Sylosis’ ‘Poison for the Loss’: Inside Their Massive Multi-Track Session

Alright, let's talk Sylosis. If you're into modern metal that’s both technically blistering and crushingly heavy, Josh Middleton and co. are likely on your radar. Their track "Poison for the Loss" is a perfect example of their signature assault – relentless riffs, powerhouse drums, and vocals that cut right through. Ever wondered what goes into crafting such a monstrous sound? We got a peek inside the raw multi-tracks, and man, it's a masterclass in meticulous metal production.

Good news for you: these very multi-tracks are available right now on Nail The Mix, with Josh Middleton himself walking you through his mix. But before you dive in, let's break down some of the killer takeaways from this session that you can apply to your own productions.

Deconstructing the 64-Track Fury: Session Overview

First off, this isn't some minimalist setup. We're talking a hefty 64 tracks thundering along at a blistering 202 BPM, holding steady with no tempo changes. This sheer track count is pretty common in modern metal, allowing for deep layering and precise control over every element. It’s all about building that wall of sound, piece by piece.

Crafting Sylosis' Colossal Guitar Wall

Sylosis' guitar tone is undeniably huge. It’s not just one amp and one mic; it's a carefully constructed behemoth.

Layering and Mic Blends for Thickness

The core of the rhythm sound appears to be built on quad-tracked performances – that’s two performances panned left and two panned right. This immediately gives you that wide, immersive guitar sound. But the real magic comes from the mic choices and blending.

You’ll find multiple mics on the cabs. For instance, one of the main left guitars features a Sennheiser MD 421. This is a classic move: blending the bite of a workhorse dynamic like a Shure SM57 (a staple you can bet is in there) with the slightly different character and low-mid fullness of an MD 421. Experimenting with different mic combinations on the same performance, and then blending them to taste, is key to a complex and rich tone. Don't be afraid to nudge those tracks around in your DAW to ensure they're phase-aligned for maximum punch!

Beyond the main rhythm chunks, there are quieter, textural guitar layers, adding subtle harmonic content and width. And for an extra dose of aggression? A dedicated fuzz guitar track ready to be blended in. That's a great way to add some gnarly character without making your main rhythm tones overly saturated.

The DI Advantage: Raw Power and Re-amping Potential

Clean DI (Direct Input) tracks for the guitars are also part of the session. Listening to these, you can hear the sheer attack and precision in Josh Middleton’s picking hand – a critical component of Sylosis' tight sound. Having these DIs is invaluable. They give you:

• Re-amping Flexibility: Don't like the amp tone you committed to? No problem. Send that DI out to any amp, real or virtual, and sculpt a new sound.
• Layering Options: Blend the DI with amp tones for extra clarity or use it to trigger samples or effects.
• Editing Precision: Clean DIs make editing (like tightening up chugs) much easier to visualize and execute.

Mixing Considerations: Phase and EQ Discipline

When you're dealing with multiple mics on multiple guitar performances, phase relationships become critical. If mics are out of phase, you can lose low-end, or the tone can sound thin and hollow. Zoom in on those waveforms and nudge tracks by tiny amounts until they sound fullest.

And speaking of tone, with guitars this well-recorded, the temptation can be to over-EQ. Joel Wanasek from Nail The Mix rightly points out that it's easy to screw up an already great tone by getting too aggressive with your EQ. Often, subtle cuts to carve space or tame harshness are all that’s needed. For more on strategic guitar EQ, check out our EQ strategies for mixing modern metal.

The Foundation: Bass DI Purity

The bass in "Poison for the Loss" is all about a phenomenal DI track. It's clean, punchy, and has all the low-end energy needed to support those dense guitars. Sometimes, a great performance into a great DI is all you need for a killer metal bass sound, giving you a perfect canvas for distortion, compression, and EQ.

Engineering a Modern Metal Drum Arsenal

The drum setup for this Sylosis track is extensive, with around 25 tracks dedicated to capturing every nuance of the kit.

Kick Drum: The Multi-Mic Approach

No surprise here, the kick drum employs a multi-mic strategy for maximum tonal flexibility:

• Inside Mic: A Shure Beta 91A (or similar boundary mic) captures the attack and click from the beater.
• Outside Mic: A "47-style" mic (likely a Neumann U47 FET or clone) placed outside the resonant head to grab the boom and low-end oomph.
• Beater Mic: An SM57 likely pointed at the beater for extra snap, captured from the batter side.
• Sub Kick/Trigger: A "kick hit click" track is provided, perfect for either blending in a sub-frequency sample or for easy triggering to add consistency and punch.

Snare: Live Mic and Sample Layers

The snare sound is equally detailed:

• Top Mic: The trusty Shure SM57 is a given for that classic crack.
• Bottom Mic: Another SM57 to capture the sizzle of the snare wires.
• Condenser Mic: A snare condenser mic adds body and a different character to blend with the dynamics.
• Sample Reinforcement: A dedicated sample track is included, making it easy to trigger and layer in a consistent snare hit for that modern metal impact.

