Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Born of Osiris - The Discovery (2011)
Throughout their previous two releases, Born of Osiris really made a quick evolution through their sound. The New Reign is an over 20 minute EP with 8 short songs filled with fast technical breakdowns and drum beats, and short synth melodies. A Higher Place had a different sound compared to that EP, with atmospheric melodies, crushing vocals, driving drums, and not as many groovy breakdowns.
Their true sound would be discovered with The Discovery, where everything comes full circle! The 15 songs here all have the best aspects that Born Of Osiris had in both their previous albums, plus improved structure. The album's lead guitarist Jason Richardson (Chelsea Grin, recently All That Remains) has awesome talent not to be ignored.
Richardson's talent is more obvious in the opening song, "Follow the Signs". That song and "Singularity" are two of the best songs of the album and a killer album opening with strong soaring melodies through busy original compositions. "Ascension" is another original composition with bouncy djent breakdowns. "Devastate" has the same vein as the first two tracks, but in the second half of this song, vocalist Ronnie Canizaro screams "SYSTEM FAILURE!" and the song crashes into an intense breakdown with Canizaro in a screaming duel with Joe Buras, and then a strange electronica-inspired outro.
The guitar bit around the 30-second mark of "Recreate" really shows what guitarist Lee McKinney can do. "Two Worlds of Design" is OK, but what's more notable here is the bell chimes heard throughout its second half. Then it segues to "A Solution", a synth interlude known for having the band's first ever prominent clean vocals sung by Buras. "Shaping the Masterpiece" sounds like kind of a masterpiece with backing symphonic keyboards. "Dissimulation" is more chaotic with one of the best guitar solos on the album. Its song name is sort of a foreshadowing contrast to the band's newest album The Simulation. "Automatic Motion" once again has a bouncy breakdown, here with more melodic lead guitar and synth that make the breakdown more balanced.
"The Omniscient" is an electropop-like ambient interlude. While all the songs are extremely good, "Last Straw" is probably the weakest point of the album. Not saying it has no strength, it's just not as much as the other songs. The clean vocal effects in "Regenerate" are a little distracting, but still a well-focused song nonetheless. That song has a earth-shaking technical breakdown right before an uplifting synth outro. "XIV" is a suspenseful interlude to keep you up for what's next. Behold, the longest song by the band (almost 6 minutes) and one of the best, "Behold"! It has the best solos of the album, and towards the end, a KILLER breakdown before the electronic outro.
While Born of Osiris is not totally my favorite band in my playlist while still remaining being awesome, it's definitely one of the best djent/deathcore releases I've ever heard, a little better than Veil of Maya's ID, and on the same level as the first Periphery album and other Sumerian Records albums. There are many breakdowns, fast sweeping, and typical deathcore vocals. So if you can't handle that heat, stay out of the djent kitchen. But listen first, judge later. You might just find a true discovery in your music taste!
Favorites: "Follow The Signs", "Singularity", "Recreate", "Behold"