A complete reinvigoration

Up until now, Born Of Osiris have frankly been a disappointment. While debut release 'The New Reign' may have showed promise in its more melodic and progressive moments, it was unpolished and unrefined, and any hope for a shift towards these favourable elements was seemingly discarded upon the arrival of the follow-up, 'A Higher Place'. Now mired in turgid breakdowns and feeble attempts at technicality, Born Of Osiris seemed to have thrown away their chance to be at the forefront of heavy music's development.

Key word there being 'seemed'.

Without warning, Born Of Osiris have reinvented not only themselves but the entire technical deathcore template to which they once clung. Unexpected it may be, but the band's new fervour and devastating new sound is surely a pleasant surprise, and they have finally realized their potential; in doing so, they have released the most astonishing album of the year so far.

'The Discovery' is nothing short of majestic. From the epic, evocative artwork to the pristine production to the brilliant marriage of ideas that takes up its 15 tracks, it presents itself with a grandeur that suits its status as a total rebirth.

Every aspect of Born Of Osiris's sound has been expanded on and improved: the heavy parts have escaped monotony and embraced headbang-inducing, midpaced groove, the lead guitar flourishes are now not only magnificent displays of instrumental mastery but also weave through inspiring melodies and deliciously proggy arpeggios, and the once-pointless keyboard parts are now a vital timbral characteristic of the music, perfectly complementing the guitar leads at some times and oozing atmosphere at others. The vocals too are now utterly ferocious in delivery, with clean vocals used minimally but to great effect as a result.

From high-octane blasts to harsh, aggressive grooves, from calm electronic passages to powerful harmonized melodies, Born Of Osiris consistently deliver exciting music with no aspect of their sound outstaying its welcome. Besides this consistency, there is a sense of scale to the album, carried perhaps in its massive sound production-wise and its contemplative, philosophically-charged lyrics.

While very little of the album (save perhaps for one or two of the shorter heavy tracks) feels like filler, certain tracks do stand out even among the rest. Album highlights include the portentous opener 'Follow The Signs', 'Recreate' and 'Regenerate' (a pair of tracks that unite heaviness and melody perfectly), the beautiful interlude 'The Omniscient' and the apocalyptic finale of 'XIV/Behold'.

Born Of Osiris have shattered all preconceptions with this album. Believe the hype; it is a masterpiece.