Album Premiere: Apogean – Waste Where Life Begins
A certain technical death metal band, for privacy’s sake, let’s call them Archspir E…no, that’s too obvious. Let’s say A. Rchspire has been saying “Stay Tech” for years now. As if there’s no other options for tech death bands to branch out, to explore new sounds. No growth. No change. Only weedily deedily. Well, Toronto’s Apogean is casting aside the rigidity of the genre to forge their own path.
The band’s new album, Waste Where Life Begins, signals a stylistic shift, delving into blackened death metal, neofolk, and atmospherics to create a more well-developed and rewarding listen. Much like the new adventurous sounds, the content of each song follows in a similar vein, exploring the complexities of life, love, self-reflection, and the inevitable question we all have of “Why?” The thoughts are as heavy as the auditory output on the album.
Vocalist Mac Smith says:
“‘Waste Where Life Begins’ is an experimental leap into an evolution of our sound as a band. Though we don’t feel that this release fully embodies our stylistic future, we wanted to take some creative deviations and artistic liberties to try different approaches that our members had been developing. Diving into a blackened death metal style, we’ve also experimented with neofolk and classical elements to create some unorthodox layers, choruses, and interludes.“We’d also like to thank everyone who has supported us in the past and present. Without a solid community, we would’ve never had the chance to take these stylistic risks and continue making music. Please enjoy this sophomore album!”
Get ready to explore the unknown and listen for yourself:
Waste Where Life Begins is out tomorrow, July 10th, 2026 via The Artisan Era.
