Review: Born Of Osiris - "The Simulation"

Born of Osiris ‘The Simulation’ album art

I won’t bore you guys with the logistics or facts most already know, but I will say that Born of Osiris' latest release The Simulation is TECHNICALLY the fifth studio album. I say TECH-NI-CAL-LY for a reason -- it only has eight tracks and is less than 30 minutes long. It’s legally considered an EP and should be treated as such!

I rest my case.

Born of Osiris has a tendency of putting most of their eggs into particular baskets on every album. Granted, every album to ever exist has its stronger and weaker points, but the vibe and entire feel is generally consistent throughout. Born of Osiris, however, constantly bring some insane dynamic to the table with their writing that makes every song they have sound distinct from one another while still maintaining their classic, unmistakable source.

Whether it’s held together by the synth, the complex riffs, or fluent transitions from chaotic heaviness to bouncy groove-riddled rhythm; if you hear a Born of Osiris song, you’re going to know it. Unless you’re just pretending to know what you’re talking about and can’t even tell the difference between Periphery and Veil of Maya you FUCKING LOSER.

I personally wasn’t too impressed by the earlier half of the EP. While The Accursed is a reasonably strong opening track, it initially failed to get me excited to listen to whatever else The SImulation had to offer. Compare it to, for example, Tomorrow We Die Alive’s intro “Machine.” or The Discovery’s "Follow The Signs." Fuckin’ badass tunes and equally badass albums right? They’re so strong throughout and immediately demand your attention more than your ex-girlfriend after you get a better-paying job and she hears you fucked one of her old friends from high school.

The Accursed sounds so much more structured and straight-forward, but still lacks any particularly strong dynamics and satisfying conclusions in any of the segments, which is, unfortunately, the case with pretty much every song on the EP. There’s so much going on, yet nothing really happens.

Regardless of the fact every track is about standard length (three to three-and-a-half minutes), they all feel so much shorter. And when they end, it just doesn’t feel natural. Check out “Cycles of Tragedy” and tell me there shouldn’t have been at least a few more measures. It’s a very common complaint by every review I’ve read thus far, but the end track “One Without the Other” has probably the most uncomfortably abrupt ending I’ve ever heard.

Maybe the fact that I wanted more out of every song is a testament to the overall quality of the music, or maybe it’s due to the lack of the aforementioned arc that is generally found in all music. You have your rising action, your climax -- stuff of that nature. Even “Tactical Nuke” by The Acacia Strain accomplishes this before they play the same riff thirty times in a row.

Here’s the scoop. I know Born of Osiris is better than all of this. They’re an intelligent and creative group of chuggy bois. It’s already confirmed that they’ll be releasing a second “album” later this year and even though they haven’t explicitly stated it, it’s pretty obvious the next release is going to be an extension of this one. It’ll probably just be another seven-to-eight more tracks that bring the experience and theme of The Simulation to a satisfying close. Or, at the very least, just gives the listener more cool deedle-doodles to jam to.

If I were them, however, I’d like to see a Pt. 2 where every track chronologically expands on their predecessors. Since every song feels so short and cut-off, it would be sweet if it was purely intentional and the second album gives us that sweet climax and satisfaction we’ve been looking for. And no, I will NOT make that sexual. I’m trying to make a point here.

Getting back to the actual music instead of conspiracies, let’s talk about the vibe. It has a little something for everybody, from those that enjoy BOO’s use of synth and brighter melodies to the fan of chunky prog riffs and shredding. Everything short of gutturals and fifteen BPM breakdowns (I feel personally segregated by that, but whatcha gonna do?). Generally, track-to-track transitions are like night and day. There are very few similarities between tracks like “Analogs in a Cell”l and “Under The Gun,” for example. You get a unique experience with every track, and there’s no shortage of neat riffs scattered around and catchy chorus bits to keep you entertained. Overall, it’s well-written and entertaining. Most of the album is nothing special, but not bad by any means.

The Simulation is an interesting listen that will probably have something for any metal fan if they give it a try. I recommend it, and am eagerly waiting for Born of Osiris’ next release (just to be proven right). For me personally, it’s not as heavy as I’d like it to be and kind of starts off mediocre and slowly builds itself up to something worth mentioning. It’s all over the place stylistically but somehow maintains a consistent identity and it’s definitely cool to hear. For a good example of the band’s ridiculous range, check out "One Without The Other" and then "Silence The Echo." I find them to be the two strongest tracks on the album with the most content to offer overall. “One Without” has this crazy blend of progressive metalcore and…video game power metal? Whatever the fuck that is. Whereas "Silence The Echo" has some of the hardest riffs and actually contains an essence of those pesky dynamics and arcs I keep bitching about.

It feels incomplete and rushed, but is still perfectly serviceable as an EP and is significantly better when you try not to compare it to their earlier work -- "even Soul Sphere," which I actually enjoyed and you can piss right off m8.

Scene Daddy Rating: 3.5 Daddies