Origin

Death metal requires insane technical precision and serious physical stamina. Yet many of its accomplished musicians never receive the respect they deserve, mostly because they sabotage their own efforts with nauseating band names and grotesque album artwork guaranteed to repulse the casually curious. Topeka's Origin might scare the squeamish with its brutal three-pronged vocal attack and geometric guitar lines, but it has vowed not to further constrict its potential audience with sacrilegious lyrics or gore-splattered imagery. Echoes of Decimation, its new release, combines astounding instrumental intricacy with raw velocity. Seeing Origin play live is like watching someone assemble a model race car and simultaneously steer the real thing around a treacherous track at top speed.