by Phil Freeman

One of the flagship acts on the up-and-coming metal label Sumerian, Born of Osiris have made great strides on their second CD. Where 2007's eight-song EP The New Reign mixed technical death metal rhythms with shredtastic guitars and crazed keyboard interjections, A Higher Place lives up to its title by being significantly more psychedelic and melodic, without sacrificing the musical intricacy that's made them kings of what some are calling "Sumerian-core" -- a blend of tech-death and hardcore played by preternaturally talented youngsters. The production, by Zeuss, makes the band sound huge, easily competing with more mainstream heavy acts like Darkest Hour or Lamb of God while maintaining their unique sound. The opening track, the instrumental "Rebirth," combines Danny Elfman-esque melody with electronic rhythms, and throughout the album, cinematic, sweeping keyboards add an epic dimension to the twisted riffage. "Exist" has a chorus that verges on the melodic, while "Put to Rest" is convincingly arena-sized, and "An Ascent" closes with a hypnotic, noisy guitar riff that begs to be sampled by an adventurous hip-hop producer. Progressive, technical death metal has been making serious leaps in recent years, propelled by the instrumental skill and compositional chops of a generation of freakish, apparently carpal-tunnel-syndrome-immune youngsters. A Higher Place sets a pretty high bar for Born of Osiris' peers.