Sylosis was formed in late 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 thrash and death metal. Their first two EPs were released on In at the Deep End records, entitled “Casting Shadows” and “The Supreme Oppressor”. The band has been around since 2001; founding member and lead guitarist Josh and bassist Carl are the only surviving members from the original lineup.
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. 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 quit the band to rejoin his old band Viatrophy, also from Reading. In his place ex-guitarist Alex Bailey of Viatrophy joined Sylosis, ready for the early 2009 European tour with The Black Dahlia Murder, Cephalic Carnage and Psycroptic.
The band has had many members over the years, many of which have played with, or gone on to play with, other Reading bands such as Exit Ten and Viatrophy.
According to an interview Josh gave to Stream of Conciousness, there's no meaning for the name of the band: "the band name was just something we randomly came up with when we were kids and it doesn't carry any significance".
Edge of the Earth, Monolith and RV Accident (2010–2013)
Sylosis replaced Rise to Remain during the UK leg of As I Lay Dying's European tour in 2010. Sylosis entered the studio in 2010 to record their second full-length studio album, entitled Edge of the Earth; it was released in March 2011. They recorded a third studio album titled Monolith with Romesh Dodangoda in Wales at Monnow Valley Studio. Monolith was released on 5 October 2012 in Germany, 8 October 2012 in UK & Europe, 9 October 2012 in USA, and 10 October 2012 in Japan via Nuclear Blast Records. Since January 2013 the band have headlined a UK tour as well featuring on the Soundwave Festival in Australia. They also carried out a tour with the bands [arist]Hellyeah, In Flames and, headliner Lamb of God in late 2012. The band had a main supporting role on a tour with Killswitch Engage in Europe during April and May 2013. Sylosis was announced as the opening band for the Trivium and DevilDriver North American co-headline tour with After the Burial as another supporting band. The tour was scheduled for October and November.
On 25 September, the members of Sylosis were involved in an RV accident, the injuries from which resulted in the withdrawal of their shows supporting Trivium and DevilDriver.
Dormant Heart, departure of Rob Callard, and hiatus (2014–2016)
After the members of Sylosis had recovered from their respective injuries, they embarked on a tour of the UK and Europe as main support to DevilDriver with Bleed from Within. On this tour Sylosis drummer Rob Callard was unable to play on the tour due to other commitments. Ali Richardson, drummer of Bleed From Within, filled in for the remainder of the tour.
In late September 2014 it was announced that Rob Callard was stepping down as drummer of Sylosis after nine years of playing in the band. His replacement was announced at the same time, in the form of Ali Richardson. Richardson's relationship with Sylosis was started on the DevilDriver tour earlier in the year.
At the start of October 2014, Sylosis announced details of their fourth album Dormant Heart, which was released on 12 January 2015 through Nuclear Blast Records. During the second half of May 2015, Sylosis started a European tour with the band Wovenwar. They also played at several festivals over the summer, such as Graspop Metal Meeting and Hellfest among others. In October 2016, Sylosis announced that they would be going on hiatus as frontman Josh Middleton would be filling in for the British metalcore band Architects on guitar due to the passing of their guitarist Tom Searle, who was also a close friend of Middleton's. After 11 months of touring with Architects, it was announced that Middleton would be joining Architects as an official member, stating he would still remain in Sylosis.
Return and Cycle of Suffering (2019–2020)
In a March 2019 interview, Middleton confirmed that the band remains a going concern and that he intends to release a new Sylosis album in 2019. On 5 December 2019 Nuclear Blast revealed the pre-order for an apparent new record titled Cycle of Suffering, to be released on 14 February 2020. A day later, the band announced they had returned from their hiatus and confirmed that the new album would be released on 7 February 2020. This was followed by the first single release and music video from the album, titled "I Sever".
In promotion of the album, the band supported Trivium on their "A Light or a Distant Mirror" live concert. This particular concert was held at Full Sail University and streamed online. The concert did not have a live audience due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On 11 December 2020 Sylosis released a new single, titled "Worship Decay". On 8 March 2021, Sylosis announced a vinyl release of Conclusion of an Age and released "Plight of the Soul", a previously unreleased B-side track from the album.
Singles and "A Sign of Things to Come" (2020-Present)
On December 11th, 2020, Sylosis released a new single, "Worship Decay," which represented a hard shift away from their previous music into a more pop-metalcore style played by Middleton's other band, Architects. The following two singles, "Immovable Stone" and "Heavy is the Crown" followed the same suit. This change in sound was met with mixed reactions by the band's fanbase.
On September 8th, 2023, the band released their sixth studio album, "A Sign of Things to Come," preceded by lead singles "Deadwood," "Poison for the Lost," and "A Sign of Things to Come. The album followed in the same direction as their three inter-album singles referenced above, with sparse examples of their previous thrash/melodeath/metalcore style, only present on "Poison for the Lost" and "A Godless Throne." The band also deployed the use of soft rock and electronic elements on certain songs. On January 16th, 2024, the band released the pop-metal track "Absent" from their album as a single, along with a techno version of the song remixed by Zetra.
"A Sign of Things to Come" has received mixed reactions among the band's fanbase on social media, receiving criticism for the shift to mainstream metalcore, or "nu-metalcore," as well as criticizing Middleton for turning the band into a clone of Architects, his other band. The title track has also been accused of ripping off Sad But True by Metallica.
