There was no plan B for Josh Middleton. From a young age, he knew exactly what he wanted to do, and he pounced. A quarter of a century ago, Sylosis was born, and except for a brief hiatus from 2016-2019, the group has been mainstays in the metal scene. A laundry list of acclaimed works and a touring list that would make your head spin, the new era is upon us.
“(We) just can’t wait for people to hear the record. Ideally, we wanted the record out before being on tour. But it’s cool. I love releasing new music, so we’re just excited to (see) what people think.”
The New Flesh is the band’s 7th full-length album, and drops Feb. 20 via Nuclear Blast Records. 2023’s A Sign of Things to Come was a transitional period for the band, eyeing a new way of writing with the live environment in mind. They really wanted to produce really strong moments and pieces and their main plan was to make things feel more exciting and more memorable.
“A lot of times, the music comes first,” shares Middleton. “Then I get a vibe from the music; what kind of tone the lyrics would be. For example, a song like ‘Lacerations.’ Musically, (it) has a more somber, sad vibe to it, versus something that’s a bit darker, like ‘All Glory, No Valour,’ which is a bit more pissed off. Sometimes the music will just dictate what the lyrics are going to be.”
This record tackles themes such as having young kids and leaving them to tour and feelings of everyone is out to get you. It also touches on how everyone is going to die eventually. Middleton shares deeper thoughts about how the world can be a dark place. Most importantly, though, it’s about the big picture, a shot of perspective and the nostalgia that comes with it.
“In all honesty, it’s about looking back to the stuff we grew up listening to and that influenced the band when we started. Those influences got left behind a bit. I look back to the kind of stuff that excited me as a kid and also remembering what it feels like to be writing in a rehearsal room with five guys. We got better at writing songs (over) the years.”
The group was born 25 years ago in the UK, and sure time has flown by, but it’s all about recognizing what made it all worth it as time elapsed. Looking back at all that he’s achieved, Middleton has learned his strengths and passes that knowledge to the next in line.
“I’m pretty focused and committed to what we do. I’m still committed to putting the most effort into writing the best music going and being dedicated to sticking with it. We’re not crazy successful from a monetary point of view. Kids coming up who want to be in a band, just ask. The most important thing is to stick with it. As long as you love what you do, and you try, and you stick with it, then it can happen.”
The New Flesh is out now, and you can order it from Nuclear Blast Records. Follow Sylosis on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for future updates.
Photo Credit: Jake Owens
