ALBUM REVIEW
COMPLEXANT - Apex
Relentless, dense, uncompromising.
Founded in Australia in 2017, COMPLEXANT have emerged as one of the more promising names among the new generation of bands fusing black metal's bleak atmosphere with death metal's crushing force. Following their 2023 EP "A Rite of Passage" and a steady stream of singles that gradually raised their profile, the band now aims to solidify that momentum with their debut full-length, "Apex." Further strengthened by a production courtesy of Christian Donaldson, the album presents the band's musical vision in its most fully realized form to date.
On "Apex," COMPLEXANT build their blackened death metal around an aggression that continually gathers momentum. The album's driving force comes not only from its relentless pace, but also from the compressed nature of the riffs and the uninterrupted propulsion of the drums. While the songs rarely leave room to breathe, the material never descends into aimless chaos, instead unfolding through a tightly controlled compositional approach. Christian Donaldson's mix and master preserve that density without sacrificing clarity, allowing the dual guitars, the weight of the bass, and the percussive character of the drums to remain equally discernible throughout.
The guitar work of Shannon Zivkovic and Gavin Bradley is the album's defining feature. Constantly shifting between tremolo-driven black metal textures, crushing death metal riffing, and sharper rhythmic ideas that occasionally draw from thrash metal, the songwriting refuses to confine itself to a single subgenre. "Apex," "Swing Myself To Sleep," and "Cyclops" stand out as the clearest examples of this approach. Atmospheric openings rooted in black metal quickly give way to heavier, more mechanical death metal riffs before returning to icy melodic passages. These transitions serve not only to establish atmosphere but also to sustain the songs' dramatic tension.
The drumming forms the backbone of the record. Seb Su's blast beat-driven performance does more than generate speed; it becomes the primary element defining the transitions whenever the riffs shift direction. His extensive use of double bass and constantly active cymbal work reinforce the music's relentless forward momentum. Despite the album's extreme pace, the rhythm section never feels entirely mechanical, which stands among its greatest strengths. The bass, meanwhile, rarely disappears beneath the wall of guitars, instead adding substantial physical weight through the thick low-end foundation it provides.
Dan Greigsy's vocal performance combines the harsh articulation associated with deathcore aesthetics and the darker character of blackened death metal. Rather than introducing melodic contrast, the vocals function as an additional rhythmic layer that directly reinforces the aggression of the riffs. While this approach complements the album's overarching philosophy of relentless intensity, it also limits the dynamic range of the vocal performance. Similarly, although tracks such as "No Angels Weep" and "Afterlife" feature strong riff ideas, the vocal delivery largely remains within the same dramatic register throughout the album.
One of "Apex"'s more notable qualities is that it does not rely solely on speed to create intensity. Brief guitar phrases recalling old-school death metal melodies and darker doom-infused passages occasionally emerge throughout the record. Rather than fundamentally altering the album's direction, however, these ideas function as temporary breathing spaces within its otherwise unrelenting framework. As a result, they serve less as experimental departures than as structural devices that add greater depth to the band's established blackened death metal formula.
Christian Donaldson's production delivers a sound that is both polished and uncompromising, reflecting contemporary extreme metal standards. Even under heavy compression, the album's dense layers of riffing remain highly articulate. While the modern production evokes the technical clarity associated with bands such as Suffocation and Cryptopsy, it never strips away the cold atmosphere essential to the black metal side of the band's identity. Instead of sterilizing the music's brutality, the production enhances its impact by making every element more clearly defined.
Matt Priso's cover artwork also establishes a cohesive relationship between the album's visual identity and its musical direction. The dark composition, partially concealed beneath chaotic brushstrokes, follows the familiar iconography of blackened death metal without reducing itself to a purely decorative exercise in genre convention. Its visual language successfully establishes the oppressive, hostile atmosphere promised by the music before the first note is even heard.
At the same time, "Apex"'s greatest point of contention is closely tied to its greatest strength. COMPLEXANT embrace a compositional philosophy that almost never eases its grip on aggression. The concise song lengths initially help maintain that intensity, but as the album progresses, the consistently high energy level gradually reduces the distinction between individual tracks. Even though the quality of the riffs and performances never noticeably declines, the limited dynamic contrast causes the second half of the record to feel somewhat one-dimensional.
Nevertheless, "Apex" stands out not as a radical attempt to redefine blackened death metal, but as a highly accomplished debut that refines the genre's contemporary language through strong technical execution and excellent production. The influence of Behemoth, Suffocation, Emperor, and Nile is readily apparent, yet COMPLEXANT avoid simple imitation by filtering those inspirations through their own densely constructed songwriting as they move toward establishing a distinct identity. Rather than appealing to listeners searching for constant stylistic surprises, the album will resonate most with those who value riff-driven songwriting, relentless rhythmic momentum, and the overwhelming intensity of modern blackened death metal. COMPLEXANT are poised to make a powerful entrance into the underground extreme metal scene, and in that context, "Apex" is unquestionably an album worth your attention.
OZAN
https://complexant.bandcamp.com/