The Apex is a band from Windsor, ON who describe themselves as "ghetto tech metal." I'm not really sure what that means, but their self-titled album slays. The Apex came out all the way back in February, but they are hitting the road for a tour, and I was lucky enough to get a second chance at hearing about the album. With an eclectic fusion of grindcore, death metal, and mathcore; this is another chance for ear-rape in 2015
In a nutshell, The Apex can be thought of as Calculating Infinity-era Dillinger Escape Plan mixed with some Pig Destroyer and Meshuggah vocals. The time signatures...they have to be illegal in most states. It all begins with the drums, which are just plain maniacal. They crush the entire album, but I am particularly fond of their little solos on "Glass Walls." Where did they find this guy? I'd never heard of Tyson Taylor, but he has been featured in Sick Drummer Magazine.
Then there's the guitarwork. Right off the bat with "Contention: Chapter 2," these guys are clearly fond of Ben Weinman. Riffs swirl, twist, stop, start, and chug their way through a veritable obstacle course of songwriting clearly set by the devil himself. And while many would get lost after the first mile or so, Brian and Steve never miss a note, never drop the beat. Speaking of which, Darren Marchand closely follows the Jens Kidman rulebook by turning his barbaric death vocals into a bit of a percussion instrument as well. The end result is positively destructive.
And with all of this focus on rhythm and timing, the majority of Apex, though plenty catchy in its own rite, is purposefully a-melodic. However, there are some moments towards the end of the album where some light attempts to shine through. There is a moment on "You're Not Dead Yet?" where it sounds as if a big, soaring, metalcorish chorus is being set up...only to be strangled back to the ground. It's a wonderful effect that made me smirk. This continues on "The Girl Death Left Behind" and "Contention: Ch 1," which actually do end up keeping brief interludes that are the closest thing on the album one might call "pretty." In any case, I love that these additions are included, but is such small doses as to emphasize the terror inflicted by everything else.
So in the end, The Apex is an album that I nearly missed early this year and seems to be largely neglected in coverage. It's a shame, because it really does great work. The writing and musicianship are both top notch, with a few little tricks thrown in for good measure. And above all, it's metal as f@#k. You can own the album for the price of your choosing over at bandcamp. Check out the stream and official video below for a taste.
