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Allegaeon > Elements of the Infinite > Reviews
Allegaeon - Elements of the Infinite

A wonderfully unique creation - 95%

PorcupineOfDoom, February 15th, 2015

To put it simply, I've never heard anything like this and I have my doubts that I will again. Allegaeon have a pretty good reputation, in particular with this album, and I can testify that it definitely deserves that. I've always preferred melodeath when it is purely that, and tech death has never really appealed to me other than the occasional song, but the band really mix the two things together supremely well.

As you might have expected from the two genres that have been mashed together for Elements of the Infinite, the technicality is extremely high. The guitars play literally everything, and there are times where the hooks just come from nowhere and crawl all over the place. And yet they do that while mixing relatively laid-back leads and crunching riffs with the seemingly random explorations that the lead guitarist goes off on. On paper it sounds like a disaster, with no pattern and no idea as to what the band hopes to accomplish, but in practice it comes together immensely well. Don't debate it, that's just how it is.

Then there are the drums, which play at a level that puts nearly every drummer on the planet to shame. With a great mixture of high-speed sections (which still remain very technical and feature a lot of different bits of the kit) and slower parts, the guy really shows his versatility. He also seems willing to swap about between slow and fast very quickly and almost without warning, and there are sections where the blast beats come in bursts that are perfectly timed to the point where you'd think that it had to be a machine playing. Well, that machine is Brandon Park.

The only part of the band that doesn't completely blow me away is the vocalist, and I expected as much. His growls aren't bad as such, but they're not as good as the benchmark for making a real impact on how the music sounds. They're just there to fill the void that would otherwise exist. And to be perfectly honest I'm fine with that, because not every band needs the vocals to be what they're showing off.

An interesting point that is worth a mention is the use of chugs here. I make it very clear on a regular basis that chugging is a waste of my time and it rarely does anything for the music, but here I find the chugs to be purposeful. They seem to be there for a reason, and they actually emphasise the power that the band has. They seem to be somewhere between metalcore and djent chugs, but they're captivating whatever they are. Not the best bit of the band, but good enough to keep my attention.

This might sound like a big disjointed mess that's destined to crash and burn, but believe me, it's anything but that. It fits together extremely well and every moment is one worth experiencing. It's completely unpredictable, you'll have absolutely no idea what's coming next, and that's one of the things that makes it such an immense pleasure to listen to. Go and listen to it now. You're missing out otherwise.

What can I say? Amazing. - 99%

MetalheadOmega, July 26th, 2014
Written based on this version: 2014, CD, Metal Blade Records

I've been quite a fan of Allegaeon upon hearing their sophomore album Formshifter back in 2012, and since then I've all but engrossed myself in their titanic, albeit limited, discography. From their EP back in 2008 to Formshifter, I've either listened to or purchased their full discography. So when news of their new album Elements of the Infinite reached my ears, I was rather excited...to nobody's surprise. However, unlike most fans of the band, I opted to keep the album in its entirety a surprise until release day, so I could hear the full thing for the first time. HOLY SHIT...that was my first impression and my 10th, and so far it's yet to change.

This is a MAMMOTH of an album which leaves Formshifter and Fragments of Form and Function, their debut, in the dust entirely. This is a new level for this band and the genre itself, in my opinion. My first point of discussion should be their new members, guitarist Michael Stancel and drummer Brandon Park. Stancel and Greg Burgess, the leading guitar god, work incredibly well together on this record. Their individual abilities with the instrument work together extremely well and, honestly, really took me by surprise. Brandon's drumming sounds fresh and heavy as it should and it fits the sound that Allegaeon's made for themselves. Corey's bass work is top tier as usual and sounds more focused and more in the forefront than previous works by the band, which adds another layer to the atmosphere of each song. Last but not least, the vocals. Ezra is, to me, one of the best vocalists to arise from this genre in recent years. His range may not be in the same tier as Tagtgren, but it fits the mood of the music so well and sounds so raw and vicious in some places.

Now for the individual tracks. Dear LORD, what can I say about this that won't sound fanboy-ish? The intro track, "Threshold of Perception", begins with a lovely classical guitar intro that starts the song off with a dark atmosphere and leads us into the main riff of the song that just shreds your face off. The rest of the song is classic Allegaeon with an amazing atmosphere throughout and a very interesting lyrical concept, which is what one might feel as death approaches. After this riff-fest, we're treated to "Tyrants of the Terrestrial Exodus", which has one of my favorite choruses of the entire album:

This crust is left in ruins
Defiled and left to burn
We must look to the stars (THE STARS)
For another living term


I get excited just writing it down as the song plays in my head. Other memorable songs include "1.618", which has the funniest goddamn music video of any band I've ever seen and is, overall, another epic for Allegaeon's catalog and has one of the catchiest riffs I've heard all year, "Biomech II", which takes off where "Biomech - Vals 666" left off on their debut and ups the wow factor, and "Genocide for Praise - Vals for the Vitruvian Man" which has both the most amazing intro and outro I have ever heard from a band of this genre.

