Vancouver technical death metal powerhouse ARCHSPIRE have released their fifth full-length album, "Too Fast To Die", today as their first fully independent release. The record instantly cements itself as one of the most technically demanding and sonically ferocious death metal albums of the year.
The album features new drummer Spencer Moore, who makes an immediate statement with mind-bending performances that set new benchmarks for precision and speed in extreme metal. Far from a mere exercise in technicality, however, "Too Fast To Die" retains the color, character, and dark wit that have distinguished ARCHSPIRE from lesser technical death metal acts.
Recorded independently, the album showcases the quintet's evolved songwriting — songs are ludicrously fast yet surprisingly accessible, a feat that has confounded critics and fans since the band's early days. The new record pushes this paradox to its most deranged outer limits while remaining a compelling, front-to-back listen.
Tracks like "Limb of Leviticus" and others from the album's eight-song runtime demonstrate ARCHSPIRE's insatiable need for speed alongside an increasingly sophisticated compositional approach. The band have upped the ante for the entire technical death metal genre with this release.
ARCHSPIRE have proven with "Too Fast To Die" that going independent hasn't diminished their ambition one iota — if anything, artistic freedom has only sharpened their already razor-edged sound.