Interview with Allegaeon 2019

Allegaeon’s fifth album Apoptosis is a progressive metal tour de force that uses technical and melodic elements to its benefit in a number of stimulating and highly enjoyable ways.

Guitarist and main man Greg Burgess tell us more about this latest opus…

Introduce us to Allegaeon

Allegaeon is a Technical Melodic Death Metal band originating out of Denver Colorado. We’ve been around since 2007, and we just released a album on Metal Blade records entitled Apoptosis.

Name five things you’ve listened to recently that you’d recommend

Soilwork‘s Verklighenten, Obscura‘s Diluvium, First Fragment‘s Dasein, Arsis’s Visitant, and how about In Flames, I, The Mask.

Tell us about your latest release – Apoptosis. What does this album mean to you?

Apoptosis is our 5th album for Metal Blade Records. The album as a whole has a great sense of accomplishment attached to it. Tracks like The Colors of the Currents, was my first foray into duet classical guitar composition. My arrangement of Bach’s Keyboard Concerto in Dm I’ve been wanting to perform for the past 20 years. So there’s a lot attached to it that mean a great deal.

What’s your favourite song on the album and why?

I think I would have to say Exothermic Chemical Combustion. As a guitar player, that track is just a fun one to play. I also struggled with the composition aspect of that track for years.

You’ve had your longest gap between albums with Apoptosis, I think it’s fair to say you’ve been busy during this time! What are some of your more memorable moments, and how have they informed Apoptosis, (if at all)?

It’s funny you mention that, because the album was originally slated come out last year in October. It didn’t because of tour and promotion schedules, however it was finished a long time ago. Yeah I think we had a lot of good memories during the Proponent for Sentience record cycle. Some of the highlights would be playing Ozzfest, 70K Tons of Metal, the 35 anniversary of Metal Blade tour with Whitechapel, Cattle Decapitation and Goatwhore, and finally going to Europe for the first time was the biggest highlight. With all that touring we did Apoptosis turned out pretty raw, only because we were super rushed writing and recording it.

How would you compare Apoptosis with your past work?

I definitely feel that Apoptosis is a little different from our past work. It’s more stripped down than the last few records. We focused more on just being a metal band than on huge epic symphonic moments. Members stretched their creative wings a little more as well. This is also our bass player Brandon Michael’s debut record with us, and he killed it on the record.

Is there anything about Apoptosis that you’d change?

I wish I had spent a little more time on certain solos and refined them a little, however there just wasn’t time to. Also in retrospect I wish I had helped Riley with the vocals for Extremophiles (a). I had a few ideas in hindsight that I thought could have made the song a little different than it turned out.

How has your new bassist been working out – both personally and musically?

Brandon Michael, or as we call him Booboo Money (or sometimes booboo muffin) has been a blessing in the best sense of the word. His skill as a bass player and just how awesome of a guy he is, has been one of the best things about continuing this band. I can’t speak highly enough about him.

I was lucky enough to catch you on the First Fragment/Allegaeon/Fallujah/Obscura tour in the UK earlier this year. How did that go for you?

It was great. I think we had a little dust to shake off because we had a long break from the road. But playing with those bands every night was a real treat. All of them are killer bands, and it was truly an honour to be asked to participate in such an amazing lineup… apart from getting pissed on, but that’s a different story ha!

What touring plans do you have coming up in the future?

Well in about 2 weeks we leave for Australia to do a few dates with Ne Obliviscaris, Caligulas Horse, Beyond Creation, and Rivers of Nihil. After that we are headed back to Europe to do Forta Rock in the Netherlands, and Hellfest in France. We are trying to book some headlining shows here in the states, but nothing has been confirmed yet.

What band(s) would you love to play with that you haven’t yet had a chance to?

I’d love to play with some of the Gothenberg bands. Soilwork, In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, or Scar Symmetry. Also playing with The Black Dahlia Murder, Overkill, or Carcass would be killer as well.