Style: progressive death metal (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Gojira, Black Crown Initiate, Rivers of Nihil, Alluvial
Country: Canada
Release date: 10 July 2026

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I often think of genres as sponges: I can only take in so much music of a certain style before saturation occurs, and I struggle to sop up more. With prog metal, for instance, I can still absorb plenty each year despite a couple of decades of listening to the genre. But my tech death sponge is much smaller and has reached a nearly waterlogged state. As much as I love the style, it takes something special for a technical death metal release to soak in. 

If I feel this way as a listener, I have to imagine bands frequently feel this way about their native genres. Perhaps that’s why Canadian tech death act Apogean spend much of the promotional description of sophomore LP Waste Where Life Begins explaining how their sound has expanded well beyond the genre. Citing blackened, classical, and neofolk elements, it sounds as if Apogean have released an album perfect for someone (me) who has little room left for conventional tech death (especially after taking in countrymen Archspire’s latest gem earlier this year). Will I absorb Waste Where Life Begins like a desert floor absorbs fresh rain, or will listening be more like trying to soak up a puddle with a paper towel?

True to the band’s word, Waste Where Life Begins doesn’t ring like a typical technical death metal album—or much of a technical death metal album at all. Rather, aside from a few noodley guitar solos, it’s the big chugs and blackened tonal palette that carry the record. The group’s sound is further elevated by a thick atmosphere, touches of ambience, and occasional violin and choral texture provided by guest musician Laura Bates. Apogean put most of their cards on the table with the short opener “Daughter of the Oak,” which epitomizes the album as a whole: chuggy Gojira-isms meet black-metal-inspired flourishes and tremolos; wicked drums bludgeon alongside gruff, powerful growls; and an evident sense of melody grabs the ear while bits of violin enhance the atmosphere. Toss in a few pinches of deathcore, and for better or worse, this description fits most of the album’s short thirty-three-minute runtime. Variety isn’t necessarily a strong suit, but Apogean nail the formula.  

Still, the record has its share of standout moments. After a somewhat grating verse, “White Trees, Black Leaves” breaks into a ridiculously catchy black ‘n’ roll riff replete with slick drum fills. The band repeat this a second time in the song’s back half and throw a rippin’ guitar solo over it, which for me is the album’s singular high point. But the next track, “Nassaru,” is the strongest of the bunch overall, as it turns up the prog dial a few notches with dense yet infectious riffing and a winding composition. Bates’s violin accents are deftly placed, and the spoken passages delivered by Apogean’s longtime friend Joshua Ward—added posthumously, as Ward was tragically and senselessly killed by a drunk driver—make the track a fitting tribute to Ward. Closing out the album is its longest cut, “Black Smoke, Bleeding Earth,” which has a chorus backed by shreddy leads that remind me of something you’d hear from Mors Principium Est, along with some beautiful passages led by clean guitar and violin. In a slight misstep, however, the song is preceded by “Ritual,” an aptly titled ambient interlude that sits awkwardly, feeling isolated and out of place—neither bridging the final tracks nor leading naturally into the closer. 

On the whole, Waste Where Life Begins hits quite a few styles in the extreme-metal sphere, and does them well. Nonetheless, the tracks feel slightly formulaic at times and are liable to blend into a maybe-too-familiar sound despite the diversity of their components. Fortunately, Apogean keep the compositions concise and the performances tight, preventing the album from dragging. Most of the album’s elements are rock solid, if not always exciting for someone with an overly saturated sponge. I might not have fully soaked up Waste Where Life Begins, but it certainly made for some enjoyable listens—enough to put Apogean on my radar and have me ready to try to absorb whatever they do next.

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Recommended tracks: Daughter of the Oak; Nassaru; Black Smoke, Bleeding Earth
You may also like: Centuries of Decay, Subterranean Lava Dragon, Dormant Ordeal, Cognizance
Final verdict: 6.5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Label: The Artisan Era

Apogean are:
– Mac Smith (vocals)
– Dexter Forbes (guitars)
– Jack Post (guitars)
– Doug Noel (drums)
– Robert Tam (bass)
With guests:
– Laura Bates (violin and choir on “Daughter of the Oak,” “Nassaru,” “Ritual,” and “Black Smoke, Bleeding Earth”)
– Joshua Ward (spoken passages, posthumously, on “Nassaru”)