Origin - Unparalleled Universe album review

It’s gone in a flash. Even by death metal standards, two minutes and 23 seconds is quite short. But Origin punch in more notes, more sweeping solos and more blasts during Infinitesimal To The Infinite than most bands do in their whole catalogue. And that’s just the opening track… They may have their heads in the stars with their galactic concept, but Unparalleled Universe still feels like jumping into a boiling lava pool blindfolded. It’s a nonstop assault where you actually have to wait for track number three, Cascading Failures, to hear one ‘blink and it’s gone’ non-manic tempo. Thankfully, this isn’t just an endurance test but another truly impressive summit of talents, from former Angelcorpse and Gorguts skinbasher John Longstreth’s highly caffeinated performance to their mainman and guitarist Paul Ryan’s ability to shred one minute and enter an ambient mood the next (Cascading Failures, Diminishing Returns). Even their odd choice of covering Brujeria’s Revolucion somehow works, and only the failed attempt by these veterans of more than 20 years’ standing to come up with an ‘epic’ – the second half of Unequivocal being basically just anoutro more than anything else – slightly flattens what otherwise is another technical and brutal death metal tour de force.