Sylosis / Decapitated / The King Is Blind: Live in London

Tech-death wunderkinds vie for supremacy

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Sylosis in London
(Image: © Ester Segarra)

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Featuring former members of Cradle Of Filth, Entwined and Extreme Noise Terror, THE KING IS BLIND [6] should be hot property and their groove-laden death metal hooks sound pretty special on record.

But while the whirring chainsaw-like groan that oozes from the stage is satisfying, it’s no match for what’s to come. Never let it be said that Poland’s finest technical death metallers are nothing without the late Vitek, because tonight is an aural and visual bombardment of the most epic proportions. DECAPITATED [9] lift off with Exiled In Flesh and the Ballroom turns into a hulking turbine, churning out a maelstrom of drums and staccato riffs. Post (?) Organic is an imperious look to the past, offering no respite as it segues into the full-blooded chaos of 404, after which comes some impressively bludgeoning new stuff.

Decapitated screw their heavy heads on to steal the show

Decapitated screw their heavy heads on to steal the show (Image credit: Ester Segarra)

It’s a tough act for SYLOSIS [7] to follow. As they blast through Indoctrinated and Teras it starts to feel like this gig is too big for them as their intricate thrash death assault struggles to fill the hall.

But when they nail it, they really nail it. Mercy, Servitude and Altered States Of Consciousness are brutal and technically on point. If it’s merely a case of getting used to their prominence, Sylosis are nearly there.

Holly Wright
Holly Wright

With over 10 years’ experience writing for Metal Hammer and Prog, Holly has reviewed and interviewed a wealth of progressively-inclined noise mongers from around the world. A fearless voyager to the far sides of metal Holly loves nothing more than to check out London’s gig scene, from power to folk and a lot in between. When she’s not rocking out Holly enjoys being a mum to her daughter Violet and working as a high-flying marketer in the Big Smoke.