{"id":20171,"date":"2014-06-24T00:00:54","date_gmt":"2014-06-24T00:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/?p=20171"},"modified":"2016-12-30T15:31:09","modified_gmt":"2016-12-30T15:31:09","slug":"feature-allegaeon-06-14-pt1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/feature-allegaeon-06-14-pt1\/","title":{"rendered":"ALLEGAEON – The Golden Ratio, Part One (June 2014) | Features \/ Interviews @ Metal Forces Magazine"},"content":{"rendered":"

ALLEGAEON – The Golden Ratio<\/strong><\/span>
\nAnthony Morgan<\/span>
\nJune 2014<\/span><\/p>\n

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Allegaeon (l-r): Greg Burgess, Michael Stancel, Ezra Haynes, Corey Archuleta and Brandon Park<\/em><\/b><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
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\nOn September 12th, 2013, Fort Collins, Colorado-based death metal outfit Allegaeon confirmed that it had parted ways with guitarist and founding member Ryan Glisan. Ryan\u2019s final studio haul as a member of the group consists of 2008 EP Allegaeon<\/em>, July 2010 debut full-length Fragments Of Form And Function<\/em>, and May 2012 sophomore effort Formshifter<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe try not to talk about it too much, just out of respect for him,\u201d notes Greg Burgess, guitarist for Allegaeon as well as Ryan\u2019s erstwhile bandmate. \u201cIt really got to a point where… We had been on a tour with Job For A Cowboy and Cephalic Carnage, and then we got back. Financially, he just wasn\u2019t really into it. He was very turned off about the whole touring thing, and basically, he had already started that band with Tim Lambesis (As I Lay Dying \/ Austrian Death Machine) \u2013 the Pyrithion thing. He thought that that was gonna be his ticket, so we came back, he sat us down, and he was like \u2018Hey, I\u2019m not touring with you guys any more. I\u2019m gonna be doing this other band\u2019… And this is a verbatim quote: \u2018This is a stepping stone to my career. You guys are stepping stones to my career.\u2019 He was very focused on what he wanted to do. I don\u2019t think that came off as well as he had envisioned it, but it was kind of like \u2018Woah. Okay, dude. Umm… Well… Okay. Good luck.\u2019 This was a long time before he actually left, but I think we only played one gig with him after that. I might be wrong, but yeah. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe thought that the Pyrithion thing was gonna go really well, and he had had some other things in the fire, like he was in a country band. He is very much motivated by… He wants to be successful playing music. I don\u2019t know if he really cares about what he\u2019s playing, so to speak. He wants to do country, but then he wants to do pop music \u2013 anything that\u2019s gonna make him a comfortable living while playing guitar. I love metal, and I wanna playing metal. I don\u2019t care if I make money, but it\u2019d be nice (laughs). I\u2019d love not to work five jobs and then have to do this, but yeah, that\u2019s really what it was. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it came down to it, he was just like \u2018I\u2019m not gonna be able to make the sacrifices to make this band work.\u2019 We were like \u2018Alright, man.\u2019 That\u2019s what happened, but then we got Mike and started touring. At that point, Mike was just a fill-in \u2013 Ryan hadn\u2019t fully stepped out of the picture yet. When we were then on the first tour with Mike, he called us \u2013 I think we were in Milwaukee or something. He was like \u2018Yeah, I\u2019m gone.\u2019 We were like \u2018Okay, man. Good luck.\u2019 That was the last time we ever talked to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Such comments suggest the pair aren\u2019t friendly. \u201cIt\u2019s not that I dislike Ryan,\u201d the axeman stresses. \u201cHe has different goals in his life. I try not to take it personally, but he\u2019s gonna do what he wants to do and this is what I want to do. When it came to the fact that he quit, it was like \u2018Hey, you know what man? Good luck.\u2019 We didn\u2019t hang out. It\u2019s not that we didn\u2019t try to do that, but we\u2019re just different people. I wish him all the luck in the world, but I\u2019m really stoked about what we\u2019ve got going now.\u201d<\/p>\n

