Toronto tech death band Apogean has unveiled the third single, ‘Hueman (The Pleasure of Burn),’ off their debut record, Cyberstrictive, slated for 08 March 2024 via The Artisan Era physically (vinyl, CD) and digitally. The track, along with its accompanying music video, contributes to the album’s core theme of exposing the dark side of technology and digital poisoning by painting a dystopian picture of Blue LED Light Fallout.
Apogean States: “‘Hueman (The Pleasure of Burn)’ tackles the aftermath of a lifetime of exposure to blue LED light. Describing the physical ailments and the effects of poisonous photoradiation on the human populace, this song and video serve as a metaphoric representation of what awaits a generation plugged into cyberspace. Musically, this piece marks a turn towards adding more black metal elements to our music. This allows us to use more atmospheric choruses and expand the depth of feeling that we can provide artistically.”
Watch the video here:
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Apogean is a five-piece band from Toronto, Ontario, seeking to transcend metal’s traditional realms with their musical machinations. Drawing inspiration from a broad spectrum of artistic influences, this Canadian ensemble is set to embark on an unending journey, exploring the intersections of progressive metal, technical death, deathcore, and blackened death, positioning themselves at the forefront of heavy music’s ever-evolving landscape.
Despite their recent formation, Apogean features members bringing years of honed skills, diverse collaborations across genres, endorsements from leading musical instrument brands, and notable ventures into video game collaborations and licensing original compositions featured on ESPN. Their debut EP, Into Madness, was released in June 2021 through Blood Blast distribution, with mixing and mastering from renowned metal producer Zack Ohren (The Faceless, All Shall Perish, Immolation, etc.).
Cyberstrictive, the debut album, is Apogean’s first venture with the new vocalist Mac Smith, known for his involvement in various projects and recent stint as the live vocalist for Decrepit Birth. Beyond his vocal responsibilities, Mac, with a background in managing notable metal bands, also independently oversees the management of Apogean.
Across 10 songs, Cyberstrictive discloses the dark aspects of technology, taking a broader look at its impact on our minds, bodies, and souls. Drawing significant inspiration from Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 and echoing the dystopian excerpts of George Orwell’s 1984, the album explores the hazards of modern technology, covering risks such as sensory damage, psychological trauma, desensitization, information paradoxes, predatory practices targeting children, addiction complexities, and the erosion of creativity. Ultimately, the album culminates in a reflection on overarching manipulation and concludes by addressing the burdensome aspects of technology, employing wordplay and metaphor to illustrate the overwhelming drawbacks outweighing the benefits in the modern digital world.
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Aural Aggravation 