Origins

Album Review

In the jazz world, the terms "inside" and "outside" are used to describe avant-garde playing vs. non-avant-garde playing — and those terms are equally applicable in metal, which has mainstream bands as well as extreme bands and bands that are proud to be part of the lunatic fringe. But having "inside" elements doesn't automatically rule out having "outside" elements. Some metal bands draw on both the inside and the outside, which is what CypherSeer do on Origins. This New Jersey outfit doesn't integrate extreme and non-extreme elements to the degree that some melodic death metal and symphonic black metal bands integrate them; essentially, Origins is a melodic power metal/progressive metal album, and it would be a stretch to describe tracks like "Dying Force," "From the Womb," and "The Curse" as either full-fledged death metal or full-fledged black metal. However, some death metal growls and black metal rasps are incorporated here and there. Vocally, the clean singing of lead vocalist Zeno Rodrigo is the main attraction, but those growls and rasps add to the intrigue. And if one wants to view Origins as inside/outside metal, the vocals would be about 95 percent inside and five percent outside. Rodrigo favors a dramatic and passionate vocal style, which is appropriate because CypherSeer's material has a highly epic quality; no one can accuse Origins of lacking passion, and at the same time, no one can accuse this 2011 release of lacking musicality or nuance. But the extreme growls and rasps, although not a high priority, help set CypherSeer apart from all the power metal revival bands that try to sound exactly like bands from the '80s. And that willingness to stand away from the crowd is a plus for CypherSeer on the solid Origins.