Allegaeon (band)

Allegaeon is an American death metal band from Fort Collins, Colorado, formed in 2008. They have released one EP and seven studio albums, and are currently signed to Metal Blade Records.

History

Allegaeon was formed in 2007. They initially played small shows at bars and houses in and around Fort Collins. In August 2008, they independently released a self-titled EP. Soon after, they signed with Metal Blade Records. In January 2010, Allegaeon entered the studio to record their debut album, ''Fragments of Form and Function''. The album was released on July 20, 2010, through Metal Blade. In December 2011, Allegaeon went to Lambesis Studios in San Diego, California, to record their second full-length album, ''Formshifter''. ''Formshifter'' was released on May 8, 2012, through Metal Blade. In 2013, founding guitarist Ryan Glisan collaborated on a project with Tim Lambesis and left the band shortly thereafter. He was replaced by Michael Stancel.

Their third full-length album, titled '' Elements of the Infinite'', was released on June 24, 2014, through Metal Blade. The album received significant praise, with Gregory Heaney of AllMusic calling it a "creative breakthrough" and commending "the dazzling guitar work" and "epic orchestral flourishes." In 2015, original vocalist Ezra Haynes departed Allegaeon without citing a specific reason, though it was made clear that his departure was not due to internal band issues. Riley McShane was immediately selected to take over as vocalist and received a positive reaction from fans.

In September 2016, Allegaeon released ''Proponent for Sentience'', the first album featuring Riley, which was considered their finest work to date. The album received widespread acclaim and was critically noted for its significance in modern metal. It features guest vocals by Björn Strid of Soilwork and guitar work by Benjamin Ellis of Scar Symmetry.

In October 2016, longtime bass player Corey Archuleta announced he would be leaving the band at the end of the year to focus on his law career. During this time, the band also stated that they had incurred a large amount of debt and were unsure how much longer they could continue. Because of this financial stress, the band launched a fan club through the Patreon platform and have since focused on continuing to tour and write their next album.

Also during 2016, Allegaeon shot studio play-through videos for the songs "Gray Matter Mechanics" and their cover of the Rush song "Subdivisions," as well as an official video in California for the song "Of Mind and Matrix."

The band released a cover of Rush's song "Animate" as a single on January 5, 2018; the cover was recorded during the ''Proponent for Sentience'' sessions. Allegaeon embarked on their first European tour later that year as a supporting act for Ne Obliviscaris.

In January 2019, Allegaeon announced a release date for their new album, ''Apoptosis'', and released a music video for the single "Stellar Tidal Disruption." ''Apoptosis'' was released on April 19, 2019, through Metal Blade.

On April 3, 2020, the band released a cover of the 1971 song "Roundabout" by British progressive rock band Yes.

On October 27, 2021, they announced their new album '' Damnum'' with the release of its first single, "Into Embers." The album was released on February 25, 2022. ''Damnum'' was well received by critics and was named among the top 50 best rock and metal albums of 2022 by Loudwire.

On August 24, 2022, vocalist Riley McShane announced his departure from the band. On September 13, the band recruited original vocalist Ezra Haynes to perform with them on their upcoming European tour. On October 18, 2023, the band released a new single, "Inhumation," and announced that Ezra had formally rejoined the band on a permanent basis.

On March 27, 2024, the band released a second single, "Iridescent," accompanied by a music video the band's label described as "absolutely unhinged." A month later, the band embarked on the "Cancer Culture Over North America Tour 2024" alongside Decapitated, Septicflesh, and Kataklysm.

On February 12, 2025, the band released a new single, "Driftwood," and announced their seventh album, ''The Ossuary Lens'', which was released on April 4, 2025.

Musical style and lyrical themes

Allegaeon combines different styles and is often referred to as technical melodic death metal. They also draw influence from classical music, progressive metal, and thrash metal. Lyrically, they explore scientific themes, addressing topics such as the theory of evolution, biology, physics, cryonics, dyson spheres, the probability of alien life in the universe, stem cell research, and artificial intelligence. Allegaeon is also noted for their technicality, but by the time ''Elements of the Infinite'' was released, they had begun incorporating more melodic elements into their music.

Tours

Allegaeon has toured and played shows with other prominent bands, such as Job for a Cowboy, Darkest Hour, and in 2014, they had their most intense touring schedule to date. In August, they embarked on a nationwide tour entitled "The Artery Metal Tour," supporting Chimaira and The Plot in You. Immediately after, in September 2014, Allegaeon played a string of shows directly supporting Arsis on the band's 10th Anniversary Tour. In the spring of 2015, the band toured with The Agonist and Product of Hate, and played SXSW with Norma Jean. Additionally, Allegaeon co-headlined a large tour with Act of Defiance, a metal supergroup featuring members of Megadeth, including guitarist Chris Broderick. In 2016, Allegaeon also played the Ozzfest Meets Knotfest festival in San Bernardino, California and the Winter Warriors tour alongside Battlecross and Necromancing the Stone. The band started off 2017 by performing multiple sets on the 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise festival and followed up by performing on Metal Blade Records' 35th Anniversary tour with Whitechapel, Cattle Decapitation, and Goatwhore.

Band members

Current members
* Greg Burgess – lead guitar (2008–present)
* Michael Stancel – rhythm guitar (2013–present)
* Brandon Michael – bass (2017–present)
* Jeff Saltzman – drums (2021–present)
* Ezra Haynes – lead vocals (2008–2015, 2022–present)

Former members
* Corey Archuleta – bass, backing vocals (2008–2016)
* Ryan Glisan – rhythm guitar (2008–2013)
* Jordan Belfast – drums (2008–2011)
* J. P. Andrande – drums (2011–2013)
* Brandon Park – drums (2013–2020)
* Riley McShane – vocals (2015–2022)

Touring/session musicians
* J. P. Andrande – drums (2011–2013)

Timeline

Discography

;Studio albums

;EPs

Singles

Music videos

References

External links

*

{{Authority control

2008 establishments in Colorado
American death metal musical groups
American musical quintets
Heavy metal musical groups from Colorado
Metal Blade Records artists
Musical groups established in 2008