We march onwards for next up tonight we have the mighty Sylosis, my second time seeing them and they had those blinding lights again, bloody annoying. Sylosis have not been on my radar that much, not in a bad way, it’s just there’s so many bands, and so much to absorb and learn. You can bet your ass after tonight I will be taking notes and taking notice. A band that will be celebrating 25 years in the business next year, they are a dominant force on the landscape of heavy music. They have had many people come and go over the years, yet they are undeterred in their aspirations and their objectives. The release of ‘A Sign Of Things To Come’ last year, their sixth album, and the surprise release ‘The Path’ featuring Debbie Gough, you can be assured that the scene is still supportive of their fellow artists. There are so many layers here, you can unravel them and dissect them as much as you like, but you know, all roads lead to home, it’s where our musical heart lives.
They entertain the ‘Pariahs’ and offer ‘Poison For The Lost’ and through it all we are fixated by the relentless windmill manoeuvre by Conor Marshall, a trooper, a veteran who has mastered it down to a tee. Once you get rid of the ‘Deadwood’ you can navigate ‘The Path’ ahead, clearly, and under the watchful and commanding eye of singer Josh Middleton, you won’t go wrong. He is one canny frontman, with a nose for the fans, he is able to guide the pace of the evening and surrender to the will of his environs. A sterling set, thoroughly enjoyed by myself and my peers down in the pit.
My first time seeing FFAA and I was really looking forward to it, ‘The Sea Of Tragic Beasts’ remains one of my favourite tracks from the heavy music genre. This tour has turned out to be one helluva scrumptious bill, thoughtfully put together and the bands have afforded it the respect it deserves. Their work ethic shines through the room, the crowd loving every second of what tonight had to offer. Brimming with enthusiasm and excitement, there were pits a-plenty, friendly shuffling about, in time with the blast beats and breakdowns being fired from the stage.
Honorary mentions to the warriors of the pit, you got in the thick of it, you helped each other, and you conquered. The packed out room raised the appeal and the purpose of the show, our attendance was a testament to the music, to the bands, their work and their worth. Undoubtedly music has cathartic and restorative elements with their new album ‘The Nothing That Is’ it attempts to lessen the impact of ‘an ever-flowing stream of misery and violence’ which is what we continue to live in and be influenced by.
With the unwavering support of the crowd, we get tasty nuggets like ‘Saviour Of None/ Ashes Of All’ and enter into ‘Warfare’ with the ‘Hellions’ which corroborates the evening’s potential and firepower. Even as our supplies are depleting, as we run on empty, we still reach deep down to salvage what energy reserves we can to fully appreciate and indulge in this spectacle heralded by Joe Badolato and the multi-talented Will Putney. Suffice to say we dragged our weary carcasses out into the frozen wastes of Birmingham, content we had the chance to partake in the purifying waters of death metal.
Azra Pathan
Sylosis / Fit For An Autopsy- O2 Institute Birmingham. November 27th, 2024