Cool Album Out Today: "The Simulation" by Born of Osiris
Hey y'all! My new posts for 2019 are going to begin with (hopefully) weekly updates of a recommended album to listen to each week. Music consumption has gotten ridiculously easy in the age of the Internet, so why not widen your tastes with a random, brand new cut from some band you've never heard? In any case, I hope I can steer some folks towards a cool album they would not have heard otherwise, because celebrating audio and film media is my only goal with these little blurbs and lists.
Without further ado, my first new album of 2019 is a solid but short metal album from Chicagoan progressive band Born of Osiris - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Born of Osiris opens The Simulation with "The Accursed," a concoction of this group's signature elements. Blending synths with jagged breakdown-riffs and intense dual vocals, this track sets the scene for the rest of the album, keeping everything within the listener's grasp to draw the ear in with straightforward but effective hardcore songwriting. The forward presence of the keyboard parts stands out more so than in the past, further shifting them away from the sea of unoriginality within this genre. Like almost every track, the length is kept below 4 minutes to ensure maximum impact - with that in mind, having "The Accursed" as a single and first track makes perfect sense, immediately engaging the listeners with its balance of hook and brutality.
Though the album soon develops with increasing brutality and technicality to demonstrate Born of Osiris' killer and creative guitarist Lee McKinney, the band does not forsake tunefulness when appropriate. "Under the Gun" is extremely catchy without losing the weight of its surrounding songs. As well, the song's message of positivity amidst difficult times pushes away from the band's usual lyric choice, but it still fits well with their message of "the weight of all-encompassing technology." The best balance of all these concepts reigns high in first single "Silence the Echo," which comes near the end of the album. This song is certainly a guitar/drums feature on first listen, but its unusually compelling songwriting and production makes it a must-listen, and probably the album's strongest track.
Sadly, these eight songs (really seven, since "Recursion" is little more than an interlude) go by far too quickly. Like Sumerian Records labelmates Between the Buried and Me, Born of Osiris is releasing two connected albums a few months apart - I definitely have qualms with this marketing tactic, but I can understand that the music is easier to "digest" that way. This technical and progressive music can be a lot to take in, so having a 25 minute length like on The Simulation must be more encouraging to the average listener. Judging by the amount of extremely short popular releases in 2018, I'd say this trend will probably continue even if it is annoying to listeners like me.
Without further ado, my first new album of 2019 is a solid but short metal album from Chicagoan progressive band Born of Osiris - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Born of Osiris opens The Simulation with "The Accursed," a concoction of this group's signature elements. Blending synths with jagged breakdown-riffs and intense dual vocals, this track sets the scene for the rest of the album, keeping everything within the listener's grasp to draw the ear in with straightforward but effective hardcore songwriting. The forward presence of the keyboard parts stands out more so than in the past, further shifting them away from the sea of unoriginality within this genre. Like almost every track, the length is kept below 4 minutes to ensure maximum impact - with that in mind, having "The Accursed" as a single and first track makes perfect sense, immediately engaging the listeners with its balance of hook and brutality.
Though the album soon develops with increasing brutality and technicality to demonstrate Born of Osiris' killer and creative guitarist Lee McKinney, the band does not forsake tunefulness when appropriate. "Under the Gun" is extremely catchy without losing the weight of its surrounding songs. As well, the song's message of positivity amidst difficult times pushes away from the band's usual lyric choice, but it still fits well with their message of "the weight of all-encompassing technology." The best balance of all these concepts reigns high in first single "Silence the Echo," which comes near the end of the album. This song is certainly a guitar/drums feature on first listen, but its unusually compelling songwriting and production makes it a must-listen, and probably the album's strongest track.
Sadly, these eight songs (really seven, since "Recursion" is little more than an interlude) go by far too quickly. Like Sumerian Records labelmates Between the Buried and Me, Born of Osiris is releasing two connected albums a few months apart - I definitely have qualms with this marketing tactic, but I can understand that the music is easier to "digest" that way. This technical and progressive music can be a lot to take in, so having a 25 minute length like on The Simulation must be more encouraging to the average listener. Judging by the amount of extremely short popular releases in 2018, I'd say this trend will probably continue even if it is annoying to listeners like me.
THE VERDICT:
The Simulation is a worthy addition to Born of Osiris' catalog, but it also can fit on any playlist for someone in an aggressive (or sophisticated) mood. Don't miss out just because you aren't a metalhead! There's plenty of electronic and atmospheric experimentation to latch onto here, and the level of technicality here is sure to impress any music fanatic. Best of all, it's exactly what you should expect from 10 years of Born of Osiris: heavy, melodic, and full of righteous fury.
Hope you enjoy! Thanks for reading.
Comments
Post a Comment