ORIGIN

Technical Death Metal • United States

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Origin are an American technical brutal death metal band from Topeka, Kansas/ They formed in 1998 by Guitarist/Vocalists Paul Ryan and Jeremy Turner. They were soon joined by Clint Appelhanz (Bass), Mark Manning (Vocals) and George Fluke (Drums). On July 4th, 1997, Paul Ryan and Jeremy Turner, acquaintances through mutual friends, had a conversation that would change their lives. Shortly thereafter, the two guitarists/vocalists got together and started jamming with the intent to create a band embodying blistering speed, total brutality, technical proficiency, and the utmost in quality musicianship.

In October, 1997, they convinced long-time friend Clint Appelhanz to put down his guitar, pick up a bass and join them. Coincidentally, Paul was also good friends with vocalist Mark Manning, who possessed an unbelievably monstrous voice of unmatched ferocity. After hearing the damage the existing members had rendered, Mark aligned himself with the nascent group.

In January, 1998, the read more...

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Origin - Entity - 04 - Swarm online metal music video by ORIGIN

Origin - Entity - 04 - Swarm
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The Aftermath - Origin online metal music video by ORIGIN

The Aftermath - Origin
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ORIGIN - "Portal"
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Origin - Reciprocal online metal music video by ORIGIN

Origin - Reciprocal
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ORIGIN - "Finite"
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ORIGIN Discography

ORIGIN albums / top albums

3.42 | 8 ratings

Origin
Technical Death Metal 2000

ORIGIN Informis Infinitas Inhumanitas album cover

3.58 | 9 ratings

Informis Infinitas Inhumanitas
Technical Death Metal 2002

3.68 | 10 ratings

Echoes of Decimation
Technical Death Metal 2005

4.07 | 14 ratings

Antithesis
Technical Death Metal 2008

4.10 | 13 ratings

Entity
Technical Death Metal 2011

3.61 | 5 ratings

Omnipresent
Technical Death Metal 2014

ORIGIN Unparalleled Universe album cover

3.88 | 8 ratings

Unparalleled Universe
Technical Death Metal 2017

ORIGIN Abiogenesis - A Coming into Existence album cover

3.00 | 4 ratings

Abiogenesis - A Coming into Existence
Technical Death Metal 2019

0.00 | 0 ratings

Chaosmos
Technical Death Metal 2022

ORIGIN EPs & splits

ORIGIN Label Showcase - Nuclear Blast album cover

0.00 | 0 ratings

Label Showcase - Nuclear Blast
Technical Death Metal 2012

ORIGIN live albums

ORIGIN demos, promos, fans club and other releases (no bootlegs)

ORIGIN A Coming Into Existence album cover

3.50 | 1 ratings

A Coming Into Existence
Technical Death Metal 1998

ORIGIN re-issues & compilations

ORIGIN singles (0)

ORIGIN movies (DVD, Blu-Ray or VHS)

ORIGIN Reviews

ORIGIN Unparalleled Universe

Album · 2017 · Technical Death Metal

UMUR

"Unparalleled Universe" is the seventh full-length studio album by US death metal act Origin. The album was released through Agonia Records in June 2017. It´s the successor to "Omnipresent" from 2014 and features an identical four-piece lineup of Paul Ryan (vocals, guitars), Mike Flores (vocals, bass), John Longstreth (drums), and Jason Keyser (lead vocals).

"Unparalleled Universe" opens with "Infinitesimal to the Infinite", which pretty much sounds exactly how you´d expect an opening track on an Origin album to sound like. Ultra fast-paced guitar sweeps and blasting drumming, highly energetic and controlled chaotic, technical, brutal and sharp death metal with both growling vocals and higher pitched screaming vocals.

"Unparalleled Universe" unfortunately also suffers from the same issues as the preceding Origin releases, and that´s the lack of memorable songwriting. Everything is so over the top in regards to brutality and technical playing, that the band seem to forget to write catchy songs. I understand this isn´t pop music and it´s not meant to be easily accessible, but a hook or a memorable moment here and there wouldn´t hurt. When they put their mind to it, they are able to do it (like the closing melodic sequence to "Cascading Failures, Diminishing Returns"), but they predominantly focus so much on technical playing and brutality that the music often lacks dynamics and impact.

