Hueman (The Pleasure of Burn) video out now
Canadian tech/prog death metal group Apogean presents their inaugural full-length, Cyberstrictive, scheduled for 08 March 2024 via The Artisan Era on vinyl, CD, and digital. Marking the debut with the new vocalist Mac Smith (who recently served as the live vocalist of Decrepit Birth), the upcoming album poignantly explores the dark side of technology, shedding light on its poisonous effects on our lives.
Apogean is a five-piece band from Toronto, Ontario, seeking to transcend metal’s traditional realms with their musical machinations. Drawing inspiration from a broad spectrum of artistic influences, this Canadian ensemble is set to embark on an unending journey, exploring the intersections of progressive metal, technical death, deathcore, and blackened death, positioning themselves at the forefront of heavy music’s ever-evolving landscape.
Despite their recent formation, Apogean features members bringing years of honed skills, diverse collaborations across genres, endorsements from leading musical instrument brands, and notable ventures into video game collaborations and licensing original compositions featured on ESPN. Their debut EP, Into Madness, was released in June 2021 through Blood Blast distribution, with mixing and mastering from renowned metal producer Zack Ohren (The Faceless, All Shall Perish, Immolation, etc.).
Cyberstrictive, the debut album, is Apogean’s first venture with the new vocalist Mac Smith, known for his involvement in various projects and recent stint as the live vocalist for Decrepit Birth. Beyond his vocal responsibilities, Mac, with a background in managing notable metal bands, also independently oversees the management of Apogean.
Across 10 songs, Cyberstrictive discloses the dark aspects of technology, taking a broader look at its impact on our minds, bodies, and souls. Drawing significant inspiration from Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 and echoing the dystopian excerpts of George Orwell’s 1984, the album explores the hazards of modern technology, covering risks such as sensory damage, psychological trauma, desensitization, information paradoxes, predatory practices targeting children, addiction complexities, and the erosion of creativity. Ultimately, the album culminates in a reflection on overarching manipulation and concludes by addressing the burdensome aspects of technology, employing wordplay and metaphor to illustrate the overwhelming drawbacks outweighing the benefits in the modern digital world.
Track Listing:
01. Bluelight Sonata
02. Thousand-Yard Glare [Music Video | Audio]
03. Distance (Of Walls and Wails)
04. With Which Ear You’ll Listen [Lyric Video | Audio]
05. Imposter Reborn
06. Within the Bounds of a Simile
07. Hueman (The Pleasure of Burn) [Music Video | Audio]
08. Polybius
09. Spinthariscope
10. An(t)imus
Album Credits:
Vocals/Lyrics – Mac Smith
Guitars – Dexter Forbes
Guitars – Gabriel Silva Castro
Drums – Jacob Wagner
Bass – Robert Tam
Guest Solo on “Bluelight Sonata” by Alex Baillie (Cognizance).
Guest Solo on “Hueman” by Paul Walsh.
Mixing/Mastering by Zach Ohren.
Artwork by Mark Erskine.
Pre-Order Cyberstrictive:
https://apogean.bandcamp.com/album/cyberstrictive (vinyl, CD, merch, digital)