'Agalloch' is an American
experimental dark metal band formed in 1996 in
Portland,
Oregon.
History
Formation
Agalloch began as the creation of
John Haughm and
Shane Breyer, named after the fragrant
resinous wood of the
Agarwood (''Aquilaria agallocha''). In early 1996, songs began to be produced by the duo and, during the summer,
Don Anderson was added to the band to further refine the material. These songs would later become the ''
From Which of This Oak'' demo tape in the autumn of that year. This recording showed a large amount of
black metal influence, with an amount of material which would later appear on subsequent albums in one form or another. Shortly after the recording,
Jason William Walton was added to the line up as bassist.
''Pale Folklore''
In 1998, the three recorded a new promotional tape solely for labels. It caught the attention of
The End Records, who offered them a record contract, resulting in the ''
Pale Folklore'' album. The album features less of a black metal influence than before, many totally reworked demo songs, more
folk elements and
neoclassical interludes. The album was met with much critical acclaim. After the recording was complete, Breyer departed from the band line up.
''Of Stone, Wind and Pillor''
After a period of quiet, the band released an EP of unreleased material from 1998-2001 entitled ''
Of Stone, Wind and Pillor'', revealing even more of a neoclassical and experimental element of the band and generally less distorted vocals. The EP also includes a cover of
folk noir band
Sol Invictus' "Kneel To The Cross" that would later be released on ''
Sol Lucet Omnibus'',
French label
Cynerfierrd's tribute compilation to Sol Invictus.
''The Mantle''
During the 2001 to early 2002 period, Agalloch recorded ''
The Mantle'', featuring sleeve art of photographs of public statues and fountains found in downtown Portland. This album featured far more of a
post-rock influence throughout than previous albums, almost entirely undistorted vocals and an amount of
martial music instrumentation. This album marked a change in media attention for Agalloch, landing them interviews with a few mainstream magazines.
Following the release of ''The Mantle'', Agalloch played their first show March 6th, 2003 in Portland, Oregon.
[1] This was followed by a few shows in March and a full-scale west coast tour in May.
In 2003, ''
Tomorrow Will Never Come'' was released and in 2004 ''
The Grey'' were released. These EPs showcased an even more experimental side of Agalloch, featuring heavily remixed and reworked versions of songs from ''The Mantle'' as well as a new, heavily post-rock-influenced title track on ''Tomorrow Will Never Come''. Agalloch also performed a series of shows on the American east coast in 2004, some of them in
Toronto,
Canada.
A nature-themed split 10" picture disc EP with the
Finnish band
Nest was also released in 2004, showcasing a collaborative,
neofolk effort by Agalloch. The Nest track was a more electronic, percussion-heavy effort with vocals and guitar contributed by Haughm and Anderson.
2005 saw a double vinyl re-releases of ''The Mantle'' and a double vinyl re-release of ''Pale Folklore'' in a limited wooden box, complete with new artwork for both albums. It was only available to commemorate the band's single 2005 live performance at ''Day of the Equinox'', a music festival held in Toronto on
October 14, 2005.
''Ashes Against the Grain''
''
Ashes Against the Grain'' was released on August 8, 2006 by
The End Records, featuring less focus on ''
The Mantle's prominent acoustic guitars and instead more emphasis on electric guitars and metal elements, giving the album a different sound than their previous releases.
Influences
Agalloch's music features an intricate layering of vocal tracks and instruments (some of which are not common in traditional metal). Although Agalloch is usually filed under
folk or
doom metal, their music contains other regularly cited influences, such as neofolk,
dark ambient,
post-industrial and post-rock music. Common themes in Agalloch's imagery and subject matter are natural beauty and allusions to ancestral
Heathenry.
In a 1999 interview done by Dan Tobin with Jason William Walton and John Haughm
[2], the band members have cited other influences including
Katatonia,
Ulver,
The 3rd and the Mortal,
Swans, and
Godspeed You! Black Emperor.
In a 2005 interview done by Barry Lee Dejasu for the magazine ''
Modern Fix'', John Haughm was quoted as suggesting Agalloch's musical sound was
Dark Metal. "Sure, we have progressive and experimental elements but the root is Dark Metal." (Issue 54).
Discography
Full Lengths
LPs and EPs
Compilations
Other releases
| Year | Title | Format, Special Notes |
|---|
| 1998 | ''Promo 1998'' | 2-song promotional cassette intended solely for labels - limited to 50 copies. |
| 2005 | ''The Mantle'' | 2xLP vinyl rerelease in deluxe packaging. |
| 2005 | ''Pale Folklore'' | 2xLP vinyl rerelease in deluxe packaging. |
Members
Current
★ John Haughm -
vocals,
guitar (
Sculptured, ex-
Nothing,
Landfill,
Lotus 78,
A Den of Wolves)
★ Don Anderson - guitar (
Sculptured, ex-Nothing, ex-
Darling)
★ Jason William Walton -
bass guitar (
Especially Likely Sloth, ex-
Subterranean Masquerade, Sculptured, Nothing)
★ Chris Green -
drums (
The Waking Cold)
Former
★ Shane Breyer - Keyboards
External links
★
Official Agalloch site
★
Agalloch at Myspace.com
★
Agalloch at The End Records
★
Agalloch at Vendlus Records
Unofficial
★
Unofficial Agalloch site
★
Interview With Agalloch By Dan Tobin
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