“We’re like a bit of meth in your cigarette,” says vocalist Oliver Rae Aleron, which I think is the perfect way to succinctly encapsulate the chaos that is Archspire and their hedonistic approach to tech death.  I can’t recall a band that was less about half measures and subtlety, and if the title Too Fast to Die doesn’t give it away, the Canadian quintet’s fifth full-length release ups the ante firmly on the wild abandon that trademarks their sound, albeit this time with a new ethos (pun intended) and a new face helping reach ever loftier goals of “better, faster, louder.”

Too Fast to Die is marked by two major shifts in camp Archspire; the first of which is the introduction of a new Spencer on drums, with Spencer Moore replacing the amicably departed Spencer Prewett.  These are, literally and metaphorically, some big shoes to fill, and replacing a drummer who can actually keep up with the intensity and pace of the average Archspire song is no small feat.  It necessitated both time (the band spent the better part of a year before Moore was chosen as a replacement) and a shift in mindset, coupled with some good old fashioned crowdsourcing: in short, YouTube allowed the band to take auditions from all over the world and look for the unacquired free agents just waiting for their Mark Wahlberg-esque shot at the big leagues (that’s either an Invincible or Rock Star reference, your choice).  Moore’s audition made it to the top of the list past some genuine household names in the world of death metal, so that should speak volumes to his qualifications.  The internet didn’t just help Archspire find a new drummer, though: the other major shift that precipitated Too Fast to Die was the band’s moving on from longtime label Season of Mist in favor of going fully independent on this release.  Independence can be a scary thing, but it seems like it was the right move, even as good as Season of Mist has been to the band: this album was fully funded in less than 24 hours of being live and nearly quadrupled their funding goal by the end of the campaign, so it’s very clear they have the power of the people on their side.

All I ever need from a new Archspire album is more of their brand, and Too Fast to Die delivers on that in spades.  If it wasn’t said clearly enough before, Moore can absolutely hold his own with the rest of the band.  The lightning fast blast beats and intricate fills that characterize Archspire’s rhythm section are still ever-present; I wouldn’t say “better” this time, but I think it’s high praise of Moore to say that if you didn’t hear that Archspire changed drummers before you listened to Too Fast to Die, you’d never notice a difference.  Similarly, the other hallmarks of Archspire’s signature sound are just as sharp as ever: Jared Smith’s frenetic and tapped-arpeggio heavy bass playing bridges the gap between Moore’s pounding rhythms and the mesmerizing neoclassical shred of guitarists Dean Lamb and Tobi Morelli, all with the Busta Rhymes meets Corpsegrinder death rap flow of Aleron.  Last time I reviewed an Archspire album, I got roasted for calling his vocals “clear,” and I categorically stand by what I said, but perhaps I should elaborate more, because I feel like it’s true this time around as well: of course it’s gonna be hard to understand /what/ Aleron is saying given the speed and the growling, but his delivery (as well as the crisp production once again from Dave Otero) makes his SMG-style assault of syllables feel less muddy and garbled than it could with a weaker focus on production.  Everything on this album sounds fantastic and stands out in its own space, which is difficult to do when notes and beats and words are flying at you at near warp speed.  Most importantly, though, is that despite the speed and sheer energy of each of these tracks, they are memorable for more than just their extremes.  These are incredibly well thought out pieces that blend highfalutin classical influences with dumb-guy chunky riffs and really catchy lead work in a package that is maybe not for everyone explicitly, but that offers everyone at least something to latch on to.

Too Fast to Die is proof that Archspire have been doing everything right by taking their destiny in their hands and doing everything their own way, beholden to no one.  It’s been a huge year for the band, from a lineup shift to going independent to Lamb starting up his own guitar company, but if anyone can handle all that with the kind of irreverent “fuck it” attitude it takes to survive this ever-shifting music business, it’s Archspire.  I guess there’s really only one thing left to say at this point: stay tech.

— Ian

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Too Fast to Die will be available April 10 on Archspire’s Bandcamp page.  For more information on Archspire, visit their official website.