Allegaeon - The Ossuary Lens - review
Allegaeon - The Ossuary Lens - review
Tracklist
01. Refraction02. Chaos Theory
03. Driftwood
04. Dies Irae
05. The Swarm
06. Carried By Delusion
07. Dark Matter Dynamics [feat. Adrian Bellue]
08. Imperial
09. Wake Circling Above
10. Scythe
A review by
musclassia April 02, 2025
The collaboration with McShane on the band’s three previous albums had been a fruitful one, and especially on 2022’s ambitious Damnum, an album that saw the band add prog influences from the likes of Opeth and Devin Townsend to their well-established melodeath/tech-death fusion. With The Ossuary Lens, Allegaeon take a slight step back on that front, dialling down the progginess on what is their shortest record to date, but the album, while punchier than its predecessor, is by no means simple or single-minded.
Some Latin acoustic guitar eases the album in with “Refraction”, before the band explode into life with the tech-heavy “Chaos Theory”, launching immediately into exhilarating harmonized winding guitar leads and frenetic drumming. A clear Gothenburg current flows through the track courtesy of melodic guitar lead flourishes, but it is one of the songs here with the most consistent emphasis on intensity and aggression; “Driftwood” is slightly simplified in comparison, opting for a typical verse/chorus structure and going for a very direct and accessible hook in the clean-sung chorus.
McShane was a very accomplished vocalist, particularly on the clean vocal front; Haynes doesn’t possess quite as full a range of approaches, but he has a good arsenal of extreme approaches at his disposal, and steps up capably when it comes to the clean vocals. Said vocals are strong enough that it’s arguably a shame that they are so infrequently utilized across the record; aside from “Driftwood”, the only other track with a significant presence on that front is “Wake Circling Above”, the album’s longest song and probably its highlight. The grand, steady tone of its beginning (one of several sections on the album ably bolstered by keyboards) leads into a track with a real imposing sense of purpose despite mostly shying away from the all-out aggression otherwise found on the album. What’s more, the clean-sung chorus has a real emotional weight to it that stands out positively compared to the rest of The Ossuary Lens.
As for what the rest of the album offers, while there’s nothing here quite as ‘out there’ as “Called Home” on Damnum, listeners will encounter a few different approaches. Keyboards are encountered against during the faux-symphonic opening to “Dies Irae”, a frantic, thrashy effort with some of the album’s numerous scene-stealing guitar solos. Those hankering for maximum aggression will appreciate the rapid, unrelenting tech-death onslaught of “The Swarm” that overwhelms listeners as if consumed by the titular swarm. A greater melodic emphasis is heard in the clean beginning and soaring middle of “Carried By Delusion”, the latter having a slight Fallujah feel to the contrast of explosive percussion and uplifting melodic instrumental layers. The biggest departure sonically across The Ossuary Lens, however, is the rich Latin guitar opening to “Dark Matter Dynamics”, another of the album’s more multi-faceted and rewarding songs.
Allegaeon’s approach on The Ossuary Lens has pros and cons compared to other recent efforts, especially Damnum; there’s a tautness and focus to their songwriting here, which does bring an arguably increased level of consistency, but on the flip side, the reduced range and songwriting ambition does mean that it lacks the ultimate highlights of its predecessor. This new record probably isn’t going to be the peak of Allegaeon’s career, but it is a fitting and successful beginning to their new chapter with Haynes.
Written on 02.04.2025 by
Written on 02.04.2025 by
Hey chief let's talk why not Comments
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Disappointed to hear they aren't building off the best parts of the last album, which was excellent. That being said, I enjoy this band's earlier stuff so the change is not entirely unwelcome.
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I think your final statement really sums up my thoughts on the album. Not their best, a slight step down from Damnum, but still a perfectly enjoyable listen and a nice return for Ezra. I do love that Greg Burgess's classical background always comes through in one way or another on each album.
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