Aletheian - Dying Vine

The Pennsylvania band Aletheian has been around for awhile. They formed as Crutch back in 1997 and released a couple albums under that name before changing their moniker. This CD originally came out back in 2005 and was produced by the band. It has been remixed and remastered by Alan Douches (Converge, Mastodon) and will receive a national release from Metal Blade imprint Ironclad Recordings. In addition to the original tracks, there is a cover version of Cynic's "How Could I" included.

Dying Vine combines a variety of influences and styles. Aletheian explores elements of melodic death, progressive and technical metal. The songs are dense and complex with creative arrangements that really showcase the band's musicianship. From groovy prog to intense death metal to technical wizardry, this CD is very diverse.

When you have both progressive and technical styles, there is the potential to get really self-indulgent and fly off the rails. Aletheian, for the most part, reins that in with shorter, more focused songs and enough melody and catchiness to make them more than an exhibition of their musical chops. It's been a few years since the material on Dying Vine was written, and I'm really curious to hear how they've progressed since then.

(released May 13, 2008 on Ironclad Recordings)