Aletheian are a Christian
progressive/
melodic death metal
Melodic death metal (also referred to as melodeath) is a subgenre of death metal that employs highly melodic guitar riffs, often borrowing from traditional heavy metal (including New Wave of British Heavy Metal). The genre features the heavines ...
band. They formed in
Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Lebanon () is a city in and the county seat of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,814 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Lebanon is located in the central part of the Lebanon Valley, east of Harrisbu ...
in 1997 under the name Crutch, and then changed their name to "Aletheian" prior to the 2003 album ''Apolutrosis''. Guitarist Alex Kenis joined
Becoming the Archetype
Becoming the Archetype is an American Christian metal band formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1999. They have released five albums on Solid State Records. ''Dichotomy'', which was released in November 2008, sold around 2,300 copies in the United St ...
in 2007. In the early 2007, Aletheian signed to IronClad Recordings, an imprint of
Metal Blade Records
Metal Blade Records is an American independent record label founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The US office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distrib ...
.
Biography
Aletheian was originally formed under the name Crutch in 1997. With the lineup of Alex Kenis on guitars, Keith Isenberg on bass, Vinnie Aldrich on vocals, and Bryan Clarkson on drums, the band began writing material. The early material was very
metalcore
Metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore) is a fusion music genre that combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. As with other styles blending metal and hardcore, such as crust punk and grindcore, metalcore is noted for its use of ...
oriented rather than what the band became known for later.
Aldrich did not remain in the band for very long, with the position being filled by Joel Thorpe who would record on the band's debut album, ''Crutch''. Following that, an EP was being written, initially titled ''Annealed by Animosity'', which they changed to ''Transitions''. Clarkson would leave the band, with Travis Turner taking over the position.
Donny Swigart would also join the band at this time, in 1999. Turner joined the band by recommendation of his cousin, Stephen Sarro of
Tantrum of the Muse
Tantrum of the Muse was a heavy metal band based out of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The band formed in 1998 and disbanded in 2004. The band members refers to their existence as "The Tantrum Reign of Terror".
History
Origin and ''The Hear ...
, which led to him and Kenis speaking over the phone about his influences which included
Cephalic Carnage
Cephalic Carnage is an American death metal band formed in Denver, Colorado in 1992. The band comprises vocalist Lenzig Leal, guitarists Steve Goldberg and Brian Hopp, drummer John Merryman and bassist Nick Schendzielos. Cephalic Carnage has rel ...
and
Damn the Machine.
Influenced by
Death
Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
,
Cynic,
Carcass
Carcass or Carcase (both pronounced ) may refer to:
*Dressed carcass, the body of a livestock animal ready for butchery, after removal of skin, visceral organs, head, feet etc.
*Carrion, the decaying dead body of an animal or human being
*The str ...
,
Emperor
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
,
Fates Warning
Fates Warning is an American progressive metal band, formed in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1982 by vocalist John Arch, guitarists Jim Matheos and Victor Arduini, bassist Joe DiBiase, and drummer Steve Zimmerman. There have been numerous lineup ...
,
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of the ...
,
Meshuggah
Meshuggah () is a Swedish extreme metal band formed in Umeå in 1985. Originally, the band's name was Metallien. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist Jens Kidman, guitarists Fredrik Thordendal and Mårten Hagström, drummer Tomas ...
, and
At the Gates
At the Gates is a Swedish death metal band from Gothenburg, formed in 1990. The band was a major progenitor of Gothenburg-style melodic death metal alongside In Flames and Dark Tranquillity. Prior to their first disbandment in 1996, At the Ga ...
,
the band began to shift their style in that direction.
They later released their debut, ''...Hope Prevails'', independently in 2001. The album was re-released on Burning Records, a label created by Mike Fealko of the hardcore punk and metalcore band Vessel, in 2002.
The group changed its name to Aletheian, a derivation of the Greek word for "truth", in the sense of "discovering", in 2003 when the band underwent a major line-up change acquiring two new members and made the decision to take the band to the touring level for the first time.
Isenberg had departed from the band due to family matters, as had Turner, whose wife was pregnant with twins at the time.
The style and material of the band did not change with the name, combining elements of technical, progressive, Scandinavian, and melodic death metal. ''Apolutrosis'', a full-length Concept album, pre-release made available independently in 2003.
The album was initially supposed to be released as an EP, however,
Century Media Records
Century Media Records is a heavy metal record label with offices in the United States, Germany and London. In August 2015, Century Media was acquired by Sony Music for US$17 million.
Background
Century Media was founded by Robert Kampf and Oli ...
was interested in the band at the time, but only if they recorded a full-length.
This led the band to record several instrumental tracks in addition to the four tracks they had finished.
Following the album being recorded, Century Media was no longer interested.
It was re-mixed and re-mastered for full-release in 2004 on Hope Prevails Productions. The same year ''...Hope Prevails'' was partially re-recorded, re-mixed, re-mastered, and re-released with updated artwork and the name Aletheian on Hope Prevails Productions. ''
Dying Vine
''Dying Vine'' is a 2005 studio album by the band Aletheian. The band re-released the album in 2008 under their label, IronClad Records, a branch of Metal Blade Records. In 2015 the band re-released the album a third time for the original ten yea ...
'' was Recorded, mixed, and mastered at Studio Insomnia.
The album was delayed severely due to Kenis injuring his hand with a box-cutter knife. Kenis also produced, sound teched, engineered, mixed, and mastered the album on top of performing guitars and bass on it.
