Allegaeon’s Proponent for Sentience is nothing short of absolutely crushing and certainly keeping form with their own unique brand of “Science-Core,” utilizing the now popular math metal style and molding it with the undervalued black/melodic-death/thrash style that is making bands such as Allegaeon, Skeletonwitch, Black Fast and others so entertaining to listen to as of late. We all knew they loved them some science, but this album certainly takes it to a whole other level vocally. While one can never be sure what a change at singer will ultimately do to a band, you can be sure this change while one can’t say is “better”, one can say is a bit more consistent and gives the music a bit more dynamic range from the low tone growls, into the high screams and even into completely clean vocals at very spare times without skipping a beat and completely crushing it.
Let me also add that if you’ve never seen Allegaeon on tour (possibly because they were touring with some weird metalcore bands) you should definitely check them out at Ozzfest in LA or one of the many other dates they’ll be on. This is a surprising band that you would never think can keep up that crushing brutally fast thrash sound like they do on album – well I assure you, your face will melt.
That said, I’ve felt for some time now that 2016 has been lacking in the area of truly impressive, soul crushing thrash albums, however you want to categorize which area of thrash this album is in of course. The melody and blackness that this album has reminds me so much of classic Nile, and Dark Tranquility matched with bands such as Testament and Dark Angel with of course, their own brand of speed matched with that progressive mathy brutality and reminds us that NO KIDS, JUST SAY NO TO BREAKDOWNS without a melody over top of it! Thank you Allegaeon for reminding me that albums like this can still be made and not a manufactured sound that is handed down to thirty other bands because it’s “what’s selling.” Keep killing it and I can’t wait to see you live again in a few weeks in LA!
Allegaeon is:
- Riley McShane – vocals
- Greg Burgess – guitar
- Michael Stancel – guitar
- Corey Archuleta – bass
- Brandon Park – drum
