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Slychosis: 5

Slychosis is an American band led by Gregg Johns (lead guitar, keyboards, bass, vocals). He is joined by Tony White (lead vocals, guitar, percussion) and Jim Logan (saxophone, keyboards, percussion, vocals). Other musicians include Jeremy Mitchell (drums, percussion), Jimbo Richardson (drums, percussion) and James Walker (bass).

I first heard the band with their Mental Hygiene album released in 2010 so it has been a while since I have dug into their music. On that album I seem to recall some production issues which I am happy to say have been addressed. The new album titled 5 sounds much better from a production point of view with the instrumentation being much more clear and crisp than on previous efforts.

The band continues its foray into psychedelic influenced rock music but this time the effort seems much more focused and the music is all the better for it. "Samsara" begins the disc with sublime vocals and acoustic guitar with the sound having a '60s psychedelic pop vibe. The mixture of heavier riffs, acoustic guitar and dreamy orchestrated soundscapes in "Pictures Move" is another excellent track as is the darker hued "Greed", this time with proggy instrumentation and more symphonic elements. The guitar work takes on a bluesier feel and is excellent throughout. The darker hues of the keyboard/guitar heavy "Alchemy" and the Bowie inspired "Pain" and "A Frozen Moment In Time", the later including cool distorted keyboards and razor edged psychedelic guitar passages are more excellent tracks.

The album ends with the lovely acoustic beginning of "The Steve Howe Guide to Elevator Snobbery" and showcases some excellent electric guitar work influenced by Howe.

5 is an excellent effort from Slychosis and shows just how far the band has matured these last few years. I think this should appeal to a wide range of progressive music fans. Recommended!

Track Listing:
1. Samsara
2. Pictures Move
3. Waiting for the Sun
4. Greed
5. Huh?
6. Pain
7. A Frozen Moment in Time
8. Alchemy
9. The Steve Howe Guide to Elevator Snobbery

Added: July 1st 2018
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band's Facebook Page
Hits: 2581
Language: english

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Slychosis: 5
Posted by Michael Popke, SoT Staff Writer on 2018-07-02 00:52:44
My Score:

“Huh?” is the fifth song on the fifth album from the American progressive-rock band Slychosis, and it’s an apt title. This quartet never stands still, and that’s never been more evident than on V (or Five) -- a record so bizarrely diverse that you can’t help but ask at the midway point: What is this stuff? (That’s a good thing!)

There's the dreamy Pink Floydish pop of opening track “Samsara," the early-Bowie-influenced “Pain” and “Huh?” -- on which band mastermind Gregg Johns raps over a funky beat anchored by John Goodsall's guitar (he of Brand X and Atomic Rooster). On “Alchemy,” Johns delivers lyrics about receiving thoughts from God while sounding like a deeper-voiced Geddy Lee, and the album’s shortest track, “The Steve Howe Guide to Elevator Snobbery,” is a sincere, shoulda-been-longer tribute (save the ending) to the influential Yes guitarist. Those quibbles aside, and taken collectively, V is Slychosis’ most complete and most convincing album.




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