As Blood Runs Black - Allegiance (2006)Release ID: 30622
There has been some talk about As Blood Runs Black's debut Allegiance being similar to The Black Dahlia Murder. I haven't listened to a lot of that band, but based on the few songs I've heard from TBDM, I can totally understand. Allegiance I would consider more of a blend of deathcore and melodeath. And everything is in perfect place, including the breakdowns! This is also back when melodic deathcore was more deathly and less blackened/symphonic than their younger peers.
Allegiance has the fast guitarwork, melodic soloing, and brutal breakdowns to expect in any metalcore/deathcore album. Vocals range from blackened to deathly. Lots of blast beats are used in the drumming. And the songs are all under 5 minutes in length, so don't expect any progressive epics.
The "Intro" is quite kick-A, though quite short at under a minute. It segues to "In Dying Days", a classic of melodic awesomeness in deathcore, giving me a reason to enjoy that subgenre. BRING THE MOTHERF***IN' RUCKUS! Speedy bass and drums occur in "My Fears Have Become Phobias", with some of the fastest kicks in the second half. The breakdowns actually have audible bass which isn't quite common here. Melodeath-fueled riffing covers "Hester Prynne" alongside more of those diverse harsh vocals.
The acoustic interlude "Pouring Reign" is beautiful, but I don't think it fits well in this album which would've been 100% perfect but ends up getting a couple percentage points knocked off for that. "The Brighter Side of Suffering" is another one of the best songs in melodic deathcore. The next track "The Beautiful Mistake" is another solid track. Sure the lyrics of a failed romance may be cheesy, but it somehow fits well in deathcore/melodeath, right from the intro, "I looked into the eyes of a broken heart pride that’s made of stone!" Amusing but still suitable.
"Strife (Chug Chug)" has fantastic drumming, and once again, the otherwise inaudible bass can be heard in the ending breakdown. "Beneath the Surface" is quite interesting. Right at the 3 and a half minute mark, the song comes to a quick stop, and just when you think it's over, a brutal breakdown comes on for you to headbang to. Finally, "Legends Never Die" is one last highlight I would recommend to fans of Black Dahlia-core.
Allegiance is the best place for anyone wanting to test out deathcore for the first time without going into the popular new wave of symphonic blackened deathcore. I just hope As Blood Runs Black would return with another masterpiece like this without any acoustic interludes. We need more straight-up melodic deathcore, seriously!
Favorites: "In Dying Days", "My Fears Have Become Phobias", "The Brighter Side of Suffering", "Strife (Chug Chug)", "Legends Never Die"