As I Lay Dying vocalist Tim Lambesis was arrested on May 7th, 2013, having hired a hitman to kill his estranged wife. Ultimately, he was sentenced on May 16th, 2014 to serve six years in prison. Pyrithion \u2013 whose line-up consisted of Tim, Ryan, guitarist Andrew Godwin (ex-The Famine), and drummer John Paul Andrade \u2013 issued inaugural EP The Burden Of Sorrow in April 2013, one month prior to Tim\u2019s arrest. \u201cIt was definitely a shock to Ryan, I think,\u201d Greg estimates. \u201cThe day we found out Tim went to jail, I texted Ryan to make sure that he was alright and everything. He was like \u2018I don\u2019t know what\u2019s going on.\u2019 I was like \u2018It\u2019s none of my business. I don\u2019t care what\u2019s going on \u2013 I just want to make sure that you\u2019re okay.\u2019 I think he was a little bit in shock and everything, but it looks like he\u2019s carrying on. He\u2019s got that thing with Wes Hauch formerly of The Faceless and I\u2019ve seen a video of his country band, so it seems like he\u2019s doing what he wants to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Allegaeon 2012 (l-r): Ryan Glisan, Greg Burgess, Corey Archuleta and Ezra
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Tim\u2019s arrest and subsequent incarceration shocked much of the metal community. \u201cThe rest of us have only met Tim once, when we were at his house recording,\u201d the songwriter recalls. \u201cHe walked in with his little kids, and he just seemed like a really nice guy. That was it. I\u2019m the first to admit I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever listened to As I Lay Dying (laughs), but yes, it was really nice for him to open his house to us and let us record the record. First impressions are not always the full disclosure of a person\u2019s character (laughs).\u201d<\/p>\n

Recording sessions for Formshifter<\/em> taking place at Tim\u2019s home was the result of Lambesis Studios being double-booked. A May 2012 interview with Metal Forces touched upon the subject, although the name of the other group in question wasn\u2019t revealed at the time. \u201cGlass Cloud I think their name was,\u201d Greg discloses. \u201cI don\u2019t even know if they\u2019re still around, or what they\u2019re doing. It had the dude from Of Mice & Men, the former singer of Of Mice & Men (Jerry Roush). I don\u2019t think it was their fault, but someone had double-booked the studio. We were supposed to be there, but then they showed up early or late or something like that. We totally got the shaft in that whole situation, but whatever. The record came out fine. We didn\u2019t complain about it, but their guitar player (Joshua Travis) was really nice. The guy from Tony Danza (The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza), he was a really cool guy. The singer formerly of Of Mice & Men, not so much, but their guitar player was really nice. I really liked talking to him. <\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t even think they knew what really happened. I think they were kind of oblivious to the whole situation, because we didn\u2019t make a stink about it. Yeah though, it really sucked, because we were supposed to be there. Like I said, I don\u2019t think that it was their fault \u2013 I don\u2019t think that they did it on purpose. It was inconvenient for us, because we were all the way across the country and sleeping on floors to do the record. We were supposed to have bunks and everything, but like I said, the record came out great so we didn\u2019t really complain too much.\u201d<\/p>\n

Occupying the guitar position vacated by Ryan is Michael Stancel. \u201cHe\u2019s the guitar player in a band called Artemesis, a Denver band,\u201d the axe-slinger informs. \u201cThe other guitar player in that band is named Matt (Meyer), and he was a student of mine. I would always go to their gigs, and watch Mike play. I was like \u2018Holy hell. This kid is really good.\u2019 He\u2019s 19, and so that was one of those things, like \u2018Man. When he gets to be my age \u2013 when he gets to be 34 \u2013 he is gonna be just unstoppable.\u2019 I already think he\u2019s a killer player, probably better than me. By the time he gets to my age, man, he\u2019s gonna be just a nightmare to have to try to keep up with (laughs). So yeah, that\u2019s really what it was. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was looking for a guitar player for the tour, I was asking around. My other buddy Mikey (Reeves) \u2013 who\u2019s the guitar player of Vale Of Pnath \u2013 I was trying to get him to do it, because he\u2019s another unreal player. He was a little intimidated by Ryan\u2019s stuff. Every guitar player we tried to get was intimidated, but Stancel was like \u2018Yes, I\u2019ll do it.\u2019 There was just no hesitation whatsoever. I was like \u2018Okay, cool,\u2019 and then within three rehearsals, you couldn\u2019t even tell Ryan wasn\u2019t there, and so it was really good. Funnily enough now though, now that the new record\u2019s out, everybody\u2019s going to that other Mikey. It\u2019s like \u2018Hey brother, we love the new record\u2019 (laughs). The two Mikeys have this… Whatever (laughs).\u201d<\/p>\n

