Born of Osiris are, to say the least, an otherworldly band. Half deathcore chugathon, half trippy dance rave, the band have forged a unique path through the trendy djent scene that few are capable of emulating.
With 2013’s Tomorrow We Die Alive, the BOO boys hopped into the studio with production mastermind Joey Sturgis for a sound focused more on the electronic bells and whistles than on the shreddy guitar work, a direction that confused a portion of the group’s fanbase that were used to lots & lots of technical sweeping. When word surfaced that BOO were working on record #5 skepticism but optimism was the natural response. Today we have been gifted with a sample of the next chapter of the BOO crew, and it feels familiar. Yes, “Throw Me In The Jungle” continues the enhanced focus on electronics that was established on the previous record, but also delves deeper into an alternative-influenced sound.
It’s no stretch to say that I received a 30 Seconds To Mars vibe when listening to the first minute of the song, the atmospheric, airy electronics providing a sense of melody one would expect from say, Linkin Park. The trade-off chorus between screamer Ronnie Canizaro and keyboardist Joe Buras further cements that feel, which is something that a song like “Mindful” off TWDA experimented with. The instrumental work is carefully placed but also decidedly reserved with plentiful chugs and precise kick pedal usage paving more of a runway for the electronics to soar over. The electronic beat drop in the second verse is notably awesome when combined with the mid-paced rhythm section. In the second half of the song we hear the first usage of guitar leads in the entire song and they are more rhythmic than they are melodic, a recent direction guitarist Lee Mckinney seems to have taken. In the final moments a breakdown hits and overstays its welcome, but the positives here are the fact that Ronnie’s growl/shriek vocal ranges have vastly improved as has his technique.
More than anything “Throw Me In The Jungle” is clear evidence that there has been some slight progression within the vocal areas of the band. As for the song as a whole, the ambient, trippy vibe is there and in turn makes the song more accessible than much of the band’s past work but it’s not anything we haven’t heard BOO do recently. In short, we are given definite consistency and the identity is undoubtedly the band we heard 2 years ago, but as fans I’m sure we hunger for a left field swing at this point. BOO certainly contain a wider skill-set than demonstrated here. After all, the lyrics subtly hint at a greater transition away from a dark place. Maybe this is just a small piece of a bigger puzzle.
