Origin – Chaosmos (Review)

This is the eighth album from US death metallers Origin.

It seems like Unparalleled Existence only came out a couple of years ago, but it was actually 2017. Time certainly flies. Still, at least Origin have now returned, bringing us the 46-minute beast that is Chaosmos.

Origin specialise in a technical brutality that’s entirely their own. For 25 years the band have mercilessly carved up the extreme metal landscape according to their own designs, and on Chaosmos those plans are nearing fruition; this new album is brutally devastating.

Melodic and technical flourishes flesh out the band’s relentless brutality, allowing for depth and mood-building to occur within the maelstrom of crushing riffs and blasting aggression. Origin’s inimitable style sounds good on Chaosmos, full of wicked personality, barbed creativity, and enriched, nuanced brutality.

The songs are very enjoyable examples of Origin’s art. The music’s harsh savagery is backed up by songwriting skill, Grade A performances, and the sort of layered extremity that keeps pulling you back. Also, quite simply, no matter how technical or complex Chaosmos gets, it demands that you move to its brutal groove and hyperspeed assault.

Each track is recognisable, moreish, and worthy of its own individual place on the album. Within Origin’s death metal framework, there’s probably a bit more diversity on offer here too than you might expect. There’s an old-school grindcore feel to parts of the album that I really like, (think Brutal Truth/Napalm Death), which is especially notable on a cut like Decolonizer. Other songs also display more progressive death additions, (Nostalgia for Oblivion), touches of harsh black metal intensity, (Cullscape), Dying Fetus-esq breakdowns, (Ecophagy), or long-form songwriting, (Heat Death). Basically, the core Origin style makes up the hulk of the material, but it’s enhanced by some extra elements that are great to hear.

Origin are so damned good at what they do. They have managed to demolish a significant area of the extreme metal landscape just for themselves, and they rule it with an iron fist. Chaosmos is another highly enjoyable slab of brutality, and if you like Origin, then you’re sure to like this.