Overall, this album has some of the highest marks I've ever given an album, whether typed for a review or not. This is not a contender for Album of the Year for me - it IS Album of the Year. Any fans of melodic death metal with precision technical guitars and epic lyrical themes, BUY THIS ALBUM. You will not be disappointed in any way.

Tech Death Supremacy! - 90%

TheAntagonist, July 18th, 2014

Tech death giants Allegaeon return once again to shatter the cosmos and your perception of metal with Elements of the Infinite on Metal Blade Records. 2012′s Formshifter was a mind-bending foray that pushed into the upper echelons of metal releases for the year. With that being said the bar has certainly been set and how it unfolds should be a feast for the metal masses.

From the outset, the intro that we are presented with opens in grand, nearly cinematic fashion. There is a feeling that you are thrust right into an ominous science fiction movie. Ezra Haynes begins to spew forth and visions of life and death drift into your psyche. Greg Burgess and Michael Stanchel appear with their axes and begin to systematically slice you apart one tremolo riff at a time. Corey Archuleta thumps you far away to the low-end of the galaxy while Brandon Park hammers your soul into dust. It is clear that no prisoners will be taken on this journey.

What becomes apparent the more you spin this album is that Allegaeon are clearly at the top of their game. Next to Agalloch’s The Serpent & Sphere I have been getting annihilated to this album the most. It’s amazing how guitar riffs proceed to flow effortlessly as evidenced on the track “Dyson Sphere”. The Dyson Sphere is a hypothetical structure that surrounds a star and captures its power. Dyson speculated that these structures may be the key to increased energy needs or another theory would be to create a Dyson Sphere around Allegaeon and harness their energy. Then we have “1.618” which may just become the new gold standard for tech death journeymen. All elements merge together in a perfect congruence on this track.

Now we come to the absolute zenith of the album “Genocide for Praise – Vals for the Vitruvian Man”. Imagine being immersed into an old Nintendo game like Mega Man as you ease into this juggernaut of a song. What is in store for you is some of the most emotive guitar riffs this side of the astral plane. This song is so massive I felt the urge to devote an entire paragraph to it. Once you hear the swelling climax you will understand the sentiment. It is a phenomenal track and a very apropos ending to this colossal work.

Allegaeon have really outdone themselves on Elements of the Infinite. There is serious focus and technical display that it’s nearly incomprehensible. Elements of the Infinite has undoubtedly surpassed their previous efforts. This is a must listen to album for all fans of metal. Partake of the chaos or languish in eternity forever unaware of the force known as Allegaeon.

Originally written for Adequacy.net:
http://www.adequacy.net/2014/07/allegaeon-elements-of-the-infinite/

Literally Perfect - 100%

Noospheres666, July 14th, 2014
Written based on this version: 2014, CD, Metal Blade Records

This album is the epitome of how a band that is absolutely incredible, can become even better. Never have I heard such a beautiful piece of music, with such a perfect blend of melody, brutality and technicality to make any fan of melodic death metal shit their fucking pants. The production is perfect; no instruments are buried in the mix, the vocals sound crisp and real. The drums sound absolutely massive, taking this band's level of Kick ass to an entirely new level. Everything is layered perfectly and every note is so crystal clear it's damn near palpable. The guitars sound immaculate, the tone just crushes, but isn't too overwhelmingly chainsaw-esque (Take entombed or bloodbath for example.). The bass simply sounds like a bass; not much to say here, although it is played extremely well.

The album starts slow with the beautiful and melodic acoustic intro of "Threshold Of Perception," before launching the listener into the technical brutality that is the rest of the song. Next up is "Tyrants Of The Terrestrial Exodus," which showcases the same level of brutality as track 01. The main track's that stuck out for me were "Dyson Sphere," "1.618," and "Biomech II," which is actually my new favorite Allegaeon track, with it's crushing riffs and brutal intro of vocalist Ezra Haynes screaming "God damn you!!!" The track also features a mini bass solo, which is pretty nifty if I may say so myself. Over-all, I can say with full confidence that there wasn't a single song on this record that wasn't perfect in every possible aspect.

The artwork of "Element's of the Infinite" is also pretty sweet, featuring what appears to be a man in a barren wasteland, perhaps lost to insanity and beginning to turn into an insect, maybe symbolizing the takeover of evil or delusion? I Could be wrong, but that was my interpretation. Clearly someone put a lot of work into this artwork, not too mention the band as well, who clearly put a lot of passion and soul into these songs; as I watched the tracks slip away on the digital clock of my stereo, it was nearly unnerving to know that the album was soon to end. Nevertheless, I actually bought a physical copy so I can listen whenever I want. 10 tracks of pure melodic death metal bliss, I highly recommend it!