe Supreme OppressorThe Supreme Oppressor is the second EP from Sylosis, a British metal band from Reading, Berkshire. The EP was recorded by the band at guitarist Josh Middleton's recording studios, Shredroom Studios in Reading.-Track listing:...
(EP, 2008), In At The Deep End
Music videos
- "Teras"
- "After Lifeless Years"
- "Empyreal"
- "A Serpent's Tongue" (Released via Pledge)