Some things are acquired tastes—coffee, vegetables, Mrs. Forrest,1 to name a few. While some of us instantly and innately connect with metal, its loud and aggressive nature can make it tough for the initiate to effortlessly enjoy. Even for lifelong fans like myself, some bands still push the envelope. One such band is Apostle, a three-piece from Atlanta, Georgia, founded in 2017. They’ve always been a nasty, noisy group—if 2019 debut Sufferer is any indication—but 2021 saw the band undergo a significant lineup change. Evan Price continued to man the kit, but their founding vocalist departed, Murice White assumed vocal and guitar duties, and Michael Thomas moved over to bass. This shift spurred Apostle in an even more abrasive and emotive direction.
A Splinter in the Infinite Noumenon continues to explore what was first introduced on 2023 EP Liminal. Apostle maintains, from their early days, a harsh mix of grind and hardcore with occasional post-blackened flourishes, but 2026 sees them venture further into blackened territory, as well as explore ambient and post-rock elements. Opening salvo “Exiting the God Hologram” acts as a microcosm of all Apostle has to offer. A sample of a train gives way to full and vibrant percussion before atonal guitars grace your ears like a lead pipe graces a jaw. White’s deranged shrieks have a tenuous relationship with tempo, but always manage to link up with his bandmates on the downbeat. It’s a harrowing, unfettered style well-suited to Apostle’s sound. This cacophony eventually coalesces into an aching post-black fury in the last third, where Thomas’s throatier shouts augment the sound. “Exiting…” ends by unceremoniously silencing a gritty guitar solo flitting on broken wings—fitting for the rage and intentional inaccessibility on display here.
A Splinter in the Infinite Noumenon by Apostle
Those willing to brave Apostle’s chaos will find gorgeous flourishes through A Splinter in the Infinite Noumenon. Bright, descending, posty licks weave through “Illusion of Loss,” mirroring murky ascending counterparts. Violent plucking in “Swine” evokes Gorrch’s pitch-black dissonance, and its spiraling crescendo feels like something out of Imperial Triumphant’s playbook. True to its name, “Oscillating Polarities” swings wildly between discordant, hammering heaps and aching, blackened melodies. That ache is particularly exceptional on album closer “At Ease,” which opens with the same soulful lick that closes “Exiting the God Hologram.” With all this said, it did take several spins for me to start parsing out the subtleties and delicate decorations beneath Apostle’s torrent of aural catharsis. If I were casually spinning Splinter, rather than formally reviewing it, I’m not sure I would have stuck around long enough to find them.
Apostle’s claustrophobic, maximalist style is admittedly rad, but I do occasionally wish that the knobs weren’t all always snapped off at 11. Some of the moments above could have shone brighter, had the mix breathed a little easier and the spotlight been shared rather than functionally fought over. Even at an incredibly short 27 minutes, the sheer harshness and atonality of Splinter—especially on the front half—can be a lot to handle. There are some breaks, like the E.E. Cummings sample that opens “Distortions of Light” and the shoegazing that closes it, as well as the last few noir-shaded minutes of the album. I’m enough of a literature nerd to appreciate the poet’s cameo, even 70 seconds of it, but others may find it disruptive or unnecessary. Similarly, Thomas’s delightful bass riff anchors some beautifully moving swells in “At Ease,” but the same five notes for three minutes can get repetitive.
While preparing for this review, I listened to Apostle’s back catalog, and I can definitively say A Splinter in the Infinite Noumenon is a step above their earlier material. This new direction, while certainly harsher and more abrasive, has been a risk well taken. White’s unrestrained screams, as well as the band’s commitment to post-black trappings and interpretation of softer styles, tap into a wellspring of raw passion. It’s not the easiest to engage with, but Apostle has a clear and exciting vision that rewards commitment and repeat visits. Could druthers be had, I’d like to see their indiscriminate cacophony tempered and honed, but whatever they do next, I’ll be listening.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Terminus Hate City
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: June 6th, 2026
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