Allegaeon released their new album, Apoptosis, via Metal Blade Records on April 19th. A near-perfect symbiosis of technical, progressive, and melodic death metal, Apoptosis is a record that is as crushingly heavy as it is inventive, lithe and intelligent, and marks a significant leap forward in the band's songwriting. Check out the video for "Colors Of The Currents" featuring Christina Sandsengen below.

Guitarist Greg Burgess comments: "As long-time fans know, I love putting classical guitar tracks on Allegaeon records. The reason is twofold: first I want to give the listeners a chance to catch their breath. Ear fatigue when listening to extreme music is an unfortunate side effect.  Secondly is to promote the instrument itself, and my love of classical music.

"The ‘Colors Of The Currents’ is my first foray into duet composition. Its conception was the result of being recognized by the classical community for my work in Allegaeon. This was both shocking and humbling for me. Having works played alongside the likes of Bach at doctoral recitals seemed like goals from a life I thought I left behind when I decided to devote my life to Allegaeon.

"For the ‘Colors Of The Currents,’ I had the honor of performing with the venerable Christina Sandsengen from Oslo, Norway. Her album Shades And Contrasts caught my attention while on the US leg of our tour with Ne Obliviscaris. Her interpretations, use of dynamics and colors, are all laudable, and what I strive to achieve in my own playing.  They are heartfelt, moving, and quite frankly an amazing example of the emotional range of the instrument. 

"The piece itself was composed knowing that it would be paired with ‘Tsunami And Submergence.’ I wanted to capture the feeling of water moving around the listener. As currents in real life ebb and flow so does the intensity of the piece. The idea to separate the tracks ‘Tsunami And Submergence’ from the ‘Colors Of The Currents’ was made right before we went into the studio, for ease of the listener to navigate where they wish on the album."

The album can be ordered here in the following formats:

- jewelcase-CD
- opaque grey vinyl (US retail exclusive - limited to 500 copies)
- black / white A/B side vinyl (US webstore exclusive - limited to 250 copies)
- oxblood / milky clear A/B side vinyl (US webstore exclusive - limited to 250 copies)
- clear w/ black smoke vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- silver w/ oxblood splatter vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- transparent purple w/ white and black splatter vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 100 copies)

Tracked at Flatline Audio in Denver with long-serving producer Dave Otero (Cattle Decapitation, Cephalic Carnage), Apoptosis is Allegaeon's fifth full-length, and the first to feature bassist Brandon Michael. "Musically, Brandon brings a huge new dimension," vocalist Riley McShane enthuses. "He has this wide breadth of music knowledge and stylistic proficiency that he draws from with excellent taste, and this makes a lot of the songs on 'Apoptosis' come to life."

The record also features a guest appearance by classical guitarist Christina Sandsengen, who duets with guitarist Greg Burgess on "Colors Of The Currents". "On this record, I was more open to new ideas that we might not have used in past," states guitarist Michael Stancel. "Rather than deleting something because 'it's not Allegaeon-y enough', I would take a step back and see if that idea fit the song and decide if it was worth keeping. With that mentality came some of my favorite songs, because I was less worried about if it fit into our old sound."

This statement is borne out across the whole album, which while very much embodying the core Allegaeon sound that has drawn fans in over the course of their impressive career, it pushes into new territory, and does so with unerring confidence. "Thematically, this record is all about contrast, and the music reflects that perfectly," says McShane. "The vocals are heavier than ever, but there are also more clean sections. The drums are faster than ever but also more dynamic, and the guitar playing is lower and slower than on most previous albums, but also provides long, melodic and beautiful sections throughout."

Apoptosis tracklisting:

"Parthenogenesis"
"Interphase // Meiosis"
"Extremophiles (B)"
"The Secular Age"
"Exothermic Chemical Combustion"
"Extremophiles (A)"
"Metaphobia"
"Tsunami and Submergence"
"Colors of the Currents"
"Stellar Tidal Disruption"
"Apoptosis"

"Exothermic Chemical Combustion":

"Extremophiles (B)" video:

"Stellar Tidal Disruption" video: