The year is 2014. Having slowly been getting myself back into metal (and going deeper than ever before) over the past year, I was looking for something new. That’s when I stumbled across the music video for Born of Osiris’ 2013 hit “Machine”. Never before had I heard something quite like this (I later discovered ‘this’ was known ‘djent’), but there was something about it that really grabbed my ear. I immediately sought out their most recent album at the time, Tomorrow We Die Alive – a divisive album among their fans to be sure, but one I hold very dear to my heart as my gateway into what would become my favourite genre for years to come.
Fast-forward to 2021, and with a few even more divisive records, and an acclaimed remake of their debut with The Eternal Reign under their belt, at this point I’d consider myself a more than seasoned Born of Osiris veteran. Look, it’s no secret that their sound has shifted massively over the last decade, and I know they’ve lost some love along the way due to that, but admittedly they never really lost me. 2016’s Soul Sphere was one of my favourite releases of that year, and while 2019’s The Simulation wasn’t perfect, it contained some of my favourite BoO material to date (“Analogs in a Cell”, to be specific). So, with Angel or Alien I suppose they didn’t have as much to prove to me as I’m sure some ‘OG’ fans would like to assume they do. Even then, however, Angel or Alien surprised the hell out of me.
You know that old metalcore band trope, where bands will frequently tout that their newest release is their ‘heaviest yet most melodic’? Angel or Alien, to me, represents everything I want to hear from a group when I hear that sentence (that is rarely ever delivered on). This record is easily their most diverse to date, with some of the heaviest material the group has ever penned, juxtaposed by heightened melodic sensibilities, and even the forbidden addition of… clean vocals. “Egads!” I hear a member of r/deathcore chant from their basement. “What happened to the old Born of Osiris? They sold out, man!” they’ll say, but if you look beyond the glittery surface of some of the songs on Angel or Alien, you’ll find some seriously heavy shit.
At this point, if you haven’t accepted Born of Osiris’ gradual sound change, you probably never well, but in the process you’re robbing yourself of some of the most ballistically heavy material BoO have made in almost a decade. That’s not to say that Angel or Alien is some Lorna Shore-esque slam romp, but this thing has riffs. Emotion. Energy. There is no doubt in my mind many of the songs here will translate fantastically live, and will become fan-favourite mainstays in their setlist due to the raw amount of chunk on this thing.
Opener “Poster Child” bring some classic BoO energy to start the record off with a major bang. Glitzy pad synths juxtaposed by some eerie ambient guitars and, of course, the iconic chunky bounce the group always brings to the table. The track moves into this hyper-groovy around the two-minute mark that is impossible not to move your head to. It’s a real highlight from across the record, and one that I felt the need to come back to again and again since hearing it for the first time. The track closes out with an overture of sorts; a tease of what’s to come. Glimpses of deep synths, saxophone and 808s, there’s a lot of musical foreshadowing in this outro that sets the tone for the record masterfully.
The following tracks “White Nile” and title track “Angel or Alien” both being singles was an interesting move. While being insanely fun tracks – with the former’s sick Tim Henson-inspired solo being one of the most ear-catching moments on the entire record – these tracks definitely represent the ‘tamer’ side of Angel or Alien. Perhaps the intention was to lull you in with some ‘softer’ metalcore-esque tracks, then drop you in the deep end up the album’s release. In any case, the album subverted my expectations from this point onward in a big way, as I’m sure it will many others’.
With their noise gates up high, and their tunings down low, album highlight “Crossface” brings a djenty energy like no other on Angel or Alien. Heavy, atmospheric, groovy and dynamic; “Crossface” represents the very best of I’ve heard of BoO in many years. The tempo drop in the track’s final breakdown is some of the most stank face-inducing stuff I’ve heard from this band to date, before the group switch up the sound entirely, ushering in the 808s teased back in “Poster Child” for a moment of reprieve from the chugging insanity.
Following track “Echobreather” showcases vocalists Ronnie Canizaro and Joe Buras at their most dynamic and complimentary to date. With Buras trading in his iconic scream-sing style for a more overt clean vocal style, the switch-up between the track’s riff verses and its melodic chorus demonstrate the group’s new-found range in a fantastic way. Post-chorus the track adopts this sweeping guitar riff, very reminiscent of something on Tomorrow We Die Alive. Further, the trade-off between Canizaro’s gritty screams and Buras’ serene singing on the track’s second chorus proves to be one of the most memorable moments of the entire record. In general, their vocal performances across this record are easily the best of the band’s career. It really feels like Buras’ expanded range, along with Canizaro’s more liberal adoption of high screams have allowed them to harness a more diverse palette of vocal styles to pull from.
The three-hit combo of “In for the Kill”, “You are the Narrative” and “Truth and Denial” is easily the most colossally and consistently heavy section of the record; with brutal screams, fantastic guitar work and extremely tight drumming replete across all three of these tracks, this brief stint into brutality ends up as yet another notch on Angel or Alien’s track record of frequent high points.
Closer “Shadowmourne” boldly ventures into new territory for the band, with smooth saxophone licks gliding across almost the entire track, the album’s melodic sensibilities feel like they truly come to a head here. Its almost Killswitch Engage-esque riff in the track’s chorus, the serene clean vocals in its bridge, and gorgeous saxophone solo in its closing moments help to end Angel or Alien on yet another high note. The aforementioned saxophone solo that closes out the entire thing is truly breath-taking, and while I may be biased due to my love of the saxophone as an instrument, it can’t be overstated just how gorgeous this closer is.
If I were to levy a complaint at Angel or Alien, it would be the production. As the group opted to self-produce the record this time around, it lacks some of the hugeness factor that often helped bring their other records to life. For a self-produced effort, it’s still a valiant one, however. Everything here sounds very clean, and while the drums aren’t quite as punchy as I would’ve liked, each instrument has a fantastic sense of clarity in the mix, and I have to commend the group for that.
As a whole, Angel or Alien may just be Born of Osiris’ strongest and most consistent outing in some time. Considering its constant high notes, with very little in the way of low moments (across a surprisingly concise album for its length – clocking in at 14 tracks and 55 minutes), with Angel or Alien you have a recipe for one of most enjoyable core releases of 2021 thus far. I could go into detail about each and every song here, but I think it’s better if you hear it for yourself. Angel or Alien is available July 2nd via Sumerian Records, and you can pre-order the album here. For all things metal and music in general, keep it locked on Boolin Tunes.
9/10