Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Allegaeon is a name that lives on the lips of many a metal head. Delivering their own brand of melodically aggressive death metal, these Colorado boys have been a constant in the genre. After the minor letdown of "Formshifter", the band return with a re-tooled lineup on their latest release, "Elements of the Infinite". Continuing their themes from prior releases, the subject matter of this album deals heavily with science and space. Add to that the backdrop of complexly beautiful guitar work and amazing orchestral pieces and you have an album that is thought provoking as it is mind bending. While they have been lumped into the metalcore genre, Allegaeon are clearly a melodic death metal outfit first and foremost. One needs simply to listen to the beginning of "Threshold of Perception" as an exhibit of melo-death. As the album hurtles along like a meteoric bullet train, it's clear that Allegaeon have been infused with new life and are out to shatter people's perception of them while displaying maturity. Tracks like "Dyson Sphere", "The Phylogenesis Stretch" and "Our Cosmic Casket" have more intricate guitar riffs, faster and more polished solos (not that there was ever any amateurism to the solos) and songs that are cohesively well-crafted and executed. The absolutely punishing "Biomech II" is a straight shot of kick ass heaviness and as the song powers on you get an incredibly short, funky bass breakdown that is just mind boggling and sweeping. Sredding solos will have even the staunchest air guitarist struggling to keep up. The closing track, "Genocide for Praise-Vals for the Vitruvian Man" clocks in at a staggering 13:08--virtually unheard of in the death metal realm. With top notch production standards and aptly arranged songs, I think it's safe to say that Allegaeon have definitely delivered an album of upper tier quality and one that is sure to put them back in the spotlight they so deserve to have.