From a technical standpoint this is highly impressive music. The skill involved to pull off playing these tracks at the breakneck speed that´s required are amazing to say the least. Breaks, tempo changes, and fast, fast, fast-paced guitar riffs and rhythms. "Unparalleled Universe" features a pretty well sounding production job, although the clicky sounding bass drums are placed a bit too high in the mix. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

19 days ago
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ORIGIN Omnipresent

Album · 2014 · Technical Death Metal

UMUR

"Omnipresent" is the 6th full-length studio album by US death metal act Origin. The album was released through Agonia Records in July 2014. It´s the successor to "Entity" from 2011. "Entity (2011)" was recorded by the three-piece lineup Paul Ryan (vocals, guitars), Mike Flores (vocals, bass), and John Longstreth (drums). "Omnipresent" features one lineup change since the predecessor as Jason Keyser has been added to the lineup as lead vocalist, allowing Ryan and Flores to concentrate more on their instruments although they are both still credited with doing backing vocals on "Omnipresent".

Keyser is a relatively ordinary death metal growler (...and there´s nothing wrong with that. He is doing a great job here) and the more dynamic vocal assault from "Entity (2011)" is toned down on "Omnipresent". There is still higher pitched aggressive vocals here and there, but they are not as dominant as they were on the predecessor. Stylistically "Omnipresent" is a bit of a change for Origin. The music style is still relatively brutal and technically well played death metal, but the technical part of the band´s music is not as much in focus as on the preceding releases. The band already began a transformation with more focus on catchy songwriting on "Antithesis (2008)" as opposed to the early releases where it sometimes seemed like the focus was entirely on the technnical aspect of the sound and very little on the actual songwriting, but it´s for example still a bit surprising to hear a D-beat drum rhythm on an Origin track, which actually happens during "Omnipresent". Sure it´s only on one track, but I´m not less surprised.

As expected the musicianship are on a high level on all posts, and while this is not as relentlessly fast and technical as the early releases, it´s still quite challenging and technically well played death metal. "Omnipresent" features a powerful and darker sounding production that what we have been used to on the early releases by the band, and it´s yet another feature to set "Omnipresent" apart from what came before. Upon conclusion it´s another high quality release by Origin, but I wouldn´t call it a step up from "Entity (2011)", which was a really strong release. "Omnipresent" is a pretty strong release, but it doesn´t quite reach the excellent mark in my book. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

more than 2 years ago
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Report #754148

ORIGIN Echoes of Decimation

Album · 2005 · Technical Death Metal

UMUR

"Echoes of Decimation" is the 3rd full-length studio album by US, Kansas based death metal act Origin. The album was released through Relapse Records in March 2005. It´s the successor to "Informis Infinitas Inhumanitas" from 2002 and features a couple of lineup changes since the predecessor as guitarist Jeremy Turner has been replaced by Clint Appelhanz, and drummer John Longstreth has been replaced by James King.

Stylistically the lineup changes do not alter the band´s trademark technical brutal death metal sound. The listener is exposed to exactly what is expected if you´re already familiar with the band´s sound on the eponymously titled debut album from 2000 or the sound on "Informis Infinitas Inhumanitas 2002)". Cold, harsh, chaotic, often dissonant, and brutal death metal played with great technical skill, fronted by a brutal growling vocalist and a high pitched snarling one. 9 tracks and a total playing time of 26:28 minutes and the album is over almost before it began, but it´s actually a suitingly short playing time in this case. And it´s got nothing to do with the quality of the music, which is high throughout, but a matter of the music being ultra brutal and inaccessible, which would probably make a longer playing time a bit of a challenge to get through, even to the trained death metal ear. To my ears "Echoes of Decimation" is actually slightly more accessible and memorable than the case was with the first two albums, but overall the album is quite the challenging listening experience.

