Sylosis On ‘A Sign Of Things To Come’

‘It took a while for me to get what he was saying. He meant the moments in songs you can’t wait to happen. The iconic bits. We really wanted to focus on more anthemic vibes in a way that was super heavy.’

Josh Middleton, founder, guitarist and singer of UK metal giants Sylosis explains to me the concept behind the bands new album A Sign Of Things To Come, a concise, impactful and brutal assault on the senses that leaves you punch drunk yet wanting more.

‘My manager was really ruthless with me, and the band, before doing this record. He said ‘you guys have always been great, you always put a lot of attention to detail, yet you’re not reaching your potential. You’re not connecting with audiences in the same way you might want to. It doesn’t feel like there’s many moments’. ‘Growing up, a big influence for me was Pantera’s ‘The Great Southern Trendkill’.

The first track is super heavy but the chorus still makes you want to sing along with it, it’s still feels catchy even though it’s brutal. So anthemic is by no means ‘let’s do radio songs’, but we definitely wanted more stompy Black Album stadium vibes. Or even bands like Slipknot – Iowa – was a big record for me as a kid. Songs like People = Shit are super heavy and anthemic, it’s a big part of their set even though it’s not a single you’d hear on the radio.’

‘That was something we didn’t really have in the past, even though we had songs with choruses and whatever else, It never really landed in the same way. So there’s more focus on that and way more focus on my vocals. In the past as a guitarist I’m ‘if the riffs are sick just scream over it and it will be fine’. This time though we are no, let’s get behind me as a front man and really feel what is happening, connect and resonate with it.’

The album has a number of particular themes that run through it that have impacted everyone over the years.

‘A lot of the record was written during and coming out of the pandemic. From every angle politically, so many different things were coming out. Protests, riots, climate change, being able to take a step back was one thing but the feeling more than ever was just spilling out from everyone. Everyone was on eggshells about what was everyone’s political stance all over the world.’

Back with the band is Scott Atkins ,who takes over as producer, and the former Stampin’ Ground guitarist brought his own advice to the band .

‘His whole concept was ‘get in the head of a metal fan who doesn’t play an instrument or in a band and what do they enjoy? Where’s the chorus? I want to sing along! The blinders are on stage and I want to see the whole crowd sing along’ and I’d be ‘yeah’ cause all the shit I like is anthemic stuff even if it’s really heavy and I overlooked it’

‘What I’d learnt from Architects, amongst others things, was to collaborate and accept outside things, actually welcome it. When I first brought in demos for Architects it was uncomfortable because I’d just wittten those songs and they take the chorus and move it there and change the pre chorus. And I’m all ‘What are you doing to my art?!’ But after a while it became really beneficial to learn to let go and collaborate more. I actively seek criticism now, tell me where it’s shit cause ultimately I want it to do well.’

Josh recently left British behemoths Architects to focus on Sylosis and the question had to be asked about the stage intruder at the bands Adelaide show a few months ago.

‘To be honest, it was a bit of a blur. I don’t know if he was specifically having a go at me because I could hear him loud and clear as he was speaking into my microphone and all I had in my monitors was myself! He was just really drunk, got on stage and said ‘who wants to hear some old shit?’ And that was it. He might have wanted to hear some old stuff, if he had just given us a few more moments he would’ve heard a really old song, the intro had just started for a really old one. But that was it. I was fine. I assumed he was just a drunk guy. It was over pretty quickly’.

For the ‘old school’ fan, he was literally carried out to the venue by eight security guards, but will we be seeing Josh back on those shores with Sylosis for the first time in ten years to also sweep us off our feet soon?

‘We do have a tour on the cards for the first half of the year, if we can make it happen we should be over. It would be the second tour of the album campaign and we’ve not been there for a while so you’ll get a good headstart on the rest of the world of the Sylosis album. If it goes according to plan, fingers crossed as I can’t confirm that. No matter what, we will be back to Australia in 2024.’

Interview By Iain McCallum

Connect with Sylosis
Website ~ Facebook ~ Instagram ~ Twitter ~ Spotify

Pre-Order A Sign Of Things To Come