Sylosis - Dormant Heart review
Band: | Sylosis |
Album: | Dormant Heart |
Release date: | January 2015 |
01. Where The Wolves Come To Die
02. Victims And Pawns
03. Dormant Heart
04. To Build A Tomb
05. Overthrown
06. Leech
07. Servitude
08. Indoctrinated
09. Harm
10. Mercy
11. Callous Souls
12. Quiescent
13. Pillars Erode [bonus]
14. Zero [The Smashing Pumpkins cover]
Britain's Sylosis neatly cut out the generics of not one but two of metal's categories in their flexible fusion of melodic death metal and thrash. Theirs is a specifically fresh and individual approach, wilfully endeavouring to set themselves apart as an evident outlier in modern metal. With the push for originality which many contemporary bands in melodic death would set out to achieve by incorporating variations of thrash or metalcore into their sound, the former exceeds its foundations in the style and success of Dormant Heart.
A riff-centric basis to the record strengthens its thrash lifeblood, receiving an emphasis in the mix to the point of driving much of its melodic progression across a fairly differentiated track-list. Overcoming the common problem of track distinction frees Sylosis' song writing considerably, and allows for twelve differing angles to their own stylistic shape of metal, here presenting a rare achievement in what is a varied album for either of its melodic death or thrash metal bases. The manner of combining these two primary elements is done in a distinctive and original fashion, with no obvious influences worn on the sleeve.
The harsh and clean vocal arrangements retain the strongest and most consistent connection with the band's melodic metalcore roots, from which Sylosis have since chosen to stylistically progress beyond throughout their studio efforts, and situate their sound in the intensities of a melodically branded thrash in Dormant Heart.
An atmospheric aspect is hinted at in a number of its tracks, from the record's opener in the shorter "Where The Wolves Come To Die" to the significantly differing closer in the nine-minute "Quiescent," a more tranquil outing of slow pace, gentle rhythm and commendable clean vocal performance. Its situation after a continual series of cuts averaging at about four-and-a-half minutes apiece makes for a widely differentiating conclusion to an album consistently driven at much higher tempos, an exception being the slow and heavy syncopation which introduces "Servitude". The manner of production suitably places greater emphasis on the predominant rhythm section and the vocals, though the cleans can be buried at times such as in the atmospheric allusions of "Harms" as the track is guitar led to its conclusion.
More thorough integration of the atmospheric elements, which are present though often understated in the track-list, would enhance its already well established variance considerably, and further originality. The prospect of "atmospheric thrash" would seem counter-intuitive, yet Sylosis could very well realise it, given what is well performed and written here and on prior records to a consistent and high standard.
Of the modern attempts of blending metalcore, melodic death and thrash, Sylosis have emerged as a band with their own thrash based stance and style.
| Written on 09.01.2015 by R'Vannith enjoys music, he's hoping you do too. |
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