Stepping behind the drumkit is Brandon Park. \u201cIt\u2019s actually a really funny story,\u201d remembers Greg, relating the story of how Brandom came to be Allegaeon\u2019s sticksman. \u201cThe last permanent drummer we had was on Fragments<\/em>, and then we had a studio guy who did Formshifter<\/em>. Basically when we did some touring, we had a fill-in guy named Shawn McGuffin, and he did a killer job for us. Every time we played St. Louis, Missouri, we\u2019d bump into Brandon, and we\u2019d talk to him. He would always be messaging me on Facebook, like \u2018Hey man. If you ever need a drummer, I want the gig.\u2019 He wasn\u2019t annoying, but just persistent. Every couple of months, he would just follow up very respectfully. In hindsight, it was just meant to be with this guy. <\/p>\n

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Allegaeon (l-r): Ezra Haynes, Greg Burgess, Brandon Park, Michael Stancel and
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\u201cThe last couple of times we played St. Louis though, there would be this drunken guy who would come up, and he\u2019d be like \u2018I\u2019m Brandon\u2019s friend. You should just get rid of your drummer, and get Brandon.\u2019 I\u2019d be like \u2018Okay, dude.\u2019 He was completely disrespecting the guy that we had, so I was immediately turned off (laughs). I was completely just like \u2018Man, screw this guy. His friends are jackasses.\u2019 We\u2019d then go back, and his other friend was like \u2018Hey man. Do you guys wanna do coke?\u2019 I was like \u2018Dude, I do not. We\u2019ve had drug problems in this band. We\u2019re done with it. No, we don\u2019t wanna do any coke with you.\u2019 I was like \u2018Okay, this guy\u2019s got asshole friends, and he\u2019s a cokehead\u2019 (laughs). I was immediately like \u2018No, this guy\u2019s not getting the gig,\u2019 but then I couldn\u2019t get a drummer for this last tour we went on. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe was on my list of emergency guys, because I knew he could play this stuff. His ex-band Suffer The Wrath was very much like Behemoth, so I knew he could pull it off no sweat. It was just that on a personal level, I wasn\u2019t sure how he was gonna fit. He posted something on his Facebook where he was making fun of these drug users, like \u2018That\u2019s why I never do this.\u2019 I was like \u2018Oh, that must be that one guy.\u2019 I called him up, and he was like \u2018Absolutely. I\u2019ll do it.\u2019 Then on the road, he was such a pleasure, such a nice guy. He\u2019s so quiet; he just sits there and chills, and does his thing. He keeps to himself. He just really loves being there, and he\u2019s really just an all-round great guy and an amazing drummer. On top of that, our van broke down, and he was like \u2018Oh, I can fix it,\u2019 and he fixed it. I got in the van, because it was freezing outside. He was standing outside fixing our serpentine belt. I was like \u2018I love this guy. He\u2019s in.\u2019 It\u2019s because he\u2019s a really nice guy, a great drummer, and can fix our van (laughs).\u201d<\/p>\n

Inaugural Allegaeon drummer Jordon Belfast suffered from substance issues, to clarify. \u201cI don\u2019t know what he was on, but he was definitely on some substances,\u201d the guitarist shares. \u201cIt was bad; it was a bad environment, and there was a reason why we didn\u2019t continue working with him, let\u2019s just say. He might be completely fine now. See, I hate talking crap about people (laughs). I feel like such an asshole. There were drug issues though, and it wasn\u2019t a pleasant situation. We\u2019d play a gig and he\u2019d be fine, but then at the next gig, he would show up really late, and he\u2019d play our set at half-time. It was just like \u2018C\u2019mon man.\u2019 Our performances really suffered. He didn\u2019t like to learn what was actually recorded, so he would miss parts all the time. He would change stuff up, and it was like… The performance aspect was bad. He was a phenomenal drummer, but he just had some issues that were kind of disrespectful to the rest of us. So yeah, he had to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

