{"id":684548,"date":"2026-07-10T16:54:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T16:54:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/684548\/"},"modified":"2026-07-10T16:54:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T16:54:10","slug":"review-apogean-waste-where-life-begins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/684548\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Apogean – Waste Where Life Begins"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Published by Cory<\/a> on 2026\/07\/102026\/07\/10<\/p>\n

\"\"Artwork by: Dexter Forbes<\/p>\n

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

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If I feel this way as a listener, I have to imagine bands frequently feel this way about their native genres. Perhaps that\u2019s 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<\/a>\u2019s 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?<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

True to the band\u2019s word, Waste Where Life Begins doesn\u2019t ring like a typical technical death metal album\u2014or much of a technical death metal album at all. Rather, aside from a few noodley guitar solos, it\u2019s the big chugs and blackened tonal palette that carry the record. The group\u2019s 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 \u201cDaughter of the Oak,\u201d 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\u2019s short thirty-three-minute runtime. Variety isn\u2019t necessarily a strong suit, but Apogean nail the formula.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Still, the record has its share of standout moments. After a somewhat grating verse, \u201cWhite Trees, Black Leaves\u201d breaks into a ridiculously catchy black \u2018n\u2019 roll riff replete with slick drum fills. The band repeat this a second time in the song\u2019s back half and throw a rippin\u2019 guitar solo over it, which for me is the album\u2019s singular high point. But the next track, \u201cNassaru,\u201d 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\u2019s violin accents are deftly placed, and the spoken passages delivered by Apogean\u2019s longtime friend Joshua Ward\u2014added posthumously, as Ward was tragically and senselessly killed by a drunk driver\u2014make the track a fitting tribute to Ward. Closing out the album is its longest cut, \u201cBlack Smoke, Bleeding Earth,\u201d which has a chorus backed by shreddy leads that remind me of something you\u2019d 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 \u201cRitual,\u201d an aptly titled ambient interlude that sits awkwardly, feeling isolated and out of place\u2014neither bridging the final tracks nor leading naturally into the closer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u2019s 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\u2014enough to put Apogean on my radar and have me ready to try to absorb whatever they do next.<\/p>\n

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

Related links: Bandcamp<\/a> | Facebook<\/a> | Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n

Label: The Artisan Era<\/a><\/p>\n

Apogean are:
\u2013 Mac Smith (vocals)
\u2013 Dexter Forbes (guitars)
\u2013 Jack Post (guitars)
\u2013 Doug Noel (drums)
\u2013 Robert Tam (bass)
With guests:
\u2013 Laura Bates (violin and choir on \u201cDaughter of the Oak,\u201d \u201cNassaru,\u201d \u201cRitual,\u201d and \u201cBlack Smoke, Bleeding Earth\u201d)
\u2013 Joshua Ward (spoken passages, posthumously, on \u201cNassaru\u201d)<\/p>\n

\n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n