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Album Review: Allegaeon ‘Fragments of Form and Function’

Published

16 years ago

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‘Fragments of Form and Function’ is Allegaeon’s debut full-length album. Signed to Metal Blade Records after their self 2008 EP, which just so happened to be produced by Dave Otero (Cephalic Carnage, Matriden, Cobalt), Allegaeon has put together a blistering 10-track LP that lyrically touches on stem cell research, cryonics, evolution and much more. With such deep and touchy subjects as basis for messages, Allegaeon should theoretically be able to back it up with music that is equally deep and complex. Do they manage? Check after the jump to find out. 
allegaeonfofafcover

‘Fragments of Form and Function’ beings with ‘The Cleansing’, a track that starts off with very digital sounding synths, setting a mechanical tone for the album. Quickly, it jumps into the tech/melodic death metal style that will pervade through the rest of the album. It’s a brutally fast song complete with intense blast beats, intricate riffing and guitar harmonization. If you enjoy this track, you are bound to appreciate the rest of the album. 
The production of ‘Fragments of Form and Function’ is underwhelming when using high-end headphones but sounds perfectly fine when using my Macbook Pro speakers. It’s an interesting contrast but one that makes a lot of sense: The Macbook is tailored for certain frequencies whereas my headphones don’t try to hide anything. So, if you’re using high quality headphones, here is what you can expect: Somewhat thing sounding guitars, almost no low end (I really couldn’t hear the bass at all), a marked difference in cymbal volume and the vocals sound a bit buried. However, through my laptop speakers, the production sounds very tight and convincing (sans the bass, of course). 
Some of the production aspects that stand out with headphones are the panning of the guitars and the panning of the toms. The guitar harmonizations stand out and are really a treat to hear. The toms sound huge and the fills travel from one ear to the other with such speed that it’s really fun when it happens and left me with a grin almost each time. Also, the low string droning of the 7-string guitars sounds almost mechanical. This coupled with the artwork of the album and you’ve got a good mental image of what Allegaeon was trying to convey with their music. 
I want to take a moment here to talk about the talent of these musicians. It’s easy to hear that they are all insanely talented and know how to put a song together so that it flows not only with amazing ease but also with extreme effectiveness. I also want to give a special nod to drummer Jordan Belfast: He plays with brutal speed and has extremely solid chops. However, the thing that stands out the most about his playing is his ability to know exactly when less is more. If you want to hear a great example of how clever he can be, just check out the first 30 seconds of ‘Across The Folded Line’. 
The band also likes to toy with expectations sometimes: The outro to ‘Biomech – Vals No.666’ is a very pretty, Celtic inspired nylon string melody complete with orchestral strings. This type of melody is hinted at during the song when one moment of guitar soloing sounded suspiciously like a Celtic flute or whistle. Also, the exact middle of ‘Accelerated Evolution’ breaks down into something very unexpected and almost, dare I say it, polka-esque. Trust me, it works. 
‘Fragments of Form and Function’ is an album that grew on me with each listen. The songs flow well into one another making for an easy listening experience. Just understand that this album features some incredibly intense musical assaults. Make sure you’re ready to survive the onslaught. 
4 out of 5 skulls
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Movies

‘The Lost Boys’ Musical Extends Broadway Run With North American Tour Set for Spring 2028

Published

1 week ago

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May 28, 2026

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The Lost Boys: A New Musical officially kicked off on Broadway last month, and Deadline now reports that the show’s Broadway run has been extended into next year.

The show was originally set to run through November, but Deadline reports that The Lost Boys: A New Musical “has released a block of tickets through Sunday, March 7, 2027.”

The news comes in the wake of The Lost Boys: A New Musical becoming the most Tony-nominated musical of the season with twelve nominations including Best Musical.

Additionally, “The Lost Boys will launch a North American National Tour in Spring 2028, at Playhouse Square in Cleveland. Additional cities and tour dates will be announced later.”

The Lost Boys: A New Musical is of course an adaptation of the 1987 horror classic from director Joel Schumacher, with the cast including Ali Louis Bourzgui as lead vampire David (originally played by Kiefer Sutherland), Maria Wirries as Star (originally played by Jami Gertz), and LJ Benet as the soon-to-be-turned Michael (originally played by Jason Patric).

The horror musical’s cast also includes Shoshana Bean as Lucy Emerson, Benjamin Pajak as Sam Emerson, Paul Alexander Nolan as Max, Jennifer Duka as Alan Frog, Miguel Gil as Edgar Frog, Brian Flores as Marko, Sean Grandillo as Dwayne, and Dean Maupin as Paul.

The Lost Boys: A New Musical is Directed by Michael Arden, featuring Music and Lyrics by The Rescues, Book by David Hornsby & Chris Hoch, Story by James Jeremias & Janice Fischer, and Produced by James Carpinello, Marcus Chait & Patrick Wilson (The Conjuring) by special arrangement with Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures.

When a mother and her two teenage sons move to Santa Carla in desperate need of a fresh start, they soon uncover the darker side of this sunny coastal community. While Lucy tries to piece her family’s life back together, Michael keeps pulling away in search of belonging.

As he finds connection with a local rock band and its charismatic leader, his younger brother Sam comes face-to-face with a terrifying reality: When night falls, Michael’s new friends are even more dangerous than they first appeared.

Joel Schumacher directed the original The Lost Boys vampire movie in 1987, wherein two brothers move to a new town and discover that the area is a haven for vampires.

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