Imagine the heaviness of thousand-ton hammers dropping on your spine, shattering it to fragments while a head-crusher slowly eats through your brain and churns the cranium. Fully conscious, your senses live on deponent to the pain. That might sounds as downright impossible and unearthly brutal. However, what arguably is from earth, absolutely exists and is furthermore ruthless is the new album by Origin, aptly titled ‘Unparalleled Universe’. The album is a testimony to the co-existence of soul-distorting technicality and mind-altering heaviness. This has sculpted an album like no other, which is and will be unparalleled in the Technical/Brutal Death metal domain for time to come. Releasing via Nuclear Blast Records, June 20th has been chosen as the day this planet witnesses its decimation.
I dare you, I double dare you to lie still while listening to this album, without banging your head. Right from the first timestamp of the opener “Infinitesimal to the infinite”, chaos and sheer aural density join forces and lay a full-on assault on your senses. The unparalleled brutality of the signature Origin sound is apparent, and what is also apparent is their evolution from their earlier works.
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“Accident and Error” was the first taste of the album for the world. The face-melting continues, and I have not been able to not violently move my head all throughout. Almost a minute into the song comes the slams! Anyone looking at me right now would totally believe that I have been possessed. Just the opening two songs are inspiration enough for me to catch them live for the third time ever during Summer Slaughter tour and the Bay Area Death fest. I urge you to not miss any opportunity to experience these beasts live.
The first few seconds of “Cascading Failures, Diminishing Returns” is the only rest period to the human ear. The track is an epitome of technical brilliance and structural diversity. The album is not to be considered as just another traditional tech-death album demonstrating 100 notes a second. It is a result of perseverance and intelligent songwriting. I could go pages here still would not be able to put to words its sheer brilliance.
“Mithridatic” is technical, groovy and intricate, while “Truthslayer” is simple straight-up relentless brutality. “Invariance under transformation” sounds like mammoths marching into battle – chugging guitar riffs vis-à-vis groovy bass lines riding upon intricate and inhuman percussion. The next track “Dajjal” was probably conceived with the pure intention of shattering spines, skulls, necks, and eardrums.
In terms of influences, they range from namely traditional death metal to grind, black metal, slam and various other things. Also, the production is very much Origin; an evolved one to be particular. “Burden of Prescience” is another diverse track exhibiting the best of all the worlds. A low-tempo groovy outro makes way for “Unequivocal”, another punishing offering and a beauty of an ever-changing death metal track. The album ends with a solid Origin-esque cover of “Revolucion” by Mexican death metal lords Brujeria. The ringing of ears from the unforgiving assault is imminent.
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Almost unmatched in terms of brutality and technicality, Origin have carved out a modern marvel – an embodiment of intricate precision and structural integrity in terms of musical brilliance. If you thought you understood Technical Death Metal, this album is bound to change your perceptions and inspire modern metal to look beyond the norms.