On Allegaeon's newest release, Elements of the Infinite, the band continue to expand on the vicious groove-infused melodic death metal that has formed the backbone of their sound for the last eight years. Evolving and refining all aspects of their instrumental prowess the newest album showcases the apex of the band's creative insight.
Groove-inspired riffs are accompanied by in-depth guitar solos, expertly composed to complement and build upon one another, directing the momentum of each song through intense break-downs, ruthless licks and melodic progressions. The saturation of sweep picking has significantly increased since their last album, and at times appears to run a little rampant, but never interferes with the overall composition and general feeling of each track.
While the guitars have always been the driving force in Allegaeon's unique take on melodic death metal, it's the drumming that holds this album together. The exclusion of creative input from a talented percussionist is ultimately what led to the use of programmed drums for the band's prior release, Formshifter, a flaw that ended up overshadowing much of the musical work on that album. The band clearly acknowledged this liability and remedied it with the inclusion of the band's newest drummer, Brandon Park. Now that the final missing piece has been found, Allegaeon's potential is limitless. One can only hope for future albums as good, if not better, than Elements of the Infinite.
(Metal Blade)Groove-inspired riffs are accompanied by in-depth guitar solos, expertly composed to complement and build upon one another, directing the momentum of each song through intense break-downs, ruthless licks and melodic progressions. The saturation of sweep picking has significantly increased since their last album, and at times appears to run a little rampant, but never interferes with the overall composition and general feeling of each track.
While the guitars have always been the driving force in Allegaeon's unique take on melodic death metal, it's the drumming that holds this album together. The exclusion of creative input from a talented percussionist is ultimately what led to the use of programmed drums for the band's prior release, Formshifter, a flaw that ended up overshadowing much of the musical work on that album. The band clearly acknowledged this liability and remedied it with the inclusion of the band's newest drummer, Brandon Park. Now that the final missing piece has been found, Allegaeon's potential is limitless. One can only hope for future albums as good, if not better, than Elements of the Infinite.