The album was released in July 2005 by Hope Prevails Productions.
In 2005, the band released ''Aletheian Live'' DVD, featuring two hours of edited live concert footage, concept music video, behind-the-scenes recording documentary, and more. Aletheian has contributed two songs, "Break in the Clouds" and "Exaleipheian", recorded live in Ohio for Spindust Records' DVD compilation video ''10/20 Underground Rock Show'' in 2004.
Aletheian has played festivals such as March Metal Meltdown,
MACRoCk, Sick as Sin, Metal Mindrage,
Ichthus
Ichthus may refer to:
* An alternate spelling of ''ichthys'' (ΙΧΘΥΣ), the Greek word for fish.
* ''The Harvard Ichthus'', a journal of Christian thought at Harvard University.
* Ichthus Music Festival, an annual Christian musicfest event in W ...
, and
Cornerstone Festival
Cornerstone Festival was a Christian music festival put on by Jesus People USA and held annually around July 4 near Bushnell, Illinois, drawing some 20,000 attendees each year. In a given year, many artists that played at Cornerstone also playe ...
as well as with bands such as
Cephalic Carnage
Cephalic Carnage is an American death metal band formed in Denver, Colorado in 1992. The band comprises vocalist Lenzig Leal, guitarists Steve Goldberg and Brian Hopp, drummer John Merryman and bassist Nick Schendzielos. Cephalic Carnage has rel ...
,
Becoming the Archetype
Becoming the Archetype is an American Christian metal band formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1999. They have released five albums on Solid State Records. ''Dichotomy'', which was released in November 2008, sold around 2,300 copies in the United St ...
,
Biohazard
A biological hazard, or biohazard, is a biological substance that poses a threat to the health of living organisms, primarily humans. This could include a sample of a microorganism, virus or toxin that can adversely affect human health. A bioh ...
,
Buried Alive
Premature burial, also known as live burial, burial alive, or vivisepulture, means to be buried while still alive.
Animals or humans may be buried alive accidentally on the mistaken assumption that they are dead, or intentionally as a form of t ...
, Antithesis, Withered Earth,
Disgorge,
Zao,
Living Sacrifice
Living Sacrifice is an American Christian metal band formed in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1989. The band has released eight studio albums, out of which the first three were recorded under R.E.X. Records with their original vocalist Darren Johnso ...
,
Society's Finest
Society's Finest is a metalcore band from Dallas, Texas. Their first full-length album, '' The Journey...So Far'', was released on Solid State Records in May 2000. Due to member changes and personal matters the band took a break from touring a ...
,
Tantrum of the Muse
Tantrum of the Muse was a heavy metal band based out of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The band formed in 1998 and disbanded in 2004. The band members refers to their existence as "The Tantrum Reign of Terror".
History
Origin and ''The Hear ...
, and
Underoath
Underoath (stylized as Underøath or UnderOath) is an American rock band from Tampa, Florida. It was founded by lead vocalist Dallas Taylor and guitarist Luke Morton on November 30, 1997, in Ocala, Florida; subsequently, its additional member ...
, among others.
[Aletheian biography](_blank)
Sonicbids.com In early 2007, Aletheian signed to IronClad Recordings, an imprint of
Metal Blade Records
Metal Blade Records is an American independent record label founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The US office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distrib ...
. In 2008, the band performed at Cornerstone with a lineup of Thorpe, Kenis, a returning Turner, Chris Keeney on guitar, and Andy High on bass.
Following that show, however, the band embarked on an indefinite hiatus.
In 2016, Alex Kenis did an interview on Shoot the Shred Podcast, stating he had written all of the songs for an upcoming album but has been unable to record it due to "life happening". According to Turner, who remains in contact with Kenis, the new material is not likely to be finished, but he cannot confirm it will never happen.
Members
Timeline
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bar:Joe text:"Joe Walmer"
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bar:Travis from:01/01/1999 till:03/01/2003 color:Drums
bar:Joe from:03/01/2003 till:end color:Drums
Discography
As Crutch
*''Crutch'' (1998)
*''Transitions'' (1999)
*''Awe and Disbelief'' (2000)
*''Hope Prevails'' (2001; Hope Prevails Productions)
As Aletheian
*''
Apolutrosis'' (2003; Hope Prevails Productions)
*''
Dying Vine
''Dying Vine'' is a 2005 studio album by the band Aletheian. The band re-released the album in 2008 under their label, IronClad Records, a branch of Metal Blade Records. In 2015 the band re-released the album a third time for the original ten yea ...
'' (2005; Hope Prevails Productions)
[
*''Live'' (2005)
*''Dying Vine'' (re-release) (2008; Ironclad Recordings/]Metal Blade Records
Metal Blade Records is an American independent record label founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The US office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distrib ...
)
Other songs
* "Breathing Murder" originally performed by Living Sacrifice
Living Sacrifice is an American Christian metal band formed in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1989. The band has released eight studio albums, out of which the first three were recorded under R.E.X. Records with their original vocalist Darren Johnso ...
on ''Living Sacrifice Tribute'' (2001; Clenched Fist Records)
References
External links
*
Aletheian Interview on The Gauntlet
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aletheian
American Christian metal musical groups
American melodic death metal musical groups
Musical groups established in 1997
Heavy metal musical groups from Pennsylvania
American progressive metal musical groups
American technical death metal musical groups
Metal Blade Records artists