Agalloch is an American metal band formed in 1995 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 joined 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 more of a neoclassical and experimental element. The EP also includes a cover of Neofolk 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 more of a post-rock influence. The album sleeve art contains photographs of public statues and fountains found in downtown Portland. 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 on March 6, 2003 in Portland, Oregon.http://www.metal-rules.com/concerts/agalloch.htm This was followed by a few shows in March and a US 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 remixed and reworked versions of songs from The Mantle as well as a new post-rock-influenced title track on Tomorrow Will Never Come. Agalloch also performed a series of shows on the US and Canada east coast in 2004.

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 Mantles prominent acoustic guitars and instead more emphasis on electric guitars and metal elements, giving the album a different sound from that of their previous releases.

The White

On February 29 2008, Agalloch released The White, the second half (and stylistic opposite) of their 2-part EP release for Vendlus Records. This was a collection of dark folk/ambient work from between the years 2004 and 2007. The sound had reverted away from the sound of their last release, Ashes Against the Grain, and is more akin to the acoustic guitar sound of The Mantle. The tracks "The Isle of Summer", "Sowilo Rune" and "Summerisle Reprise", are themed on The Wicker Man, the latter two utilizing samples from the film. Also, the track "Birch White" borrows its lyrics from a song by A.S.J. Tessimond titled "Birch Tree". The track "Sowilo Rune" was posted on their MySpace roughly two months before the album was released. As with The Grey, the album was limited to 2,000 copies.

Style

Agalloch performs a progressive and avant-garde style of folk metal that encompasses an eclectic range of tendencies including neofolk, post-rock, black metal and doom metal.

Common themes in Agalloch's imagery and subject matter are natural beauty and allusions to ancestral Heathenry.

One of the non-traditional instruments Agalloch has been known to use is the skull of a deer. In the song "The Lodge" John Haugm strikes the deer skull in order to create a unique clicking sound..

In a 1999 interview done by Dan Tobin with Jason William Walton and John Haughm http://www.earache.com/WickedWorld/interview/re_routing_files/allagoch.html, the band members have cited other influences including Katatonia, Ulver, The 3rd and the Mortal, Swans, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor.

Discography

Full Lengths

• Pale Folklore (The End Records, 1999)
• The Mantle (The End Records, 2002)
• Ashes Against the Grain (The End Records, 2006)

Demos, EPs, and Splits

• From Which of This Oak (The End Records, 1996)
• Promo 1998 (2-song promotional cassette intended solely for labels, limited to 50 copies)
• Of Stone, Wind and Pillor (The End Records, 2001)
• Tomorrow Will Never Come (The End Records, 2003)
• The Grey (Vendlus Records, 2004)
• Split with Nest (The End Records, 2004)
• The White (Vendlus Records, 2008)

Compilations

• Sol Lucet Omnibus (tribute to Sol Invictus, contributed "Kneel to the Cross"; 2002)

Members

• John Haughm − vocals, guitar, drums (ex-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)
• Aesop Dekker − drums (Ludicra)

Former members

• Shane Breyer − keyboard
• Chris Green − drums

References

External links

• Official Agalloch site
• Agalloch at MySpace
• Interview With Agalloch By Dan Tobin
• Agalloch at The Metal Archives