"Echoes of Decimation" features a well sounding production job, which further helps the album sound a bit more accessible than it probably is. So the album both features a good quality sound production and some well written material (which could have been even stronger with just one or two hooks to hold on to), but you can´t write a review about Origin without mentioning how technically well playing and quite frankly jaw-dropping brilliant they are on their instruments. In other words Origin are an incredibly well playing band and they show their full potential here with lightning fast riffs, fast technical drumming, and some fairly nice vocal work too (nothing too much out of the ordinary, but still solid within the genre). A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

more than 2 years ago
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Report #690221

ORIGIN Informis Infinitas Inhumanitas

Album · 2002 · Technical Death Metal

UMUR

"Informis Infinitas Inhumanitas" is the 2nd full-length studio album by US, Kansas based death metal act Origin. The album was released through Relapse Records in June 2002. It´s the successor to the eponymously titled debut album from 2000 and features a couple of lineup changes since the predecessor, as lead vocalist Mark Manning has been replaced by James Lee and bassist Doug Williams has been replaced by Mike Flores.

Stylistically there haven´t been many changes despite the changes in personel. This is still ultra brutal technical death metal predominantly delivered at a frantic pace. Origin are a skilled band who execute their parts with clinical precision. It´s a relentless brutal assault on the ears, and definitely not for the faint at heart. One brutal technical riff and rhythm after another are thrown at the listener and as if that wasn´t caustic enough, we´re treated to some really brutal growling vocals spiced up with piercing snarling screams. There´s not even a hint of melody to be found on the album, and in the end "Informis Infinitas Inhumanitas" does become a bit of a one-dimensional affair because the focus is solely on technical playing, frenetic speed, and brutality. A bit more groove and mid-paced heaviness could also have made the album a bit more accessible, but that´s clearly not what Origin have aimed for here.

"Informis Infinitas Inhumanitas" features a powerful, raw, and detailed sound production. It´s in the cold and clinical end of the spectrum, but it suits the material well. So upon conclusion "Informis Infinitas Inhumanitas" is a quality brutal technical death metal release. It´s completely uncompromising though, and to my ears a bit more variation and songwriting dynamics would have made this an even better release. As it is a 3.5 star (70%) rating is still fully deserved.

more than 2 years ago
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Report #690076

ORIGIN Origin

Album · 2000 · Technical Death Metal

UMUR

"Origin" is the eponymously titled debut full-length studio album by US, Kansas based death metal act Origin. The album was released through Relapse Records in July 2000. Origin was formed in 1997 by guitarists/vocalists Paul Ryan and Jeremy Turner. The band went through a couple of lineup changes in their early years, but the lineup who recorded "Origin" are in addition to the two above mentioned, Doug Williams (bass), John Longstreth (drums), and Mark Manning (vocals).

Stylistically the music on the album is technical brutal death metal. The musicianship is outstanding and the album features more than one jaw-dropping moment of virtuosic bliss. Razor sharp riffs and lightning fast drumming. The vocals are predominantly unintelligible deep growling, but there are also higher pitched screams thrown in for good meassure. It´s incredibly intense and brutal death metal played with great technical skill.

The vocals are a bit one-dimensional both in phrasing and rhythm (often delivered in staccato attack mode), so that part of the music is actually pretty standard for the genre and nothing out of the ordinary. The instrumental part of the music is slightly more original, but mostly in the drumming department. Longstreth was at this point relatively fresh out of his stint with Angelcorpse, and listeners familiar with the aggressive blackened death metal assault of that group, won´t be surprised by the skill and creativity of the man´s drumming. He is one of those rare extreme metal drummers who are able to bring something new and creative to the genre.

The material on the 9 track, 29:46 minutes long album is well written for the style. It´s brutal, technical, and effective, but there is an issue with variation between tracks. Even after repeated listens it´s still hard to tell the tracks apart, and although each individual track is high quality technical brutal death metal, more catchy memorable moments and more variation between tracks, could have elevated the album to a higher level.

So "Origin" is a high quality release on some areas, and need some improvement in others. Overall it´s a quality release though, featuring a detailed and powerful sound production, excellent musicianship, and some decent songwriting (with the reservations mentioned above). A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.