Fear the World
Sylosis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Break free from this hell that surrounds me
Daylight engulfed and consumed
By a vile black swarm
I've seen all that I know disappear
Fleeting away on the wind
Ripped from my grasp with no words passed
You gave me no warning
Stay within your comfort
Confined to the shadows
For you will always fear what's out there
Fear the world until you're gone
Pulling you down blindfolded and bound
Dragged to the depths of the core
Forced into eternal majesty
If only you knew what darkness ascends
Coming to take you away
The years spent in denial would not mean a thing
Given no warning
Given no warning
For you will always fear what's out there
Fear the world until you're gone
You will come to realize you were never truly alive
If you deny your existence
Life will pull you back in
The faster you fall the deeper you sink
The the quicker you'll leave this all behind
Your cross to bear is a burden you won't realize
So see this as a blessing in disguise
Let the blackened smoke fill your lungs
Breath it in
One day this will bury me as I buried you
Fear the world
Fear this world
The lyrics of Sylosis's "Fear the World" seem to be about someone who is trying to break free from the hold of an oppressive force or person that is surrounding them. They start off by acknowledging the need to submit to truth but at the same time they seek a way to escape the miserable situation. They have seen all that they know disappear and they are left stranded and overwhelmed with no explanation as to what went wrong. The singer urges the listener to stay within their comfort zone lest they risk the horrors out there.
The second verse seems to describe a terrifying experience of being taken by force to a place deep and dark, that they would never return from, and the irony of being forced into eternal majesty when one is consumed by the darkness. There is a sense that the singer has faced a similar fate and is warning the listener to not let this happen to them. The final chorus repeats the message of fear, urging the listener to be cautious of the world around them as it could take them away, and to face their fear while they still can.
Overall, the song seems to be warning the listener about the dangers of complacency or ignorance, and the need to face one's fears and break free from oppressive situations.
Line by Line Meaning
Submit to the truth and try to
Give in to reality and attempt to
Break free from this hell that surrounds me
Escape the tormenting environment that encircles me
Daylight engulfed and consumed
Overwhelmed and devoured by daylight
By a vile black swarm
By an abhorrent black cloud of some sort
I've seen all that I know disappear
I've witnessed everything I'm familiar with vanish
Fleeting away on the wind
Briefly flying away in the wind
Ripped from my grasp with no words passed
Taken from me without any warning
You gave me no warning
You didn't alert me
Gave us no warning
Didn't give anyone a warning
Stay within your comfort
Remain in your safe space
Confined to the shadows
Restricted to the darkness
For you will always fear what's out there
Because you will always be afraid of what's beyond your boundaries
Fear the world until you're gone
Be scared of the world for as long as you live
Pulling you down blindfolded and bound
Dragging you towards the depths while blind and tied up
Dragged to the depths of the core
Forced lower and lower towards the center
Forced into eternal majesty
Compelled into a never-ending state of grandeur
If only you knew what darkness ascends
If only you understood the rise of the darkness
Coming to take you away
Approaching to take you somewhere
The years spent in denial would not mean a thing
The time spent refusing to believe wouldn't matter
Given no warning
Not warned beforehand
Given no warning
Not given a warning
You will come to realize you were never truly alive
You will eventually understand that you've never truly been alive
If you deny your existence
If you reject your being
Life will pull you back in
Life will draw you back
The faster you fall the deeper you sink
The swifter you descend, the lower you submerge
The the quicker you'll leave this all behind
And the quicker you'll depart from all this
Your cross to bear is a burden you won't realize
You're oblivious of the burden you're meant to bear
So see this as a blessing in disguise
Therefore, view this as an unexpected advantage
Let the blackened smoke fill your lungs
Permit the darkened smoke to occupy your lungs
Breath it in
Inhale it
One day this will bury me as I buried you
One day, this will overwhelm me as I overwhelmed you
Fear the world
Be terrified of the world
Fear this world
Be afraid of this world
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Joshua Thomas Middleton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
sup
Submit to the truth and try to
Break free from this hell that surrounds me
Daylight engulfed and consumed
By a vile black swarm
I've seen all that I know disappear
Fleeting away on the wind
Ripped from my grasp with no words passed
You gave me no warning
Gave us no warning
Stay within your comfort
Confined to the shadows
For you will always fear what's out there
Fear the world until you're gone
Pulling you down blindfolded and bound
Dragged to the depths of the core
Forced into eternal majesty
If only you knew what darkness ascends
Coming to take you away
The years spent in denial would not mean a thing
Given no warning
Given no warning
For you will always fear what's out there
Fear the world until you're gone
You will come to realize you were never truly alive
If you deny your existence
Life will pull you back in
The faster you fall the deeper you sink
The the quicker you'll leave this all behind
Your cross to bear is a burden you won't realize
So see this as a blessing in disguise
Let the blackened smoke fill your lungs
Breath it in
One day this will bury me as I buried you
Fear the world
Fear this world
Garret Flipper
I literally can't stop listening to this band.
Josiah Bradley
Sylosis slaps
Joseph Bastidas
PeeTeeDee Holy fuck what a lineup
El Monstero
It's a good problem to have isn't it? :)
Lio Nik
+Viney209 No worries I like them .
Lio Nik
+Viney209 Because someone could have recommended some songs that I will dig.
OvercomeTheFear93
I have a huge respect for frontmen who can do lead vocals and guitar at the same time. It takes an incredible amount of talent to pull that off.
Maximus
proof that you dont need to down-tune to be heavy af
CaoS Jukes
Doruk Uysal no it's in standard tuning
Space case
its standard tuning.