Smother Magazine Band Spotlight: Aletheian
One hot summer afternoon a few years ago, my friend Ben had just gotten back from Cornerstone and he invited me to his house, spouting praise and excitement for a band he discovered there. Not one to pass up some new music and knowing this guy is not the type to get excited about many bands, I headed out. He presented me with his copy of Hope Prevails by some band called Crutch. It didn't take me more than the first song to fall in love with this new band. It isn't very often that a band leaves me without words, but that was a moment when my brain and mouth disconnected so I could process the aural overload. Since then, the unknown Pennsylvania Death Metal act has changed its name to Aletheian, gone through some line-up strife, independently released two more records of unparalleled progressive Death Metal, and made a strong name for itself in the underground Metal scene.
The Aletheian formula is unfortunately rare in Death Metal and — dare I say? — their style is as forward-thinking and challenging as that of the late Chuck Schuldiner. Indeed, any fan of post-Spiritual Healing Death material should fall instantly in love with Aletheian. They apply the progressive ideas to a Meshuggah-esque rhythmic convulsion without pretense, creating a sound that appeals to the cerebral need for sonic exploration while still remaining grounded in darn solid Death Metal. No headbanging glory is sacrificed while they maintain the exceptionally high level of musicianship.
Now on the eve of the release of Dying Vine (first studio recording with new drummer Joe Walmer), the future is bright for Aletheian. This new record will surely leave no ear unshocked and their hunger for touring to support the record will leave no Metal crowd unastonished. The Dying Vine release will coincide with a DVD full of incredible live footage from a special DVD video shoot, Cornerstone, and the Apolutrosis release, plus the "As the Fall Breaks" video and a ton of interesting extras. It's really incredible to see this band transform their sound into the monster that they are live and the footage on here is just as interesting for the veteran Aletheian fan as for the uninitiated listener. Dying Vine will be officially released during a weekend of release shows in June, but you can also get your hands on the new record, the DVD, all of their other merch, and plenty of band info at www.aletheian.com.
Selected Discography
Dying Vine Live DVD (2005)
Dying Vine (2005) - Read the review
Apolutrosis (2003) - Read the review
Hope Prevails (2001)
Web site(s) to check out: