SYPHA – Borderland EP

The release of their ‘Sober’ single in 2022 heralded Sypha’s arrival on the metal scene as something worth celebrating. That track shared a heavy riff which blended a classic metal sound with a more modern edge, working something that sounded like Shinedown crossed with the swagger of an on form Halestorm. In Alicia Pilling, the band also possessed a hugely melodic talent, and the blend of sounds led to a near perfect slice of chunky yet accessible metal. Subsequent singles proved that this was no fluke: with each successive track, the band flaunted a great sound, and the vocals continued to suggest Pilling would be an asset to the UK’s rock scene.

The band’s long awaited EP ‘Borderland’ is superb. In just three songs, the Brighton crew really deliver in terms of both huge riffs and massive sounding melodies. Lead track ‘Dirty Floor’ (released as a digital single in September 2024) wastes no time in presenting a big, uncompromising groove when a grinding guitar sound (courtesy of Alfred Atkins) attacks with riffs that sound like old Deftones fare with a modern twist. With a dense yet still accessible riff set in place, Sypha then build an equally impressive melody when Alicia adds clean vocals, creating a contrast that really works. She also applies a genuine vigour to a chorus that’s more of the melodic Halestorm mould, before dropping a couple of fierce growls to remind everyone of the band’s capabilities to share something a little more intense. Those aggressive elements come to the fore during a brilliant middle eight when the main riff is replaced by a hardcore breakdown, where sludgy guitars collide with James Anthony’s powerhouse drumming. Sliding back into the chorus, everything – somewhat understandably – feels a little lighter than before, but this merely throws more of a spotlight onto a superb, melodic hook. In terms of covering a lot of musical ground, this is a great track: it’s broad enough to take in three distinctly different rock and metal styles, but remains insanely focused. Even at this early stage, it’s clear that Sypha understand there’s more to winning over an audience than a great hook and some heaviness; a great arrangement also goes a long way…

Cranking up the grinding elements, ‘Limbo (See You On The Other Side)’ kicks off with a riff that mixes a little more hardcore with something that feels as if it was inspired by early Fear Factory. This captures the whole band in fierce form, and even once things are diffused slightly to make room for a vocal, the intensity remains. At first, there’s almost a punky spirit, as if the band are channelling the much missed Marmozets, before a shift towards metalcore, and latterly a dense groove that brings out more of Will Cheeseman’s bass. The end result isn’t as immediate as ‘Dirty Floor’, but you couldn’t ever accuse the band of repeating themselves, and even from first listen, Alicia’s vocals are amazing, and its clear that this would absolutely slay a live audience. For bigger thrills, bringing heavier elements to the fore, ‘The Afterparty’ combines really spiky metalcore influences with a huge, clean vocal. The riffs often attack at speed, but the vocal delivers longer, flowing notes, which again, shows off Sypha’s love of contrast. It’s a style that really works for them, but this track really comes into its own when hitting an instrumental break where insanely dirty guitar sounds share a love of 90s metal and a post-hardcore anger. On first listen, this track will certainly feel more attuned to riffs than memorable hooks, but played loudly, it works brilliantly. In time, a buoyant chorus will begin to work its magic too, leaving listeners with another sharp edged, heavy workout that shows off Sypha’s sound very effectively. If it weren’t clear previously, this is definitely the kind of number that shows that Sypha’s whole is much greater than the sum of their musical parts.

At a time when UK festivals are still dominated by crusty old rock heroes and bands that are past their sell by date, it’s a real thrill to know that younger talents are still coming through month after month. As the ’20s have progressed, it seems to have become much harder to make the leap from intimate club shows and into the “big leagues” unfortunately – there are so many people unwilling to take a chance on something new (and that’s really evident among some of the rock fans, sadly) – but this EP that deserves to really put Sypha on the map. With some huge riffs, even bigger vocal hooks and no messing, its short and sharp approach certainly plays well in a world of short attention spans. This is more than a recommended listen – it’s the first essential release of 2025.

January 2025