Sylosis

Reading, Berkshire-based metal band Sylosis combine multiple heavy metal subgenres with a keen ear for melody and epic song structures.
Formed in 2000 by Josh Middleton (lead guitar) and Carl Parnell (bass), they initially recruited school friends Glen Chamberlain (vocals), Gurneet Ahluwalia (rhythm guitar), and Jay Colios-Terry (drums), but as they approached their debut EP, 2006′s Casting Shadows, they had undergone multiple lineup changes, recording the release with Ben Hollyer on vocals. A second EP, The Supreme Oppressor, followed in 2007, both released on independent label In the Deep Records. Jamie Graham stepped in for vocal duties around the same time they were signed to Nuclear Blast. Now on a significantly larger label, they geared up for the release of their debut album, 2008′s Conclusion of an Age; directly after it was released, they recruited Viatrophy guitarist Alex Bailey on rhythm guitar. They undertook a massive European tour in 2009 alongside the Black Dahlia Murder, Cephalic Carnage, and Psycroptic, with Middleton taking on vocal duties. The next few years were some of the most stable in the band’s history, with two further albums, 2011′s Edge of the Earth and 2012′s Monolith, capped by a European tour in support of Killswitch Engage in 2013. Unfortunately, it was toward the end of the tour that tragedy struck, as the band were involved in a serious RV accident that injured everyone, resulting in canceled shows and an extended recovery period. They returned in 2015 with Ali Richardson on drums, and he was featured on their fourth album, Dormant Heart, later the same year. Middleton’s good friend Tom Searle passed away in 2016, and Middleton took on his role as lead guitarist of Architects in commemoration. Sylosis went on hiatus to make way for a year of touring with Architects. Middleton decided to stay on indefinitely but stated that it didn’t mean the end for Sylosis. Although remaining quiet for a few years, Middleton was true to his word, as Sylosis resurfaced in 2019 to begin work on a fifth album, albeit without Parnell, who was replaced by Conor Marshall. Cycle of Suffering was released in early 2020. ~ Liam Martin