I’m thrilled to announce that I will be doing vocals for the @Allegaeon fellas this November/December for their European tour. I’m very excited for this opportunity and I hope I get the chance to see a lot of you folks out there on the road! pic.twitter.com/jsdMP01aBF

— Ezra Haynes (@EzraHaynes) September 13, 2022

In a statement released by the band, Allegaeon explained, “Ezra recorded and toured extensively with us on our first three albums, and we are so excited to tour with him once more.” Ezra had this to share, “Going overseas and playing for Allegaeon fans has always been the piece missing out of my personal Allegaeon puzzle. A similar feeling to an unfinished task. It has been pretty surreal receiving this opportunity 7+ years after my much-needed departure.” Before finally concluding, “I am very excited for this run and I hope I’m able to meet so many long-time Allegaeon fans. Thanks again to the boys for the opportunity! See ya out there!”

Over the past fifteen years, Colorado’s Allegaeon have built themselves a unique place in the musical landscape, forcing both technicality and melody to the forefront as they create tumultuous and riveting death metal. With DAMNUM, their sixth full-length LP, they push everything further into the extreme, and in the process deliver the definitive Allegaeon record, which while forging into new territory, takes everything compelling about the band and enhances it.

Dave Otero, who has produced everything except the band’s 2012 album Formshifter, once again joined the band in Flatline Audio studio, Burgess asserting that working with him is “always easy and a blast.”

Last month saw Riley McShane leave the band after fronting them for 7 years from 2015. So far, the band are yet to make any official comments about the split, but McShane posted this statement wishing his former bandmates well. “I am no longer a member of the music project Allegaeon. I wish the remaining members nothing but the best in their careers – I have nothing but admiration & respect for their musical abilities. To our fans – I’m sorry if this news causes heavy hearts in any of you. Allegaeon, however, has always been able to find new members with talent, creativity, and fire in their bellies. I’m sure whoever replaces me behind the microphone will take the band in a fantastic creative direction.” Very heartfelt. “To the friends I’ve made along the way on this journey – you are loved so dearly and my gratitude for your support is immeasurable. I look forward to keeping in touch and staying close as always. The rest of the band will still be touring in EU this November – make sure to buy a ticket, buy some merch, and support them & the rest of the bands however you can. Thank you Allegaeon for the years. Good luck and be well.”

You can see below the full UK dates for the band’s tour.

26/11/23 – Bristol – Thekla
27/11 – London – O2 Academy Islington
28/11 – Glasgow – Cathouse
29/11 – Manchester – Rebellion
30/11 – Birmingham – Asylum
1/12 – Southampton – The Loft

Vocalist Riley McShane spoke of the song’s themes in a recent press release, saying: “ALLEGAEON has been fortunate enough to have an incredibly supportive back end from day one. However, we have had some personal encounters with extremely predatory and ill-natured figures in this industry and ‘Vermin’ is dedicated to them. This song has a few lyrical easter eggs so have fun dissecting them and seeing what you can take out of it for yourself.”

This is the third music video that the band has released from DAMNUM, with the first being “Into Embers” and the second being “Of Beasts and Worms”. You can view the video for “Into Embers” here and “Of Beasts and Worms” here.

Throughout DAMNUM, Allegaeon are not the slightest bit afrad of exploring a wide sonic palette, blending melody, atmosphere and brutality. Vocalist Riley McShane demonstrates an incredibly impressive vocal range throughout, from demonic growls and shrill shrieks to soulful sung vocals, and guitarists Greg Burgess and Michael Stancel balance down tuned aggression with stunning melodic passages that range from soaring to downright eerie.

The album has been well-received by critics thus far, with Ghost Cult Magazine offering very warm praise, saying:  “…the album is a rager from the get go. The music is meticulously written and expertly performed. There isn’t a sore spot to speak of, and it only gets better with repeat listens.”

DAMNUM is available through all streaming services, and the band has also released physical copies, with several different vinyl variants available, including black, “Fire Marbled”, “Clear Blue Marbled”, “Transparent Smoky Black Marbled” and “Bone and Gold”. All Allegaeon merchandise can be found on Metal Blade Records’ website.

For European and UK fans, Allegaeon will be embarking on the “Faces of Death” tour in November, alongside Rivers of Nihil, Archspire, Black Crown Initiate and To The Grave. The UK dates for this upcoming tour can be viewed below, and tickets can be found here.

26/11/2022- Thekla- Bristol
27/11- O2 Academy Islington- London
28/11- Cathouse- Glasgow
29/11- Rebellion- Manchester
30/11- Mama Roux’s- Birmingham
01/12- The Loft- Southampton

Vocalist Riley McShane said of the new single in a press release: “This song embodies the dark and fitful nature of this album by bringing to the table elements of ourselves as a band and as individual musicians that we have been waiting to share with you all for a long, long time. As always, we are excited for our listeners to join us as we step forward into new landscapes – continuing to push the boundaries of our music further and further – and we are eager to experience the unveiling of DAMNUM together over these next few months.”

“Into Embers” encapsulates a great deal of elements from the spectrum of extreme music, from the soaring, melodic lead guitar that opens the track, to vocalist McShane’s bestial growling vocals that lead the charge atop barrelling drums and lightning-fast down-picked riffs. The band also proves with this track that they can not only switch up their dynamics, but their vocal styles too, by way of an ominous, moody breakdown around the 2:30 mark that features a gradual instrumental build-up as McShane solemnly sings; “When the light goes out, the darkness is deeper than if it had never shone”.

Guitarist Greg Burgess explained in a statement that the writing process for this new album was slightly different- and more organic- than previous records, saying: “This is really the first record where the drummer has written all their parts, instead of us guitar players programming a beat and having our drummer just write the fills…pairing him with our bass player Brandon Michael, we have a rhythm section that can keep up with the level of musicality and proficiency the guitars have always brought to the table.”

The tracklist for DAMNUM can be found below.

1). “Bastards of the Earth”
2). “Of Beasts and Worms”
3). “Into Embers”
4). “To Carry My Grief Through Torpor and Silence”
5). “Vermin”
6). “Called Home”
7). “Blight”
8). “The Dopamine Void Pt. 1”
9). “The Dopamine Void Pt. 2”
10). “Saturnine”
11). “In Mourning”
12). “Only Loss”

Allegaeon has also previously announced the upcoming Faces of Death tour in the UK and Europe, which will commence on the 11^th of November. The UK dates are listed below, and tickets can be bought here.

26/11/2022- Thekla- Bristol
27/11- O2 Academy Islington- London
28/11- Cathouse- Glasgow
29/11- Rebellion- Manchester
30/11- Mama Roux’s- Birmingham
01/12- The Loft- Southampton