Allegaeon - Fragments Of Form And Function

From out of the mountains they came...to conquer!Melodic death metal has been around some years now.  Enough that it's hard to release a debut album and receive critical acclaim right out of the gate.  But everywhere you look these days, you seem to find no shortage of praise for Allegaeon's first full album, Fragments Of Form And Function (their self-titled EP came out a couple of years ago).  I don't know what they're feeding their kids in Colorado these days, but the chops these boys display are phenomenal.

The music itself is both brutal and melodic at the same time - something you'd expect from melodic death metal, but Allegaeon manage to make it sound fresh and powerful without splintering off into yet another hybridization of the genre.  Vocalist Ezrah Haynes performs as expected, with powerful, guttural singing, but it's the twin guitar attack of Ryan Glisan and Greg Burgess that make this album stand out.  Their frenetic exchanges are nothing short of mind-blowing even in an age where guys like Michael Romeo walk the Earth.

The Bottom Line: This is one killer debut from these boys from the Mile High state.  If you're a fan of melodic or technical death metal, you'll probably want to give this a listen.  I only fear what Allegaeon will have to do to top it.

- Genghis will be watching this band from now on