For ALLEGAEON, sitting still is not an option. The Fort Collins, Colorado-based group has never allowed itself to stagnate, prefering to thrive on chaos, change and evolution. Their latest offering, The Ossuary Lens, is their seventh full-length overall but it’s the first with original vocalist Ezra Haynes since his 2015 departure following the Elements Of The Infinite album. Replacing a singer is no easy task, so the fact that Haynes was in a place to rejoin is something to celebrate. The cleaner vocal approach on the last three albums was a fascinating artistic maneuver, one that refreshed ALLEGAEON, but it’s undeniably thrilling to hear Haynes’ graveled larynx back in the fold on this inarguably brutal and technically dazzling slab of work. The science-based lyrics are as challenging as the progressive musicianship, resulting in a set of songs that simply slay. It’s a sound that Haynes himself refers to as “melotech” (melodic, technical death metal). “I think in the beginning we were a little more stripped down,” adds guitarist Greg Burgess, “very guitarforward, focused melodeath. Over time, I think more technical, symphonic, and progressive elements creeped in. Finally, where we are today is all of that combined, added with more ambient elements.”

The Ossuary Lens was recorded with producer Dave Otero at Flatline Audio studio in Denver. It marks the sixth album recorded with Otero. “He’s our guy and we couldn't imagine working with anyone else at the moment,” says Haynes. “We have worked with Dave Otero at Flatline Audio since the beginning of our career,” adds Burgess. “So seventeen years now. Dave always provides a comfortable working environment, amazing ideas, and a career-spanning understanding of what has made ALLEGAEON, ALLEGAEON.”

CD/ LP:

1. Refraction
2. Chaos Theory
3. Driftwood
4. Dies Irae
5. The Swarm
6. Carried by Delusion
7. Dark Matter Dynamics
8. Imperial
9. Wake Circling Above
10. Scythe

LINE-UP:

Ezra Haynes – vocals
Greg Burgess – lead guitar
Michael Stancel – lead guitar
Brandon Michael – bass
Jeff Saltzman – drums