SYLOSIS – The New Flesh

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7.0

• Bands:
  SYLOSIS
• Duration: 00:47:56
• Available from: 02/20/2026
• Label:

• Nuclear Blast

Streaming not yet available

Sylosis arrive at their seventh studio album with “The New Flesh”, a work that moves along coordinates that are now familiar to those who follow the British band founded more than a quarter of a century ago, without departing too much from the formulas already tested in previous recording works. The palette presented by the English tends to always include the same colors, made of melodic death metal with strong metalcore influences and a strong melodic vein that is intertwined with a more progressive soul; these shades, already presented in the previous “A Sign Of Things To Come” or in the 2020 full-length, “Cycle Of Suffering”.

Josh Middleton, frontman and lead guitarist, confirms himself as the true creative engine of the project: his voice manages to jump across the various vocal registers naturally, moving from aggressive growls to melodic cleans without smudging, while his solo guitar parts are decidedly technical and articulated, demonstrating an instrumental mastery which probably remains one of the most characteristic elements of Sylosis' entire musical offering.
Songs like the title track or “Circle Of Swords” incorporate many elements close to the more classic death metal, offering rocky guitar riffs and tight and pressing drums that can also hark back to certain historical groups from the Nineties. The influence of legendary icons such as Death is equally perceptible from a compositional architecture built on the dialogue between voice and guitar, a dialogue which – in both bands – often focuses on deep and introspective themes such as internal conflict, mortality and awareness. The attempt to mix aggressive sounds with clean flashes – typical of the most recent metalcore environments – is evident in the choruses of “Erased” or “Lacerations” or even in the ballad “Everywhere At Once”, giving the band a further musical dimension to explore.

The album sounds undeniably good, the production is careful, the musicians are prepared and the compositions are technically flawless. However, it is precisely here that the main limit of “The New Flesh” and, more generally, of Sylosis' recent career emerges: the band seems unable to condense its style and make a concrete leap forward.
That continuous mix of thrash, melodic death, metalcore with vague progressive nuances ends up diverting the listener's attention, creating a product that, despite being solid from an executive point of view, struggles to remain imprinted in the fans' memories. The songs follow one another without leaving a particular mark, almost giving the impression of being in front of a well-managed collage of influences, but without that spark capable of elevating it beyond the rank of 'gym album', remaining 'only' the perfect soundtrack for a grueling workout.

“The New Flesh” is therefore an album that brings home solid confirmation and is generally recommended to lovers of these sounds, but which is unlikely to win over new listeners or be remembered as a turning point in the British group's career.
A work that will satisfy those who already appreciate Sylosis, but which confirms how the band, having reached their seventh full-length, seems to have sat on the comfortable concept of the 'team that wins doesn't change', struggling to leave a plateau that has lasted for several years now.