Allegaeon – “Fragments of Form and Function”

Fragments of Form and Function is the debut release from the melodic death metal band Allegaeon. Unless you have been listening to your local pop music station or you’ve had your head buried in the sand, you’re well aware there are way too many death metal bands in the scene today. Be it deathcore, death grind or death metal there really is an influx of acts that are mediocre at best; bands that I feel are diluting and dumbing down the genre as whole.

Just as I was about to give up hope and abandon ship I came across Allegaeon, a group that I believe truly gets it. Maybe it’s because they understand the basic construction of solid melodic death metal songs, or maybe it’s their superb musicianship that separates them from the rest of the pack. Whatever the case, Allegaeon seems to have risen to the challenge.

Fragments of Form and Function is unremittingly heavy, there is no denying that, but peel back the layers and beneath all the pounding you’ll find well-written, technically savvy tunes that are quite good. The album is graced with an incredibly organic and warm sounding production that makes it very listenable while retaining enough grittiness. Overall I think the tunes on this record hearken back to the early days of the genre, yet still manage a few surprises along the way. A good example of this is the song “Accelerated Evolution,” which to me is a real gem. It’s a classic, hard-driving death metal tune that is packed to the gills with some of the most tasteful melodic dual guitar parts I’ve heard in a long time.

I’m not sure that Allegaeon have reinvented the wheel or revolutionized the death metal genre, however, what they have done is release a terrific debut that is sure to secure the band a bright future in metal. Check out Fragments of Form and Function it is quite good.  [ END ]

Track Listing:

01. The Cleansing
02. The Renewal
03. Across The Folded Line
04. The God Particle
05. Biomech Vals No. 666
06. From Seed To Throne
07. Atrophy OF Hippocrates
08. Point Of Disfigurement
09. A Cosmic Question
10. Accelerated Evolution

Run Time: 53:45
Release Date: 07.20.2010