Born of Osiris - Soul Sphere

I was really big into Born of Osiris back in 2011 or so - I don't really know why I fell away from the band other than that doom metal seemed more attractive to me and the djent trope (Which - if we're being honest - Born of Osiris never really bought into) seemed played out. Suffice to say - I hadn't taken the time to listen to 2013's Tomorrow We Die Alive and I had barely paid attention to their set at Summer Slaughter this year. That being said - their performance on Soul Sphere is impressive to say the least and usggests there is a lot left in the old riff machine for these guys.

While yes, Soul Sphere does use a lot of modern death metal tropes and the band certainly has not forgotten their prog roots, this record is tastefully executed. The few rare moments of quasi-clean vocals are wonderfully done and give a rather epic vibe to the whole thing. It's easy to get lost in the spiralling guitar parts and powerful growls. The songwriting seems engineered to be a gateway progressive death metal band - and there's nothing wrong with that - it's just something to know going into the record. Born of Osiris rarely get truly weird, but they have always managed to put together work that remains pretty darn interesting.

At the end of the day this is a brilliantly put together record and while it may not really be for me, I can certainly see where the band is coming from and I have to admire their songwriting chops. Soul Sphere is modern death metal at its finest, pushing boundaries and yet rarely so alienating as to become elitist. This is a record that is intricat and yet to the point, it can bludgeon you over the head just as easily as it can show off a flashy fill - Born of Osiris are fully aware of who they and Soul Sphere is simply that - Born of Osiris being Born of Osiris. 

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