Origin - Antithesis

A brutal album, period. It culls together the best of blast-beaty, chromatic grindcore in certain passages and then emerges into a groovy wash of the classic “riff,” something not often seen anymore in the majority of metal. Nothing technically complicated always, but carries the point across with no frills and without mathcore-y noodling. The highlight track on this album is “Antithesis” with the classic Robert Oppenheimer sample (quoting the Bhagavad Gita) at the beginning as well in the lyrics of the song:

I am become death

The destroyer of worlds

The most apt description of this album I can give is: a wall closing in on you. Just when you think Antithesis can’t get any closer to crushing you, it lets up and then hits back farther than it initially reached. From the beginning track “The Aftermath” to the aforementioned title track at the end of the CD, the themes of the eschaton meshing with ideas of Hindu gods. This album is a celebration of the grandeur of mastery and power and what may be called a prayer to the gods of destruction and dominance. The track aftermath sets the stage for the good to come from our destruction:

Now life exists, without humans
New life unfolds, unimpeded
See new days, Earth will flourish
Worlds bane dead, free of cancer
Pollution, will diminish
Our plague ends, we won't return
The sixth wave, of extinction
Self destruct, we killed ourselves
Horizon, sights still unseen
Aftermath
Aftermath of our extinction

Among the songs dealing with death in inventive ways, the most stunning tracks have the themes of Hindu mythology in them which add a more sinister and epic sense to the album – they are not only dealing with death, but death on a complete scale anticipating annihilation; the only suitable term is the German Vernichtung which connotes not only death but removal from history and time. In Wrath of Vishnu, Origin states:

All Pervading - Destroyer of all existence
Past and future - Created and then erased
The universe - Sustained by the will of Vishnu
Incarnation - Mortals are dehumanized
Desolation - Immortals now isolated
Termination - Expiration of eons
Eradicate - Souls and lives that have existed
Cessation of - All solar proclivities

Furthermore, they appear to be seeking

The antithesis of life and dying
Screaming through the skies
The antithesis of life or death
Leaves us vaporized

Between the annihilation and nothingness is a worship of pure power in the Eternal Return, the power of the cosmos to create from nothing and return to nothing:

Ubiquitous beings, unnamed lords
That watch over our lives, and all worlds that
Exist, through their blessings of life and death
Behold the universe, take and give from
Matter that builds over time, from nothingness
Chemical reactions, not random lost
Building blocks, infinite, ways to create
Compelled to conjure us, and our worlds - End our worlds

Definitely pick up this album and check them out on their tour this summer – http://www.relapse.com. Up next, live from London 3/2/2007 and a beer review:

Flying Dog - Gonzo Imperial Porter

Appearance - Chocolate brown with significant lacing. Coffee head.
Smell - Strong red grape hints with chocolate and nutmeg. Very holiday-like and reminds me of a winter ale.
Mouthfeel - Milkshake-thick with minimal carbonation.
Taste - Chocolate with a LOT of hops, but very tangy (rather than bitter) hops. Smooth and creamy finish like a bitter cream soda.
Drinkability - Would drink many times over, but more than one a sitting would be overkill. A great stout that reminds me of arrogant bastard with less bitter hops. I will revisit this one frequently as it stands as a fine example from my prefered brewery, Flying Dog.