ALLEGAEON
Formshifter
[Metal Blade Records]
Verdict: 8/10
RIYL: WOE OF TYRANTS, SPAWN OF POSSESSION, ABYSMAL DAWN

When it comes to great things exported from the great state of Colorado how high on the list is technical death metal? My guess is it’s significantly below South Park but higher than the state’s MLB team. Well enter in ALLEGAEON (pronounced like a-legion), who are blazing a new trail in tech death with one simple fact: songwriting. So many bands love to wank all over their instruments, creating many a “Wow!” moment, but nary a song. ALLEGAEON certainly has a few “Holy Sh**- I have to rewind that” moments, but what’s important here is Formshifter is a series of ten very solid songs, not just a series of riffs. Theirs is a sound that integrates classical guitar pieces (a la OPETH) and a large dose of thrash metal to their progressive/technical death metal formula, resulting in a fairly unique sound. From the opening notes of “Behold (God I Am)”, the listener is ready for the aural assault that lies ahead, and thankfully there are no duds on the album. Songs like “A Path Disclosed” and “Secrets of the Sequence” are the best examples of what the band has going for it, as each features around five minutes of death metal dessert. There are guitar solos, rampaging rhythms, and fury aplenty, leaving little in its wake. Fans of technical metal take heed: welcome the year of great death metal, and enjoy a band happily vying for the title. – by Nicholas Senior

>> Recommended Listening: “A Path Disclosed” and “Secrets of the Sequence”
>> Release Date: May 8th, 2012
>> In Conclusion: In a great year for death metal, Colorado’s ALLEGAEON is a must-listen if you enjoy technicality. You know you want to listen.