''Formshifter'' is the second studio album by American

death metal Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, feat ...

band

Allegaeon Allegaeon is an American extreme metal band from Fort Collins, Colorado, formed in 2008. They have released one EP and six studio albums. History Allegaeon was formed in 2007. They initially played small shows, at bars and houses in and arou ...

. The album was released on May 8, 2012 through

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 ...

. As the band did not employ a drummer during the album's production, all drum parts were handled by session musician J.P. Andrande. The album charted at no. 29 on the

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chart.

Release

The first song to be released from the album was "Tartessos: The Hidden Xenocryst". The song's official video was uploaded to Metal Blade's

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channel on February 21, 2012. "Behold (God I Am)" was the second song to be released, with its lyric video premiering on May 7. The album was released the next day, on May 8. A music video was released on August 31 for the song "A Path Disclosed".

Track listing

Reception

Upon its release, ''Formshifter'' has received generally positive reviews.

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reviewer Andrew Kapper gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, saying "there is never a flat moment on the LP" and commending Ezra Haynes's vocals along with the guitar work.

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

reviewer Gregory Heaney gave the album 3.5 out of 5 stars, comparing the album to

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 ...

and

Arch Enemy Arch Enemy is a Swedish melodic death metal band, originally a supergroup from Halmstad, formed in 1995. Its members were in bands such as Carcass, Armageddon, Carnage, Mercyful Fate, Spiritual Beggars, The Agonist, Nevermore, and Eucharist. ...

and calling the album a "nonstop riff-fest". Chronicles of Chaos gave the album a 7 out of 10 and said the album's tracks increase in terms of quality, making the first three tracks "seem like a year old inconvenience".

Personnel

* Ezra Haynes – lead vocals * Greg Burgess – lead guitar, classical guitar * Ryan Glisan – rhythm guitar * Corey Archuleta – bass, backing vocals * J.P. Andrande – drums ;Additional personnel * Daniel Castleman – Engineer, mastering, mixing * Elmo Arteaga – Assistant engineer * Collin Marks – Artwork * Donovan Roubsouay – photography * Brian J. Ames – layout

Charts

References

{{Authority control Allegaeon albums 2012 albums Metal Blade Records albums