Origin

(Relapse)
by Paul Lee

Don’t be misled by the other-worldly cover photo of a spacescape and a nebula, Kansas’ Origin are first and foremost a vicious death metal band with a bloodlust that’ll match Deicide and Cannibal Corpse (though they lack the musical maturity of these bands). They remind me of Soul of a New Machine-era Fear Factory with their jackhammer rhythms and unrelenting attack. But after listening to Origin’s 29-minute assault a number of times, I was struck by the lack of variation in the pace and brutality. They seem to play the same song nine times with only slight alterations in structure and rhythm. While their chops are good and their power impressive, I lost interest before I got halfway through their disc.
(1720 South State Rd. Upper Darby, PA 19082)