Monolith (Sylosis album)

On 31 March 2012 Sylosis released a teaser on YouTube simply entitled Sylosis III which featured clips of the band performing in the studio, later it was revealed that Sylosis had indeed started work on their 3rd studio album just over a year after releasing their last album Edge of the Earth and that it would be released later in the year. Sylosis continued to tease the release of the new album by posting another video on YouTube, it was revealed in the video that the band were recording the new album in Monnow Valley Studios at Wales, the same place where world-famous acts such as Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Rush had previously recorded.

On 7 August 2012, Sylosis provided free download of "A Dying Vine" via their website, and their song 'Born Anew' was first played on "Rock Show with Daniel P Carter" on Radio 1. As of 2 October 2012, the album was streamed on MetalSucks in its entirety.[1] As part of the promotion of the album and to celebrate its release, Sylosis played a hometown show in Reading, UK on 7 October where fans could purchase a copy of the album a day prior to its official release as well as perform a few of the songs from the new album live. On 3 December, the music video for "Fear the World" was released.[2]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Blistering	[4]
Kerrang!	[5]
Metal Hammer
Rock n Reel	[6]
Terrorizer	[7]

The album has received very positive reviews from music critics. A review from MetalSucks stated that "A little more than halfway through “Out from Below,” the opening track from Sylosis’ Monolith, the band breaks out what must be one of the best Metallica riffs that Metallica never wrote; then, just twenty seconds later, the band suddenly-but-seamlessly transitions into what might actually be the best Metallica riff that Metallica never wrote. Fans of thrash that feels traditionalist, but not retro, will find themselves completely unable to turn Monolith off from that point forward; the album has now sunk its hooks into your skin like a Cenobite, and you are just going to have to hang there and go with it."[8]

All tracks are written by Sylosis[9].

Sylosis

• Josh Middleton – lead guitar, lead vocals, keyboards
• Alex Bailey – rhythm guitar, piano
• Carl Parnell – bass
• Rob Callard – drums, percussion

Production and design

• Romesh Dodangoda – producer, engineering, mixing
• Josh Middleton – co-producer, art concept
• Jens Bogren – mastering
• Dan Goldsworthy – artwork
• Tom Barnes – photography

• Official website