The substance in question wasn\u2019t cannabis, but more heavy duty narcotics. \u201cThat stuff\u2019s fine,\u201d Greg reckons, of cannabis. \u201cWe live in Colorado (laughs). There were definitely some times where there\u2019d be things put up noses. I don\u2019t care what anybody does, but when it affects myself and it affects the product that we\u2019re trying to put out, it\u2019s disrespectful to the band and it\u2019s disrespectful to the fans \u2013 they pay a lot of money to get in. I don\u2019t want to put up with that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Allegaeon operated for some time lacking a permanent drummer, the ensemble simply not opting to hire one. \u201cRyan really didn\u2019t want to get a permanent drummer,\u201d the musician cites. \u201cWe had a lot of drummers to choose from, but it became \u2018Hey, why get a permanent guy? It\u2019s dividing the pie one more way.\u2019 It was a financial decision. When Ryan left, it was like \u2018Wow, so now we don\u2019t have a permanent drummer. We don\u2019t even have a guitar player.\u2019 It just gave the appearance of an incomplete band, and I know the fans didn\u2019t really like it. That was kind of like my first thing. When I kind of took the reins almost, it was like \u2018Well, we\u2019re getting a full band \u2013 that\u2019s one. I\u2019m getting a drummer, and I\u2019m getting a new guitar player.\u2019 It was a first priority. <\/p>\n

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\u201cAll I will say is there\u2019s basically a change in management. He started the band, so he had a lot of pull. We did things his way, but now he\u2019s left, it kind of left a space for other people to come in and take other responsibilities. Stuff is delegated correctly now, and stuff happens. Just opportunities seem to present themselves a lot easier now. That was definitely the first thing we did, and the other thing was starting a new business model where everybody in the band needs to be happy. If someone isn\u2019t happy, it gets dealt with immediately. If everybody\u2019s happy, then productivity is way higher, and then it\u2019s just a better product for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Writing sessions for June 2014\u2019s Elements Of The Infinite<\/em> \u2013 Allegaeon\u2019s third studio platter overall \u2013 were \u201cfairly intensive. I had a lot more work this time than on past records, definitely. I didn\u2019t even think… I thought I was going to have to write the whole thing by myself, so it was a little bit intensive, but it was also an opportunity as it were to prove that I could step up and take the reins a little bit. It was stressful but it was also kind of exciting in a way, if that makes sense.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you go through a member change, you don\u2019t really want to… It\u2019s a hard enough thing, especially for the fans. They come to identify a band by certain members that are in it and what they bring, so it was very important for me to try to not let the fans down, right? You have to try to… Our old guitar player\u2019s influences are not mine, so I had to really do some kind of research into what those influences were, and try to incorporate them into my own writing as it were. <\/p>\n

\u201cRyan very much liked Behemoth and Nevermore \u2013 he was a huge Jeff Loomis fan (Nevermore guitarist). Me, I respect the hell out of Jeff Loomis, but I never really listened so much to Nevermore up until that point. I had to really sit down and listen to a lot of Jeff Loomis\u2019 playing, and try to capture some of what Behemoth had done on their last couple of records. It was cool in that I had to actually sit down and listen to a lot of other bands, and try to absorb what they were doing, and then make it into Allegaeon \u2013 if that makes sense. For my own personal style, I\u2019m much more of a thrash kid. I\u2019m much older, so I grew up with the Big Four and more prog music, like I love Yes and Rush and Dream Theater. So old school thrash and the more prog stuff, that tends to be my natural writing style. That\u2019s all mixed with a little bit of Gothenburg melodic death metal stuff, but also mixed with some of that more progressive thrash\u2019y stuff. So, yeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael Stancel\u2019s songwriting aptitude is evident on the compositions \u2018The Phylogenesis Stretch\u2019 and \u2018Genocide For Praise \u2013 Vals For The Vitruvian Man\u2019. \u201cMike had never played an eight-string or a seven-string before he joined, so I was like \u2018Mike, you\u2019re gonna have to get an eight-string to jam with us,\u2019\u201d Greg reveals. \u201cHe was all about it. The first day that he got an eight-string, that\u2019s when he wrote \u2018The Phylogenesis Stretch\u2019 \u2013 that\u2019s what came out of him. He wrote two songs that day; \u2018The Phylogenesis Stretch\u2019, and this other one. The other one sounded dead on like Allegaeon, but we just really liked \u2018The Phylogenesis Stretch\u2019 better \u2013 it sounded kind of like Allegaeon mixed with Revocation. It was just really good, so we were like \u2018Dude, let\u2019s just put that on the record.\u2019 It wasn\u2019t even for us; it wasn\u2019t even for release. He just wrote it, but I loved it so much. I was like \u2018Dude, let\u2019s definitely put that on the record.\u2019 <\/p>\n

