Tomorrow We Die ∆live

Author: Primož Novak

Artist: Born Of Osiris
Label: Sumerian Records
Release: 2013
Runtime: 42:26
Rating: 3.5/5

The American outfit Born Of Osiris has already proven itself as one of the more interesting players on the deathcore scene, putting the emphasis on the more technical side of the genre. They showed that especially well with the album The Discovery, which lifted the band to a higher level, despite some complaints that they’d drifted away from authentic deathcore. That’s par for the course for bands on Sumerian Records, the label that made its name with Periphery, After The Burial, Veil Of Maya and others. In 2011 guitarist Jason Richardson left the band. He was supposedly a major player on The Discovery, but band leader and guitarist Lee Mckinney has said that Richardson himself had no real influence on the songwriting.

When the band first dropped the track M∆chine, expectations were high. That song sounds like the backdrop to some apocalyptic movie, with mighty orchestral synths, heavy guitars that lean hard on breakdowns, arpeggios and brutal vocals. The vocals have definitely improved. Vocalist Ronnie Canizaro has deepened his growl, yet his enunciation is clear, so his vocals come across much better than the unintelligible death metal growls where nothing is clear. Besides Canizaro, keyboardist Joe Buras contributes plenty of vocals, and his more metalcore-flavored delivery adds to the vocal dynamics. Clean vocals pop up now and then too. There aren’t enough of them, but they don’t really suit Born Of Osiris all that much anyway.

Still, a slightly bitter aftertaste lingers throughout the album when it comes to the guitars, which put too much emphasis on breakdowns and the occasional djent riffs that sound like Morse code. Sure, Lee Mckinney serves up the odd clever, technical, syncopated riff, but sadly it’s a far cry from what was on The Discovery. The guitar definitely doesn’t take enough cues from death metal. Still, you can tell the band didn’t want to carry on in the style of its predecessor. There are tons of synths and samples that make all the breakdowns a bit more interesting, even if they occasionally sound downright cheesy. On top of that, Joe Buras is clearly following trends, since he worked in dubstep elements too (a good example is the song Mindful), which sounds interesting but also feels a bit chewed over.

What stays similar to the predecessor are Lee Mickenney’s standout solos, as he shakes arpeggios out of his sleeve. The hint of melodic flavor hasn’t gone anywhere either. Take the song Exhil∆r∆te as an example. The drums aren’t mind-blowing, but this time Cameron Losch shines more with his feet than his hands, as if he’d taken a page from Raymond Herrera (Fear Factory). The production has stayed suitably heavy. The bass guitar fills out the sound nicely. The songs aren’t drawn out and don’t lean on that many repetitive elements. The sound deserves praise, since it clearly reflects modern sensibilities that put loudness and clarity first. You could accuse it of being overly polished, but BOO would sound awful if they went for a dirtier sound.

Tomorrow We Die ∆live may not be a stunning achievement, but it’s solid proof that the band isn’t repeating itself and is trying new things. The record can surprise and it can disappoint. What they’ll surprise us with next remains a mystery, because this album suggests the band will stay unpredictable.

Lineup

Ronnie Canizaro – vocals
Lee Mckinney – guitar
Cameron Losch – drums
Joe Buras – keyboards, synthesizer, vocals
David Da Rocha – bass guitar

Production

Nick Sampson

Tracklist