LIVE REVIEW: Sylosis @ Islington Assembly Hall, London
After four years away, Reading thrashers SYLOSIS made their highly anticipated return with a sold out show at the Islington Assembly Hall. Their new album Cycle Of Suffering had already wowed fans, so the excitement in the for their live return was so high.
First up though, were DYSCARNATE who did an excellent job warming up the crowd. The three piece just blast the audience with the most crushing death metal. It’s impressive that such a thick sound can come from a three piece. Whilst they aren’t the most technical death metal band they more than make up for that with the amount of grooves they pack into every song. The vocal trade-off between Tom Whitty and Al Llewellyn also adds so much to their sound. Whilst everyone here was clearly so excited for SYLOSIS they still respond well to everything DYSCARNATE throw out, with several pits opening up throughout the thirty minute set. This was a really impressive showing from DYSCARNATE and set the tone perfectly for what was to come.
Rating: 8/10
As the opening notes of their comeback single I Sever start to play and the entire crowd starts singing along to the guitar line, it becomes immediately clear just how much passion everyone in this venue has for SYLOSIS. Alongside the cheers that roar out from the crowd as the band kick into the song properly the atmosphere in the venue is electric. As for the band themselves, they are one outstanding form. They show no signs of rust from their time away. Whilst Josh Middleton has obviously been very busy with ARCHITECTS over the last few years, he just seems so at home performing these songs and it’s a reminder of just how great a guitarist he is. CONJURER‘s Conor Marshall has also slotted in seamlessly as the band’s new bassist too.
They sound absolutely flawless too, with none of the technicality being lost at any point. Whether it’s new tracks like Calcified or tracks off debut Conclusion Of An Age like Teras, everything is met with the same level of enthusiasm from the audience and it never dips throughout the entire set. Every time there is a moment of silence, chants of “SYLOSIS, SYLOSIS, SYLOSIS!” erupt from the crowd. It’s the sort of reaction you’d expect to see for the biggest acts in metal and just goes to show how much SYLOSIS have been missed. Josh Middleton seems almost overcome with emotion at several moments throughout the set. This was just an absolute triumph for SYSLOSIS, with a brilliant new album and this live form, their return looks set to be a big success. And in the end it’s just such a feel good moment, to see one of the UK’s most underrated bands return and be treated like heroes. Welcome back SYLOSIS.
Rating: 9/10
Check out our photo gallery of SYLOSIS’ return to the live stage from @wtchfndr here:
