Having never heard of this band and on first look at their EP title, I was definitely curious as to what kind of music I was looking at. What I heard, certainly left its mark on me and my ear drums. Australian metalcore act Apate have returned in 2017 with their highly anticipated EP, Spit You Out, a very strong release that is filled with an undeniable heaviness, soul-stirring lyrics and addictive breakdowns.
Beginning with the haunting intro of “Fugue” which sounds like it should be the opening to an 80’s horror movie, that builds up is probably one of the coolest ways to start an album, I’ve heard all year. It certainly leaves you hanging before the next track “Bone Syndrome” comes pummelling through with chuggy leads, intense and diverse vocals, the background synthy melody guiding the track adding to it’s ‘creepy’ persona. This song packs quite a punch and the fact that there isn’t any formula to their music and not too much of a mainstream structure to every song, is probably what appealed to me the most.
Tracks like “Split” and “Hangman” prove the level of musicianship that this band has developed and the direction of their sound seems more solid, The first tag I heard linked to this band was ‘nu-metalcore’, and quite frankly, there is more than meets the eye (or ear) when it comes to their music. They definitely embrace that influence but it doesn’t seem deliberate. “Jackal” is filled with choppy breakdowns and gripping vocals that move from pitchy screams to guttural lows, making you truly appreciate the vocalist’s abilities and willingness to try different things. The only thing I wish that he didn’t do is the whole ‘talking while you scream to suit the breakdowns thing – you’ll probably know what I mean when you listen to this track but it’s very common among metalcore I guess.
Aggressive, strong and varied, this new EP from Apate proves their strength both as individual musicians and a band as a whole. While there is nothing groundbreaking musically, what I can appreciate is the delivery of every song with an obvious passion and direction. They know what they want out of their music and that’s all that really matters. With a whole lot of angsty emotion and feeling, Apate offers an EP that will either calm your mind and sympathise or make you want to chuck a table out the window. Works well either way!