Apostle are a band that just do it for me. When a friend first sent me their 2021 ep, “I Have Tried To Speak Through The Soil In My Mouth”, it felt as if I was hearing the music that my soul had been searching for up to that point. The chaotic hardcore roots of my youth were being entombed by hallmarks of more extreme music that would define the coming years of my musical journey. Though brief, that release and the excitement created by it stuck with me all the way up until 2023’s “Liminal” - a tour de force that expanded on everything that made Apostle’s previous work stand out and trimmed any semblance of fat from the bands already lean sound. Enter 2026:“A Splinter in the Infinite Noumenon” is the soundtrack of a band fully realized - the sonic equivalent of a professional athlete in mid season form.
The first thing to stand out is that long time drummer, Evan Price, has been let off of his chain for this go round. His signature black metal by way of jazz assault propels the stringed instruments along this 27 minute blaze of an album. The most creative use of rhythm comes quickly with opener “Exiting the God Hologram”, where price starts and stops the flow of chaos like a conductor would with an orchestra.
Unlike many peers within the “blackened sphere” of influence, Apostle are not afraid to let the low end flow. Thank god the band is in the capable hands of Michael Thomas; an artist that knows when to demonstrate restraint but never shies away from the spotlight when the moment arises. Lead single “Swine” pulses along by way of his absolutely filthy bass tone, marking its climax with a wonderfully sustained low end strike. Your favorite black metal record is going to sound thin after this one.
Vocalist / Guitarist Murice White has never let me down before, and this foray into the dark is no different. His trademark mid range vocal cuts through the chaos of the instruments wonderfully - seemingly never running out of air and never uttering a word that’s anything shy of top tier poetry. It’s easy to latch onto the themes presented to the listener hear within a listen or two, something I’ve always appreciated in a release featuring harsh vocals.
On the instrumental front, Murice’s approach ranges from chunky odd metered chords to frigid single note runs that would feel at home on a Celtic Frost record. The largest surprise comes by way of album closer, “At Ease”, which shows off White’s ability to create with cleaner tones - ultimately culminating into a beautiful crescendo that any post rock band would be jealous of.
“A Splinter in the Infinite Noumenon” will wind up on my year end list, and hopefully yours as well. Give one of Atlanta’s absolute best bands half an hour of your time, you won’t regret it.
