Review Summary: Born of Osiris’ debut will surely attract fans of the already huge deathcore scene but ultimately fail to create anything truly memorable.
I was introduced to this band through a deathcore fan at my old high school. I had gotten him into The Faceless a few months back, so he deemed it necessary to return the favor. I’ll admit, I was pretty excited at first. The opening riff to “Open Arms to Damnation” had a good groove to it and definitely made me want to delve a bit further into this band. Finally, I decided to get their entire album.
Mistake.
The New Reign is quite enjoyable for a few minutes but it doesn’t take long to realize that the band doesn’t have much to offer the listener besides a few melodic riffs and more start-stop breakdowns than the world ever needs.
While I wasn’t exactly thrilled with my friend’s recommendation, I could easily see why he would think a fan of The Faceless could get into this. That’s probably because these guys seem to rip off The Faceless’
Akeldama constantly on this album. The most obvious comparison is the addition of goofy little keyboard lines into their otherwise down-tuned, brutal sound. “Abstract Art” is the perfect example here, as the keyboard work runs rampant on top of the band’s chug-a-lug breakdowns. While it’s a bit more interesting, the tone and melodies are just too goofy and stupid to take seriously. I might have given them props for experimentation if it hadn’t been done already. Add on top of that a really monotonous vocal performance throughout and bash yourself on top of the head with that for 21 minutes.
Boy, do the breakdowns come by the truckload, and while I’ve listened to this album several times, I can’t say that I really remember any of them. That’s not because they’re overly technical, it’s that just that none of them really stick out. Every single one is incredibly mechanical and obviously crafted for floor punchers all across the globe. “Bow Down” showcases this perfectly, as the “song” is essentially a two minute bro-down. While I’m sure it makes the scene kids foam at the mouth, it sure as hell isn’t fooling me. “Bow Down” is by far the laziest and worst song on the album and should probably be avoided at all costs.
The New Reign’s faults are sadly much easier to focus on than the several redeemable qualities it possesses. For one, the production is pretty stellar. While it might be a bit too mechanical for some (but that comes with the group’s sound and the fact that they’re on Sumerian Records), every instrument is crystal clear. Born of Osiris definitely know their way around their instruments, which one can focus on as well. One can also see they have a knack for catchy melodies, especially in “Open Arms to Damnation” which is the only consistently solid song in the entire album. In fact, “Open Arms to Damnation” should be the only song that anyone should really check out and enjoy from
The New Reign. The fact that this album is 21 minutes is also a plus, because this overall sound really loses its steam by about the third track.
I don’t think I’ll give up on Born of Osiris just yet, but it’s easy to have doubts. My diagnosis for this group is a severe case of Veil-of-Maya syndrome: occasional greatness and clear musical skill overshadowed by stale breakdowns simply played to get the kiddies moving on the dance floor. It’s a tragic problem that we’re seeing in too many bands these days. Hopefully once deathcore finally dies down after a few years these guys will stick around and create some quality technical metal that I know they’re capable of. Better luck next time.
