A decade and a half may be a suitable occasion to do some soul searching, looking back at the face of the past, trying to find things that were a miss back in the day. Now, matured and develop, it seemed only logical to set off to a commemorating momentum in order to generate an event that would remain in the minds of its heeding audience. Coming forth with their fifth album, tackling fifteen years of a solid career, the British Extreme Doom Metal prophets, THE PROPHECY, embarked on yet another journey, to trace back their origins, thus naming their epos "Origins", newly signed to the Ascension Music Group after a wonderful venture with Code666 Records. Trust me when I tell you that it would be hard not to catch yourself sinking in the transpired sea of emotions, aiming to drown you from the first step.

Taking a sidestep from their previous "Salvation", I might not see "Origins" as a step forward but rather parallel, looking knee deep into the essence of the band from a different perspective. The reconnection to their roots doesn't necessarily mean to their musical past, but maybe on much more personal level, portraying thoughts and emotions that came and went in an earlier time. That is one of the main reasons why this album felt so rich, beyond the musical qualities that the band has been constantly evoking time after time in their albums, it makes you wonder, look ahead to see what you missed because life is short and eventually it might end with a sense of incompletion.

Music wise, "Origins" is a sort of continuance to "Salvation", yet in its special way it presents somewhat delicate features, additional piano usage and at times as a lead instrument, alongside the slow thumping rhythm section and conventional guitar riffs and leads that are common in the band's legacy. Not too much into the technical specs, as the main purpose appeared to be keeping a certain flow with a few markers to boost up the experience. THE PROPHECY have never been an energetic band, they treat their material to the image it stands for, and up to date, it has been a grand experience. Like always, as this is my third review of the band's albums, I enjoyed listening to the diversity of Matt Lawson's voice, one of the better singers in this kind of extremity, whether clean or growl. I couldn't think of anyone suitable than this guy at the helm.

Since it is a singular epos divided into five parts, I found it troublesome to root out a preferred tune. I believe that in order not to weary the listener, it was decided to have this division into songs be made. Therefore, I recommended to sit back and listen to the entire piece all in once, let it swallow you for fifty minutes of your life.