Review Summary: Well composed and tightly executed, "All Shall Align" is the perfect example of technical death metal par excellence.
Band Lineup:
Oli Peters - Vocals
Tobi Morelli - Guitars
Dean Lamb - Guitars
Jaron Evil - Bass, Vocals
Spencer Prewett - Drums
Archspire are one of the many bands that populate the rich and vibrant Canadian metal scene. The band plays a commanding blend of technical death metal a la Origin and the slightest trace of melody that make the music very tasteful.
Front man Oli Peters' growls are multifarious in their capacity. His frantic vocals race through a frighteningly large number of words and phrases in any given song. The fury with which some of the lyrics are delivered is quite commendable. Peters also manages to vary his delivery from his growls to higher pitch screams without compromising his speed. The vocals are definitely one of the stand-out features of Archspire's sound.
As expected for a technical death metal band, the instrumentation is top-notch. Spencer Prewett's drum work is fast and relentless providing the uncompromising atmosphere music of this kind needs. Tracks like "Deathless Ringing" and "Ancient of Ancients" are replete with examples of some insane drumming. Jaron Evil's bass is well heard throughout the mix and his execution of the complex bass lines on “Ghosts of The Silent Tongue” proves his caliber.
Tobi Morelli and Dean Lamb combine to provide a pretty technical spectrum of riffs that climb up and down the scales at impressive speeds. Sweep picking is employed almost everywhere in the album but the riffs are varied enough to keep the listener interested. The songwriting on "All Shall Align" allows for songs to morph into calm acoustic breaks for short periods of time. These transitions that pop up in tracks like "Archspire" and "Rapid Elemental Dissolve" seem fitting and catch the listener off guard.
Lyrical themes involve a fascinating hybrid of misanthropy, alien invasion and science fiction. The lyrics have a Messuhgah-esque touch to them and are pretty intriguing. While the music is well produced and presented on the whole, some guitar parts may sound a little too artificial and overproduced. However, this is only me being nit-picky. In a nutshell, Archspire have managed to create a monster of an album that proves to be a thrilling ride for both newcomers and seasoned listeners of technical death metal.
Rating: 4.5/5
