If modern technical death metal (a scene that has every band fighting to be the fastest around) can accurately be described as a d*ck-wagging competition, Archspire have the largest phallus of all. The Canadian five-piece have made virtuosic showmanship their everything, stuffing more notes into 2017’s ‘Relentless Mutation’ and 2021’s ‘Bleed the Future’ than most bands play in their entire discographies— their catalogue is a dizzying blur of blast beats and endless aggression, and if the title of new record ‘Too Fast to Die’ is any indication, the band aren’t petering out just yet. Archspire’s first fully independent effort is an absolute neck-breaker.

Something quite special happens once you finish your first listen of ‘Too Fast to Die:’ compared to the frenetic pummelling you’ll receive from previous records, you might notice that Archspire’s latest effort is home to a number of memorable themes and clever transitions, pulling from melodic death metal in a big way. The album is certainly brutal (as we’ll discuss later) but in a more focused, exacting manner: if ‘Bleed the Future’ felt like a pack of rabid dogs ripping you to pieces, this project is much more precise in its merciless dissection of your eardrums. Everywhere you look, Peters and company are somehow able to fuse interesting top-lines into these furious arrangements, transforming the ending of ‘Red Goliath’ into an imposing collection of ominous harmonies, all layered one on top of the other. Right from the off, Archspire signal to their audience that ‘Too Fast to Die’ is to be their most cinematic release to date, with opener ‘Liminal Cypher’ hosting both intriguing clean guitar parts and an honest-to-god breakdown. It feels clear that, with the burden of a record label now removed, the band are spreading their wings a little— that effort is the making of this album.

The splashes of melody employed across the record are well put-together on their own, but the real achievement lies in Archspire’s approach to integrating them into their trademark brand of technical death metal. Don’t get it twisted: this is a full-blown auditory assault where every moment of reprieve just leaves you dreading the next sonic eruption (in only the best of ways). At a certain point, you have to question whether or not the blistering drum performance Spencer Moore is offering up here can possibly be an accurate reflection of his skill, or if these eight tracks are spliced together from hundreds of takes: a cut like ‘Anomalous Descent’ is enough to exhaust you just listening to its unwavering double-kick and constant turnovers. Even after becoming one of tech death’s most recognisable acts, the band still manage to leave you breathless time and time again— the tremendous sweep picking (on both guitar and bass) that makes up ‘Deadbolt the Backward’ is honestly jaw-dropping, and you could say much the same for the absolute speed of the closing title track. Archspire have sanded off the rough edges of their sound: what they haven’t lost is the ability to leave you speechless.

What we have here, then, is the best crop of tracks this band have ever put out. Vocalist Oli Peters continues to be a bit of an acquired taste, admittedly, but even he does his best to ground himself in more traditional death metal growls on standout number ‘The Vessel’— his rapid-fire delivery can grow a little tiresome at points, but it certainly fits for this hurricane of a project. ‘Limb of Leviticus’ might just be the most well-rounded cut Archspire have ever penned, bouncing between emotional chord changes, punishing barrages and a chorus that, against all odds, manages to be catchy: memorability is no bad thing, and though the boundless technicality that defines the first half of lead single ‘Carrion Ladder’ is solid, it’s the song’s momentous ending that’ll really make your ears prick up. Ultimately, Peters and company are still making the most overwhelming tech death on the market, and you could hardly describe ‘Too Fast to Die’ as an accessible listen— when all is said and done, the group could probably have found room for just a little more atmosphere and nuance in here. Perhaps we’re just asking for a different band at that point though: if we’re going to listen to Archspire, it will undoubtedly be this very album.

How much you’ll enjoy ‘Too Fast to Die’ pretty much single-handedly comes down to your taste in death metal: if you like your music grotesquely well-performed, diabolically fast and gripping from beginning to end, this is the album for you. Archspire may have refined their sound here, but anyone who thinks the five-piece have lost their edge has clearly not been sucked into the vacuous abyss that is ‘Limb of Leviticus’ or ‘The Vessel.’ This is a record that truly earns it title— perhaps more than any project this year, ‘Too Fast to Die’ is best enjoyed with a neck brace on.