\u201cThen there\u2019s track ten, \u2018Genocide For Praise\u2019, which is actually becoming a big favourite. I basically had eight songs done, and was working on \u2018Genocide\u2019. I had all of this classical guitar stuff for the intro, and I had a bit of the electric guitar stuff. I was basically like \u2018Well, let\u2019s let Mike have a real audition.\u2019 We knew he could play and I knew he could write because of his other band, but I wanted to see him write in the style of Allegaeon. I was like \u2018Hey man, here\u2019s a whole bunch of classical guitar music. Write an Allegaeon song out of it.\u2019 I wanted it long, and kind of wanted another \u2018Accelerated Evolution\u2019 \u2013 from our first record. I was like \u2018Hey man, take all this. I want the classical guitar parts come back in the middle.\u2019 Yeah, he took it, and he totally hit a home run with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Allegaeon (l-r): Greg Burgess, Michael Stancel, Ezra Haynes, Corey Archuleta
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Clocking in at 12:48, \u2018Genocide For Praise\u2019 is Allegaeon\u2019s longest tune to date. \u201cThat was by request,\u201d the artist explains. \u201cIt actually came out a little longer than I asked it to be. I like that; I like long songs, because everybody gets more bang for their buck. Not when you\u2019re forcing it obviously, but… I gave Mike all of the classical guitar music, and then I told him where I wanted the electric to come in. I demoed all of that. Basically what it was is that I had written eight songs, and I was beyond fried. and I was really just hoping; I was like \u2018Man, I really hope this turns out good.\u2019 I was under the gun, and so I really needed help to finish the record. Basically, before we had even heard what he did, we had already decided that he was the guy. When I actually went over to hand him all of the demos and everything, like \u2018Here\u2019s where your solos go and everything\u2019 \u2013 just giving him all of the material, and welcoming him to the band \u2013 we hadn\u2019t even heard it yet. We just liked him so much. <\/p>\n

\u201cAfter we had all celebrated and everything, me and him just sat in his basement, and we started going through the song that he wrote. It was great. There were a few things in there that I wanted to tweak, and so the classical thing came back a little stronger. We were then like \u2018Hey, let\u2019s have Corey have a bass solo over the classical guitar stuff.\u2019 We had the beginning kind of come back, and then there\u2019s a fake ending with the Queen guitars kind of later in the song. The classical guitar solo I put on every record, I was like \u2018You know what? I\u2019ll just tag it on at the end.\u2019 It made sense with the keys, because it was B minor \u2013 it just made sense key wise. It was a labour of love. It was a great way to introduce Mike, to say \u2018Hey, not only is he our new guy, but he\u2019s also a powerhouse writer.\u2019 He fits right in.\u201d<\/p>\n

A younger player, Michael harbours contrasting musical influences. \u201cHe\u2019s very influenced by Revocation, but he\u2019s also a big Allegaeon fan, and so there\u2019s a lot of Allegaeon influence within his writing,\u201d Greg judges. \u201cThat kind of helped him fit right in, and that\u2019s why his writing on \u2018Genocide For Praise\u2019 sounds like Allegaeon. It doesn\u2019t sound like another band, almost. It sounds very much Allegaeon\u2019y because he\u2019s been a fan of the band, and so it was very much natural for him to write in the style of Allegaeon.\u201d<\/p>\n

1 | 2<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ALLEGAEON – The Golden Ratio Anthony Morgan June 2014 Allegaeon (l-r): Greg Burgess, Michael Stancel, Ezra Haynes, Corey Archuleta and Brandon Park On September 12th, 2013, Fort Collins, Colorado-based death metal outfit Allegaeon confirmed that it had parted ways with guitarist and founding member Ryan Glisan. Ryan\u2019s final studio haul as a member of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[279],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20171","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-allegaeon"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20171","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20171"}],"version-history":[{"count":29,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20171\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":51293,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20171\/revisions\/51293"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20171"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20171"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20171"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}