### Origin - Paul Ryan

#### 19/10/07 || The Duff

After having witnessed the Necrophagist/Origin show in Brighton, UK (link), I bumped into Origin guitarist Paul Ryan and talked a little about music-related stuff. Because I lack a great deal of imagination, I sent Paul the very same questions I asked him that night some six months later, and yet he was cool enough to reply overnight. Lucky for me, I noticed he sounded a lot like Michael Jackson that night, yet decided to remove a whole bunch of questions regarding this (I left the one or two, of course) – Paul doesn’t understand how things work around here, and so got all gangsta in my face, so if this is indeed my last piece of work before I’m gunned down to the sounds of “Shemoan, motherfucker!”, my proudest moment shall be having taken the piss out of ol’ skinny-britches here for having an old, gnarled oak tree up his cock. My past with this band? “Informis…” is a masterpiece, “Echoes of Decimation” – not bad but lacking, and one great live show means that I’m fond of these guys. Meet Paul Ryan (all mistakes left as written, proofing the guy would take away a great deal of the fun)...

GD: Tell us a little about Origin.

Paul: Were a brutal Death Metal Band.Its a band of dudesthat like playing death metal.. We just like playingmusic & trying to do something different… Its been afun gig for sure.

Are you thinking of diversifying your sound at all such as writing an all-acoustic piece, an instrumental tune or a ballad?

(No comment)

Have you heard of The Oxbow? Would you consider taking this revolutionary act out on tour with you?

Heard the name never heard the band…Both You & Iknow that bands don’t decide tours…booking agentsdo…we would have to draw heads for us to play withthem.

Do you listen to anything other than death metal?

Black,Death,Grind…thats the favs…I listen toeverything but doesnt mean I like it..There is alot tolearn in music.I am a metalhead.

If you could work with any one artist, who would it be?

Doug Cerrito

Would you ever consider working with Michael Jackson?

Is he doing grind now??? naa he’s got his hands fullof kids wanting to “work” with him

What can you tell us about your new album?

We record Nov 5th…Its the most material we have everwritten for a cd…This is the least I have writtenfor any cd.I have 5 songs & Jeremy Turner & MikeFlores have written 4 together.Its faster but longersongs…more diversified as well…Longstreth isplaying some sick beats as well.Its still Origin buteach cd will have its own identity

How’s it compare to your masterpiece “Informis…”?

It has the same lineup, alot of the same mentality…

How’s it compare to your not so much a masterpiece “Echoes of Decimation”?

Some people think iii sucks compared to this cd so itsMatter of choice…

Didn’t really answer my question, Touchy Tits. When are you entering the studio? When are you hoping the new album’ll be released?

Nov 5th…should be out spring 2008 on Relapse

How do you usually select the songs that make it on the setlist for a tour?

Depends were we are on the bill & who we are playingwith..How long a set as well.It varies depending onhow the crowd reacts…Some songs we cant get awayfrom playing live every show.

Why didn’t you play “Meat for the Beast” on your European tour with Necrophagist?

When III came out we would play this song all the timefor 2 years & people would just stand there so westopped playing it…Who knows we always change theset every tour.

Give us some highlights from the European tour you just completed some months back.

Some great times & some great shows…We were treatedlike Gods.Every show was good to great I got to see 15countries & drink with a bunch of raging metalheadseverynight….Besides I got to party with Misery Index& watch them play every nite!!!

Why didn’t Clint Applehanz accompany you on the tour of Europe?

He is in Unmerciful with James on UniqueLeader records

What do you think of the current death metal scene?

Its gotten bigger but oversaturated…Lots ofposing…clone bands

Rate these bands on a scale of one to ten (Paul seems to have skipped this part), and give us one word you would associate with them:

Necrophagist: (no comment) Morbid Angel: Masters… Spawn of Possession: Tech Immolation: The sound track to hell Decapitated: Vader

You know, “I.I.I” is a death metal maelstrom that has influenced a whole fuckload of bands; people who prefer the follow-up are just nuts – it’s technically flawless, but just doesn’t stick to the mind like your sophomore. Rate your own albums, and give us a sentence as to what makes them special to you; then bitch about the people who prefer “EoD” over “I.I.I”.

Demo =Titties & Beer

S/t = huge disappointment…to slow lacklusterperformance…internal problems in the band held usback…

III= pretty good cd…a little sloppy.good dynamics

EOD=Best Musicianship in the studio (for Origin)therefore the best sounding cd…

Why do you pick the guitar strings in the unusual way that you do? Does it enable you to play super-fast? How long have you been playing for, and who has inspired you the most?

Yeah it makes it so my my arm doesnt blow up fromplaying fast…its a pretty useful technique toconserve energy…like 20years..Steer,Schuldiner,Cerrito

You’re very soft-spoken – Karl Sanders suffers from the same ailment. Do you think this encumbers your credibility as a death metal vocalist?

You know most of my friends are dead or inprison…Walk around act like a bad ass see how longyou last…im not cool.I dont have to act tough.

Clearly you do – and you have no sense of humour. Where do you think Origin fits in today’s death metal scene? Do you think you’re still as relevant as five years ago?

the scene is waiting for a new Origin cd so they havenew ideas to copy… I will still be playing death metal relevant ornot…trends are for posers.

What’s that about trends? Please stick to the questions, Paul. So John Longstreth is back in the band. Why did he leave?

he thought playing music elsewhere would be a betteropportunity for him….

How did people react to James King’s place in the band? His performance on “Echoes…” was fucken ace, from what I recall, yet I did hear some people thinking John was better – did this make his replacement by John an easier decision to make?

King stepped up & filled some big shoes. For a drummerthat only been playing 4 years I & many others thinkhe did a amazing job.John has been drumming for alongtime & he does & certaing “feel” when he play drumsbut King was the best & only option for Origin…Ithank him & Clinton otherwise there would have neverbeen EOD James & Clinton wanted to focus on Unmerciful fulltime. John wanted back in after several auditions itwas the best choice for the band & himself.

How would you rate both drummers? Which one is the better?

Both are amazing.John is more flashy, Jamesis more Brutal.

Why did Jeremy Turner quit the band? Have you heard his work on the latest Cannibal Corpse, and if so, do you like it? Can you pick up on his influence in the band’s sound?

People get burned out from the road.He was the touringguitar play who replaced Jack Owen in 2004 forCannibal Corpse…He never appeared on a cd.

Oh – I research these questions, clearly. Has he returned to the band now, or did I just dream it? Someone other than John came back into the fold… how is that person contributing to the writing of the new album?

Yes Jeremy is back in the band…Everyone iscontributing to the writing of the next cd…

When you played live, a couple of parts didn’t work as well as they should have because you were one guitar player short, but you still covered the material admirably – some of those riffs must be pretty daunting to cover all by yourself. Has this affected how you write material for the next album, having played the role of sole guitarist for the band for such a long time?

Jeremy rejoined shortly after the tour & all thematerial has been written since march 2007

You told me on the tour that you had half the album already written… anyways. What do you have to say to people who think Origin became bland with Jeremy’s departure – like every other death metal band doing the rounds?

Well opinions are like assholes…everyone’s got one.

Nice.