Oh man. After having digested an entire Oxbow album, I'm really not in the mood for this one. But I'll try to keep that from influencing this review.
Origin are a technical death metal band from Topeka, Kansas, and they can outplay you. Technically, they are the techiest death metal to have ever teched your ears. Does that make them a good death metal band? Not necessarily. But it depends on what you're looking for when you listen to death metal. If it's speed and insane shifting time signatures you're looking for, then Origin might be your band. I personally tend to avoid technical death metal like the plague, but Origin are different in that they manage to create some interesting songs, avoiding the trap of the "look what I can do!" kind of death metal that so many bands with difficult playing techniques fall into.
Origin play at blistering speeds, they shift their time signatures all over the place, and their music is full of sweeping arpeggios from both lead and bass guitars as well as some sickening dual vocals. All of this is topped off with some of the most unreal (yet still human) drumming and blastbeats you'll hear in the genre, courtesy of the much revered drum kit god, John Longstreth.
With regard to this album as a whole, I find that it's very similar to their previous release Antithesis, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Both releases are better, and more adventurous, then any of the band's previous material. However, some riffs and song structures sound recycled and it can get monotonous at times. Entity is still a fun listen though, there are enough significant changes and catchy bits to keep me engaged for the most part. Some album highlights are the very death metal-titled songs Expulsion of Fury, Conceiving Death, and Evolution of Extinction, all of which totally rip. Much better than previous Origin albums, which sometimes made me feel like I was staring into a microwave. Like, cool that cheese is melting and I'm watching it melt, how awesome is that? But I'm still just staring into a box and dear god what am I doing with my life?
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