Allegaeon - Formshifter - review

Allegaeon - Formshifter - review

Cover image of the reviewed item
Band
Allegaeon
Album
Formshifter
Release date
May 04, 2012
Reviewer
8.6
8.0
Tracklist
01. Behold (God I Am)
02. Tartessos: The Hidden Xenocryst
03. A Path Disclosed
04. Iconic Images
05. Twelve - Vals For The Legions
06. The Azrael Trigger
07. From The Stars Death Came
08. Timeline Dissonance
09. Formshifter
10. Secrets Of The Sequence
A review by
Doc G.
May 05, 2012
You know what's great? Melodic death metal that still happens to be death metal...Rather than some ambiguous melodic riffing put through thickened production with death growls laid over top. None of that crap here, Formshifter is what you could call a quintessential melodic death metal album in the truest sense of the term.

Melodic death metal with a slight techy flavouring? Naturally, you think Arsis. Comparing the two, this makes Arsis sound pretty thin.

Stop! Amalgamation time! Here's what the mix is like:

Take a little bit of Arsis' digestible technical prowess, mix it with a dash or two of God Dethroned's straightforward death-thrash assault. Now take a few of Arch Enemy's better epic leads and sprinkle them on top. Perhaps as a bonus, give the overall feel something akin to Amoral's Reptile Ride...You know, before they became a boy band. Formshifter is not an amalgamation sort of recording though, it's very much a straightforward album, which unfortunately may come as a bore some, but will be a treat for those who love solidity and worship great riffs.

Sounds wondrous, right? Well...Yes, it is. Too often melodic metal songs consist of one-shot sugary riffs that seem like they could be considered memorable, but are so run of the mill they just don't stick. Allagaeon have put out an album here that is cram packed with genuinely memorable hooks & leads interlaced into a strong backbone, giving the whole picture a much more full-bodied feel than what a lot of us may expect from a melodic death metal album.
Written on 05.05.2012 by
Written on 05.05.2012 by
Former EIC. Now just a reviewer guy.

Comments

Comments: 13 Visited by 336 users
psykometal
Just a guy...
Elite

Posts: 6101


Permalink
05.05.2012 - 09:02
psykometal
Just a guy...
Elite

Posts: 6101


Nice review, this could honestly be a review for both of their albums since you didn't really mention any specific songs or details. Not that that's a bad thing because both of their albums are pretty awesome. I haven't gotten to put as much time into this album as I did their debut but from what I've heard so far, it's pretty awesome just like the first album.
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~Zep, Former Database and Forum Moderation~

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Doc G.
Full Grown Hoser
Staff

Posts: 9726


Permalink
05.05.2012 - 09:04
Rating: 8
Doc G.
Full Grown Hoser
Staff

Posts: 9726


Written by psykometal on 05.05.2012 at 09:02

Nice review, this could honestly be a review for both of their albums since you didn't really mention any specific songs or details. Not that that's a bad thing because both of their albums are pretty awesome. I haven't gotten to put as much time into this album as I did their debut but from what I've heard so far, it's pretty awesome just like the first album.

Unless a certain songs marks a significant change in the album, I usually talk about the overall sound, rather than the specific songs. This one is pretty constant.

But if you must know, the main repeated lead in "Tartessos: The Hidden Xenocryst" is probably one of the high points of the album for me.
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"I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck."
- George Carlin
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BudDa
Elite

Posts: 887


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05.05.2012 - 10:56
BudDa
Elite

Posts: 887


I haven't listened to this yet. But the couple of songs I listened to, I really liked. I'll most definitely look for this. Good review
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Freeze! Step away from the hubris.
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Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Elite

Posts: 21306


Permalink
05.05.2012 - 17:07
Rating: 6
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Elite

Posts: 21306


Was not expecting this high a rating for this to be honest, Doc. I found this to be pretty average middle-of-the-pack technically-driven melodeath with a bit of a heavier production to hide its cookie-cutter style. I still haven't heard the entire album but the songs I heard on Youtube didn't paint nearly as pretty a picture. Maybe more time spent with the overall package and not just a few tracks will change my mind, although I doubt it.

As I mentioned in the album thread, they sound like contemporary Arsis, and I don't think that's a good thing.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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+1
05.05.2012 - 18:09

Posts: 133


Hate Arsis, love Allegaeon! Fragments of Form and Function was a personal highlight for me back in 2010, so REALLY looking forward to this album.
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Posts: 167
Permalink
05.05.2012 - 18:40
Rating: 9

Posts: 167
I agree. Their EP blew me away, and Fragments of Form and Function is for me an album that showed the future of melodic tech death. Finally a band that is not afraid of using grooves over technical wanking or silly melodeath cliches. And when they DO go technical, it is with surgical precision and great skill. From what I've heard from Formshifter, they are just getting better and better.
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Posts: 174
Permalink
05.05.2012 - 19:47
Rating: 7

Posts: 174
So, I'm gonna have to listen to this. Solely because of this review, and the fact that they hail from Colorado. All of a sudden, Colorado has a pretty damn strong metal scene...
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Posts: 285
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05.05.2012 - 21:06

Posts: 285
Written by Troy Killjoy on 05.05.2012 at 17:07

Was not expecting this high a rating for this to be honest, Doc. I found this to be pretty average middle-of-the-pack technically-driven melodeath with a bit of a heavier production to hide its cookie-cutter style. I still haven't heard the entire album but the songs I heard on Youtube didn't paint nearly as pretty a picture. Maybe more time spent with the overall package and not just a few tracks will change my mind, although I doubt it.

As I mentioned in the album thread, they sound like contemporary Arsis, and I don't think that's a good thing.

Couldn't agree more. If you aren't a fan of melodic death metal or tech death this is not likely to bring you around. I was a massive God Dethroned fan and was hoping for more of their influence indicated by the review, not much to be found here. This may hit a bit harder than most melodic death albums, but not enough that I would recommend this to people that don't like the genre.
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Posts: 93
Permalink
06.05.2012 - 06:05

Posts: 93
I enjoyed the album, i'd probably drop it slightly to an 8 or 7.8, it's still really good.
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The Voyager
The Table

Posts: 152


Permalink
07.05.2012 - 05:14
Rating: 7
The Voyager
The Table

Posts: 152


Why do people like this band so much? I seriously don't get it. Pretty standard to me.
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Posts: 641


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07.05.2012 - 20:17

Posts: 641


Nothing special, a couple of cool drumparts. Not a singel riff i will remember, Formshifter would be the only memorable song here, maybe becasue it's the moast catchy one. And the solos feel forced and are not good. Previous album mutch better
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You found god? If nobody claims him in thirty days, he's yours

Walk with me in hell
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Maxx666
Meshuggahian

Posts: 376


Permalink
08.05.2012 - 22:24
Maxx666
Meshuggahian

Posts: 376


I find it quite amazing, that being a relatively new band ,Allagaeon is releasing top quality material one after another. They surely have mastered the art of perfection. And nice review btw
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Posts: 88
Permalink
12.05.2012 - 01:49

Posts: 88
Sounds too artificial to me. Horrible drum sound.
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