Toms: Precision and Power

Like the kick and snare, the toms benefit from both live mics and a click track for easy triggering if you want to reinforce them with samples. This ensures they cut through even the densest parts of the mix.

Cymbal Detail: Strategic Overhead Placement

This is where things get really interesting. Sylosis uses a lot of cymbals, and the micing reflects that:

• Dual Hi-Hats: Separate mics for left and right hi-hats offer great control over their placement and level in the mix. Smartly, these tracks come with silence stripped, saving you editing time.
• High Overheads: A pair of high overheads captures the overall picture of the kit and cymbals.
• Individual Spot Overheads: Crucially, there are four additional individual overhead mics. For a large kit with many cymbals, this approach is gold. Each mic can focus on a smaller cluster of cymbals (e.g., a crash and a china, or a couple of splashes). This prevents washy build-up and ensures every cymbal hit is clear and defined, avoiding that weak sound when distant cymbals are only faintly picked up by main overheads.

The ride cymbal also has its own dedicated mic, ensuring its ping and wash can be perfectly balanced. The result is super clean, with great rejection and signal-to-noise ratio.

Room Ambience: Capturing Space

To top it off, you get great-sounding near and far room mics. Blending these in allows you to control the sense of space and power around the kit, from tight and punchy to big and explosive.

Vocal Production: Intensity and Committed Effects

Josh Middleton's vocals are aggressive and sit perfectly in the mix. Here's what we see in the tracks:

• Layered Mains: Multiple layers for the main vocal lines add thickness and power.
• Heavy Baked-In Compression: The vocals come heavily compressed. This is a common pro move – if you know the sound you want, commit it during tracking or pre-mixing. It helps the vocal maintain its energy and presence consistently. If you want to get a better handle on how the pros use compression, our metal compression secrets guide is a great resource.
• Gang Vocals & Stacks: Plenty of gang vocals and additional vocal stacks are present for those big chorus impacts and call-and-response sections.
• Printed Effects: You’ll find vocal throws and other effects already printed onto separate tracks. This is fantastic because it preserves the producer's specific creative vision for those moments, rather than leaving the mixer to guess or try to recreate them.

Ear Candy & Production Polish

Beyond the core instruments, there's a wealth of production elements that add depth and excitement:

• Octave Guitars: For beefing up melodies or riffs.
• Dive Bombs & Whammy FX: Classic metal ear candy.
• Transitions & Risers: FX and specific musical phrases to build energy between sections.
• Creative Samples: One track labeled "Yard" sounds like a "damage loop" – a cool, mangled sound adding unique texture.
• Blazing Guitar Solo: Of course, no Sylosis track is complete without a face-melting solo, and the DIs and amp tracks are all there.

This track is a testament to how thoughtful layering and attention to detail in the recording phase make for a powerful and engaging final product.

Your Turn to Mix Sylosis with Nail The Mix

Feeling inspired? Imagine taking these exact 64 tracks of Sylosis fury – the meticulously recorded guitars, the thunderous drums, the intense vocals – and crafting your own mix of "Poison for the Loss."

That's exactly what you can do with Nail The Mix. For September 2023, subscribers get the full multi-tracks for this Sylosis song. Plus, you get to watch Josh Middleton himself mix the track from scratch in an exclusive live-streamed session, explaining his every move.

Go Deeper: More Than Just Multi-Tracks

A Nail The Mix membership is your gateway to a ton of resources designed to elevate your production game. Beyond the monthly multi-tracks and live mixing sessions, you get:

• Mix Labs: Over 170 bite-sized video tutorials covering specific mixing techniques, plugins, and concepts.
• Portfolio Builder: Access to multi-tracks from over 37 songs across various rock and metal subgenres (death metal, power metal, pop-rock, country and more) to practice your skills and build your portfolio.
• Riff Hard Content: If you're a guitarist or record guitarists, all the Riff Hard instructional content is included, helping you (or the players you record) perform and sound better.
• Exclusive URM Plugins: Get cool plugins like Limital (developed with JST) included with your subscription.

And if you're serious about leveling up fast, URM Enhanced offers even more, including deep-dive Fast Tracks on essential topics like EQ (with an EQ Trainer to drill your ears), compression, reverb, and mastering, plus one-on-one coaching opportunities and Mix Rescue sessions. You can often try these for just $1 for your first month!

Ready to Mix "Poison for the Loss"?

Diving into a session like Sylosis' "Poison for the Loss" is an incredible learning opportunity. You get to see how complex arrangements are built, how tones are layered, and how a top-tier metal production comes together.

So, grab these multi-tracks, fire up your DAW, and see what you can create. Josh Middleton is going to deliver a killer mixing session, and you can be right there with him. Head over to Nail The Mix to sign up and get started.

Happy mixing!