Interstellar Brutality (Origin - Origin)

Member Name: Burning_Darkness

Product:	Origin - Origin
Date:	25/06/09 (16 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Immensely powerful, some great riffs and grooves

Disadvantages: Not a lot of variation between songs

"Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet, you are a plague, and we are the cure."

This sampled quote, taken from 'The Matrix' and employed by US band Origin midway through this, their self titled Relapse Records debut, is wholly apt, as Origin specialise in crushing, relentless death metal that is utterly indifferent, hostile even, towards the concerns of mere humans. They derive their aesthetic from the infinitely vast and utterly hostile far-reaches of space, illustrating the insignificance of man through a mix of ludicrously tight, uncompromising chugging riffs, cavernous, pummelling blast beats and inhuman guttural barks and growls that will appeal to fans of Cannibal Corpse and old Deicide.

It's quite difficult to know what to say about this album as there is so little variation between tracks; the mindblowing complexity of later Origin releases is less prevalent here, although the standard of musicianship is still hugely impressive. Simply, the album offers a whirlwind of non-stop pummelling from start to finish, suggestive of an inhabited planet under constant and relentless bombardment from an endless shower of meteorites.

The riffing is simplistic and repetitive, but extremely fast and in perfect unison with the equally clinical drumming. The term 'clinical' is rather appropriate for the album as whole in fact, given that it sounds cold, alien and mechanical, in a way that is similar to, say, Decapitated album 'The Negation'. It manages to combine this clinical approach with the fat, chuggy grooves evident in Deicide's debut, whilst it's dense and relentless nature will appeal to fans of Suffocation.

Whilst the tracks are very similar, there are plenty of powerful, catchy and hugely enjoyable riffs to be found on each one, and the album manages to turn its lack of variation to its advantage, with the unyielding monotony of it all only adding to the inhuman, brutally hostile atmosphere. Metallic-sounding vocal effects are employed too on occasion, heightening the effect yet further.

The album clocks in at just under 30 minutes, but is so musically and sonically dense that this length feels about right. 'Origin' is a formidable, pummelling debut, highly recommended to fans of Deicide, Suffocation, Incantation and Cannibal Corpse.

Tracklisting-

1. Lethal Manipulation (The Bonecrusher Chronicles) 02:26
2. Sociocide 04:12
3. Vomit You Out 03:20
4. Origin 02:55
5. Mental Torment 03:49
6. Manimal Instincts 03:00
7. Infliction 02:51
8. Disease Called Man 03:44
9. Inner Reflections 03:26
Total playing time 29:49

Summary: Relentless, crushing, technical USDM