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04-18 Agalloch announce reunion show
09-20 Agalloch members' new projects
05-14 Agalloch disbands
03-26 Agalloch Finally Reissuing LPs
05-05 New Agalloch Album Streaming
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Agalloch is an American metal band formed in Portland, Oregon, in 1995. Its music combines atmospheric black metal, doom, acoustic folk, gothic rock and post-rock. The early project developed around vocalist and guitarist John Haughm and keyboardist Shane Breyer, before guitarist Don Anderson and bassist Jason Walton joined. Haughm, Anderson and Walton subsequently became the band’s longstanding core, shaping a sound closely associated with the landscapes and atmosphere of the Pacific Northwest.
Following the From Which of This Oak demo, released in 1997, and a promotional recordin ...read more
Agalloch is an American metal band formed in Portland, Oregon, in 1995. Its music combines atmospheric black metal, doom, acoustic folk, gothic rock and post-rock. The early project developed around vocalist and guitarist John Haughm and keyboardist Shane Breyer, before guitarist Don Anderson and bassist Jason Walton joined. Haughm, Anderson and Walton subsequently became the band’s longstanding core, shaping a sound closely associated with the landscapes and atmosphere of the Pacific Northwest.
Following the From Which of This Oak demo, released in 1997, and a promotional recording in 1998, Agalloch signed with The End Records. The label issued its debut album, Pale Folklore, in 1999. Combining distorted guitars, acoustic passages, keyboards and contrasting vocal approaches, the album established the mixture of metallic intensity and sombre atmosphere that the group would develop across subsequent releases.
The Mantle (2002) gave acoustic folk and post-rock a more prominent role, arranging its metal passages within a broader framework of instrumental interludes and atmospheric textures. Ashes Against the Grain followed in 2006, further developing the band’s layered guitar sound and post-rock dimension. Smaller releases explored individual components of that approach: The Grey concentrated on experimentation, while The White foregrounded acoustic folk and ambient material, incorporating samples from the film The Wicker Man.
Marrow of the Spirit arrived in 2010, followed by the Goethe-inspired Faustian Echoes EP in 2012, conceived as a single extended composition. The fifth studio album, The Serpent & the Sphere (2014), was recorded with producer Billy Anderson and featured acoustic interludes written and performed by Nathanaël Larochette of Musk Ox. Its arrangements continued to connect expansive metal compositions with quieter instrumental passages.
Agalloch disbanded in 2016, but Haughm, Anderson and Walton reunited in 2023, announcing a return centred on limited live appearances. Hunter Ginn joined them on drums for the reunion, which began at Prophecy Fest in Balve, Germany. Selected concerts and festival appearances continued in subsequent years, including further US dates in 2026.
Musically, Agalloch often builds lengthy compositions through repetition, changes in texture and contrasts between acoustic restraint and distorted intensity. Haughm’s harsh vocals coexist with clean singing, spoken passages and substantial stretches of instrumental music. Ambient sound, experimental instrumentation and layered guitar effects contribute to the arrangements. Nature, mortality, isolation and questions of human existence recur throughout the lyrics and presentation, with Haughm describing both personal experience and his surroundings as sources of inspiration. « hide |
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