The upcoming release, Too Fast to Die, from Vancouver-based technical death metal band Archspire, shows that independent music is still viable in 2026.
After raising nearly $400,000 CAD on Kickstarter in just 30 days and surpassing expectations, the Vancouver-based band Archspire is set to release their fifth album, Too Fast to Die on April 10th. On this album, they push the 400-bpm (beats per minute) mark of their fastest song, “Bleed the Future,” making it some of their fastest songs so far.
The members are Oliver Rae Aleron “Oli Peters” on vocals, Dean Lamb on guitar, Tobi Morelli on guitar, Jared Smith on bass, and the newest member, Spencer Moore, on drums. When Spencer joined in 2025, by his own admission, he “had to step up [his] game fast” to join such a technical and fast band, but the former Inferi member shows that he was clearly up for the task on this album . The band members themselves are known for not taking themselves too seriously and are not afraid to be silly or fun online and at shows; however, this album reflects the weight of the world at the moment with dark and brutal songs.
The opening track, “Liminal Cypher,” noticeably eases into the intro that does not waste time picking up the speed a bit before singer Oli goes into his distinctly fast rap flow, growling vocals set to a guitar-heavy extreme metal song. The second track, “Red Goliath,” was previously released in March 2026. The intro sounds as ominous as it should for the dystopian world described in the song. It gets progressively faster and darker as it goes into a brutally descriptive song that paints a picture of “Immortal human vermin stranded by their curse of pride,” forced to present a grotesque offering, “Before the limb of Leviticus came.” There are more instrumental moments in the song, sometimes with a soft version of Oli’s voice in the background, which stands out against other Archspire songs.
The third track, “Carrion Ladder,” was the first pre-released song of the album. The name refers to a dead flesh conveyor. The song is dark and carnal, and has a realistic, pragmatic view of the world in the direction it seems to be headed in. Aligning with the named subject, it seems to be about being swallowed by the system of catastrophe that feeds on the same society that runs it. Up next is “Anomalous Descent,” where they waste no time jumping in to “take [the listeners] into an anomalous descent.” In this song, Spencer’s drums come through particularly heavy, alongside Dean’s solid riffs. There’s an instrumental break in the middle that feels like a moment to breathe, which balances out the song well.
At just over the halfway point, the song “The Vessel” starts off with an instrumental portion. Vocally, Oli is particularly fast on this song about being taken over. It is the most moshable song of the album, with a very steady rhythm. Next is the second pre-released song, “Limb of Leviticus.” The song takes a new approach to the Bible’s book of Leviticus, with a new framework that discards the current scheme for holiness. It lays out a more violent purity culture of remaining blindly loyal to the new system of obedience. There is an instrumental outro that feels soft and humble after such a song with a bleak outlook.
Nearing the end, the song “Deadbolt the Backward” has more death metal screams than other songs on the album. Musically, it is masterful and objectively the shining star of the album. The last and title track, “Too Fast to Die,” brings an extra-heavy bassline. At moments, a whirling guitar tone cuts through, projecting the band’s fun and spontaneous side. Still, it never strays from metal at its core, delivering screams, growls, and solid riffs with spot‑on timing, as expected.
Despite the band’s occasional online jokes about leaving their singer at a gas station, being the worst band in the world, or a mock “in memory of,” thankfully, the whole band is alive, well, making fantastic music, staying technical, and, of course, staying too fast to die.
Too Fast to Die is set for release on April 10th.
