Archspire celebrates its independence!
Following the success of their crowdfunding campaign, which marked their departure from their former label, Dean Lamb (guitar), Tobi Morelli (guitar), Oliver Rae Aleron (vocals), and Jared Smith (bass) recruited Spencer Moore (drums, Oubliette, ex-Inferi) and released Too Fast to Die, their fifth album, in 2026.
Liminal Cypher opens with a gentle melody, but as we all suspect, the band won’t be long in unleashing riffs at an almost inhuman speed, topped off by Oliver’s famous “shotgun vocals,” which seem to know no bounds in terms of articulation and brutality. The complex leads are no exception, taking full advantage of a fertile blast beat landscape for their ever-present technicality, and although I’m used to their music, I remain impressed by such mastery, just as on Red Goliath, which follows with similar patterns, all dedicated to both violence and technical prowess. While the sound breaks down from time to time, letting the bassist, for example, torture his instrument, the new wave of violence doesn’t take long to emerge, making the guitars scream with strangely melodic harmonics at breakneck speed; I even had to double-check that Carrion Ladder was playing at the right speed, the opening moments are so insanely fast. The band once again pushes its boundaries, both vocally and instrumentally, even offering a far more majestic passage with ethereal harmonics, before returning to its unbridled ferocity on Anomalous Descent, a track that initially leaves us absolutely no respite and on which we also discover unexpected backing vocals that perfectly complement the frontman’s assault. The break allows us to properly catch our breath before taking the next wave head-on, which propels us into the calm introduction of The Vessel, the next track that maintains an overwhelmingly powerful pace but cheerfully draws from Melodic Death Metal to give the guitars some interesting soaring moments. We move on to Limb of Leviticus, a slightly heavier track that continues to trample us at a BPM that would likely be mind-boggling for any musician, yet doesn’t shy away from its piercing harmonics to lighten the raging storm, allowing us just enough time to catch our breath before diving back in with renewed vigor. The very slow and soothing final leads us into Deadbolt the Backward, which immediately kicks into high gear and unleashes the musicians’ full prowess, once again turning to haunting harmonics, then the album closes with the title track Too Fast to Die, not without one last dose of unbridled, devastating riffs that do their job perfectly, letting the vocalist scream freely and even incorporating staccato sections that will be absolutely stunning live.
Despite the departure of one of its founding members at a critical juncture in its career, Archspire has managed to bounce back and deliver one of the most – if not the most – complex and polished albums of the year. Too Fast to Die is a true masterpiece in every respect!
95/100