Allegaeon - Fragments of Form and Function (2010)

Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Release Date: July 20, 2010


1. The Cleansing (4:30)

2. The Renewal (4:20)

3. Across the Folded Line (4:25)

4. The God Particle (5:24)

5. Biomech - Vals No. 666 (7:27)

6. From Seed to Throne (5:17)

7. Atrophy of Hippocrates (4:37)

8. Point of Disfigurement (4:03)

9. A Cosmic Question... (5:33)

10. Accelerated Evolution (8:09)

Melodic death metal has blossomed into an international phenomenon since the formative days of At the Gates, In Flames, and Dark Tranquillity.  Those Swedish death metal legends paved the way for the development of the genre and their impact is still being felt today.  It has been pleasing in recent years to follow the progress of the modern melodic death metal scene.  Although there are still a large number of bands out there who are straight copycats of the Gothenburg Sound, a new collection of acts have emerged that have taken the genre in new directions and to new heights.  Allegaeon is one of these bands that are bringing a new flavor to the genre.

Fragments of Form and Function is the first full length release by these Colorado inhabitants.  It has a much more mature and developed sound musically than the tracks they released on their 2008 EP (which is still a good listen and can be downloaded for free for a limited time on their Facebook page).  Allegaeon blends technical and melodic elements together beautifully to create an audio assault that should please any fan of heavy metal.

The first thing I noticed about the album is that, musically, it is VERY tight and clean.  The guitar and drum parts are executed flawlessly and merge together to create intricate arrangements that complement each other.  These guys definitely have chops, but more than that they construct awesome musical compositions.  Technical instrumentation and melodies are fused together into a beautiful tapestry of death metal songs.

“The Cleansing” kicks off Fragments of Form and Function with a rapid musical assault dubbed over with Ezra Haynes’ guttural vocal attack.  And the intensity builds with each song until a classical guitar break at the end of “Biomech – Vals. No 666”, which is the strongest track on the album.

The Cleansing

I’ve included links to several of their tracks and I’ll let the music speak for itself.  If you’re a fan of melodic death metal, then you should be very pleased with Allegaeon and their first album.  They are definitely a band to keep an eye on.

Biomech - Vals No. 666

Accelerated Evolution

Final Rating: 9/10

3 Favorite Songs from the Album: Across the Folded Line, Biomech – Vals No. 666, Accelerated Evolution