For all the manic noodling, The Lucid Collective is brutal-as-you-like death metal in the vein of Immolation (but not nearly as crushing). Unlike fellow Canadians Gorguts, who have a pretty good grasp on the use of progressive dynamics, Archspire’s adrenaline pace driven by an endless stream of blastbeats, causes some clever guitar work to get lost in the quagmire of quick-spitted grunts and pneumatic-drill drumbeats, rarely delivering respite save for the evocative intro of Kairos Chamber and the half-time breakdowns strewn across the tracklist.
At the same time Oli Peters shows us what he’s made of on Fathom Indefinite Depth as he barks out the lyrics like Jonathan Davis after a night of chainsmoking, while his rabid attack kickstarting the first moments of the album are a stark warning that wimps need not apply.
Archspire’s spats of dizzying technicality suggest a band hoping to match the proficiency and head-exploding volley of Origin and the trigger-finger craft of today’s deathcore scene – if they can just take a moment to breathe.
