Beginning in three.
1.....3.....fuck.....2........3!
First off, you need to understand something. Actually, a couple of things. This album is HEAVY. I mean every capitalized letter in that fucking word. I'll say it again. HEAVY. The second thing is that the guitarists [there's two of them] absolutely did not down-tune their guitars. Standard tuning on this album. For those that don't know, that goes EADGBe. Top string to bottom string.
This is a Thrash Metal album with modern production values that rivals the best of the Big Four in their heyday. The Big Four being Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer [in no particular order]. Let me tell ya, it's damn refreshing to hear a band pull this off in this day and age. Metal just isn't the same anymore. While you have a few bands carrying the torch, there are still FAR too many bands with Screamo type vocals on top of overly distorted guitars. At least display some variance in your delivery, guys! There are more than two notes available in your vocal cords, kids. Remember that.
Back to it! One of the nice things about Sylosis' music is that it isn't overly complex, but you wouldn't know it from how it sounds. And by complex, I mean, ten thousand chord changes later you have a song. The composition is such that there may be ten thousand beats, and notes, per minute [not literally], but it is completely in service to the music. Whatever feeling they wanted to convey at that particular moment in the song mends well with what's happening both before and after. Honestly, I haven't heard an album this well put together in a LONG time!
Lets talk about the mixing for a bit, shall we? A lot of times one aspect is drowned out. Usually it's by the drums or vocals. The bass player gets the short end of the stick here, in most cases, because his shit is almost always underplayed. Rare is the band that actually uses the guy instead of having him just play a base [no pun intended] riff with which to maybe have a beefier sound.
Unfortunately, from what I've noticed, Sylosis also falls into this category. Everything else in the mix is phenomenal, but I have a hard time picking out the bass line in a lot of their songs. Maybe it's the shit earphones I'm using, or the shit laptop speakers that I sometimes use. I'm sure if they were hooked up to one badass system [that I've yet to own] I'd be able to hear everything as it's meant to be heard. I guess unless you're Les Claypool [from Primus] you're not going to have a lead-in bass riff, or a bass solo. Sorry, fellas.
Now, another thing to note is that this album is a concept album. It's about a man living in isolation his entire lifetime and how quickly it passes you by as you age. For some reason I usually have an aversion to such things. Though, I don't think I knew this was a concept album until after I'd heard a great deal of it. If it's beforehand I kind of roll my eyes. After....hand?....I have no qualms about it. I dunno, concept albums are foreign to me. I figure I like 'em more than I think I do as the few that I own I really enjoy. Maybe I should pay more attention?
This album DID NOT have to grow on me at all. SO much melody, groove, and heaviness in this music! Listening to it front to back [that's an old term that hardly applies anymore] is, truly, a beautiful thing. These guys have a story to tell and it's a damned fine one, indeed! I can honestly say that this is one epic album. People throw that word around too much these days, but this time it's the truth.
You may be asking yourself, "Jake, where can I find this fine piece of aural entertainment?". Well, friends, there are a plethora of locales from which you can acquire the chance to grace your earholes. In the interest of saving time I'll go ahead and post a couple links for ya.
Beyond the Resurrected
Where the Sky Ends
After hearing the talent on display you're probably saying, "Jake, this album sounds incredible, but what are they up to today?!". Well, rest assured, they're busy working on their third album. To be released on September 7th, 2012 [according to Wikipedia]. I have the proof!
III
Hey, thanks for taking the time to peruse this rant. I can be a giant dickhole sometimes, so it may be a little bit before I get back to posting another blahg. However, if you were entertained then please drop me a line and let me know! Encouragement is proven to work!
But then again, so are beatings..........
TGSTK out.
