Allegiance (Australian band)

Last updated

Allegiance
Origin Perth, Western Australia
Genres Thrash metal
Years active
  • 1990 (1990)–1997 (1997)
  • 2000
  • 2003
  • 2004
Labels
Past members
  • Tony Campo
  • Dave Harrison
  • Conrad Higson
  • John Mihos
  • Dave Barry
  • Jason Stone
  • Glenn Butcher

Allegiance was an Australian thrash metal group. They formed in 1990 in Perth and disbanded in 1997. They released two studio albums, D.e.s.t.i.t.u.t.i.o.n (1994) and Skinman (1996). Australian musicologist Ian McFarlane said they "gained international acclaim and interest from several key figures in the heavy metal world. [Their] tight sound mixed the heavy riffs and complexities of San Francisco Bay Area thrash bands like Metallica, Testament, Slayer and Exodus with a touch of Sepultura."

Contents

History

1990–94: Formation and early EPs

Allegiance was formed in Perth in 1990 as a thrash metal group by Tony Campo on guitar, Dave Harrison on bass guitar, Steve Hidden on guitar, Conrad Higson on drums and John Mihos on lead vocals. [1] [2] After a few months of performing Mihos left and Higson switched to lead vocals, [1] Glenn Butcher replaced Dave Barry on drums and Jason Stone replaced Hidden on guitar. [2]

In 1991 the group recorded a four-track extended play, Make the Pledge, as a music cassette, which was self-funded: [1] [3] with $250 from their live shows. It was released in October, its straight forward thrash metal sound helped it to sell 2000 copies. In the next month Allegiance won the Most Popular Band category at the West Australian Music Industry Awards (WAMI Awards) for that year. [4]

In February 1992 Allegiance played at the annual Bindoon Rock outdoor concert festival for the first time to a crowd of 10 000 people. [5] In March they released their second EP, Torn Between Two Worlds, on a seven-track cassette. [1] [6] The recording featured improved production and song writing, which demonstrated the band's progress. The EP sold 3500 copies, won the 1992 local industry award for most popular WA cassette. It was praised as one of the most impressive tapes of 1992 by magazines, fanzines and radio shows in places like Japan, Argentina, Poland, Greece, Cyprus, Lithuania, Germany, Canada, United States and the United Kingdom.

In July 1992 Allegiance won the state final of the Yamaha Rock competition and flew to Melbourne to represent their state in the national final, where they received the Juke Magazine -sponsored Encouragement Award. [1] They competed against seven other unsigned acts; the final was broadcast nationally on MTV. The band headed to ABC studios in August 1992 to record five tracks live-in-the-studio: in one take with few overdubs. These were released as their third EP in October, Studio Live. It was limited to 500 copies, which sold out in one day and became a sought after collectors item.

In September 1992 the group performed at the Australian Metalfest at the Hordern Pavilion, Sydney and provided the track, "Twisted Minds", for a CD sampler. Reviews stated Allegiance to be the most impressive bands on the bill which helped to establish their reputation as a live act outside their home state.

At the end of the year, some of their tracks were selected for inclusion on the Def Records Australia Metal compilation and local talent showcase, The Western Front, compilation CDs. Allegiance was voted the ninth best Australian band and fifth best new band in Hot Metal Magazine's annual readers poll. The band again ended the year by winning the Most Popular Band category at the 1992 WAMI Awards. [4]

In 1993 Allegiance continued touring including a second appearance at the annual, Bindoon Rock festival, performing in front of 15,000 people at the national Big Day Out festival as well as touring nationally supporting Kreator and Fear Factory which furthered their reputation as a thrash metal band. Allegiance had tracks included on the Roadrunner records Australasian compilation RedRum and Studio 52's While My Guitar Gently Kills Your Mother and Polygram heavy metal promotional cassette. Ex-Judas Priest front man, Rob Halford, took an interest in the band. [1] He made statements in the international metal press claiming Allegiance to be a dynamite band. His company, Entertainment Management Advisory Services (EMAS), were managing the band to increase international exposure.

1994–97: From D.e.s.t.i.t.u.t.i.o.n to Skinman

In March 1994 Allegiance toured nationally with Halford's new band, Fight. Allegiance placed in ten different categories in the HM Magazine readers' poll, including tenth best band of all time. In April the group secured a deal with the ID Phonogram label. Their debut album, D.e.s.t.i.t.u.t.i.o.n , was recorded in Australia by American producer, Dave Pinsky. They had met Pinsky whilst supporting the Beastie Boys with whom he was working. The album was mastered in the Netherlands by Attie Bauw who has worked with both Fight and Judas Priest.

Campo later reflected "when Rob Halford's EMAS got interested that's when we thought we were going places... [He] did nothing really for us, I think he just wanted to prop up his Fight tour of Australia. We were recording D.e.s.t.i.t.u.t.i.o.n at the time. His company said it was a bit heavy for them to do anything with. Although when it charted in Oz he was quick to take credit... Before he came to Oz he did press saying he couldn't wait to meet us. When we toured together he never even watched the band or talked to us. When he returned to the States he never contacted us again." [5]

In May D.e.s.t.i.t.u.t.i.o.n was released and although it received no mainstream radio or video exposure, it went straight into the W.A. mainstream ARIA chart at No. 1 and remained in the top 5 for 3 weeks. The band continued touring with their own headlining Destitution Tour across state capitals and then touring nationally with Australian hard rock band, The Poor. The D.e.s.t.i.t.u.t.i.o.n album topped local metal charts in the country and has been one of the best selling, home grown, hard music releases in many years.

In July Allegiance appeared on the cover of HM magazine. D.e.s.t.i.t.u.t.i.o.n started to receive positive reviews in the overseas metal press including a rating of KKKK by UK publication, Kerrang! . They shot two music videos which aired on several music video programs. In November the band recorded Time To React – Live! , a special live recording at the ABC's JJJ studios to an audience of die hard Allegiance fans. It contains no overdubs and shows the uncompromising raw power of the band in the live environment. 1995 was a busy year for Allegiance with the release of Time To React – Live! and touring big names such as Slayer, Biohazard, Machine Head and Channel Zero. They also appeared at the Big Day Out concert festivals in both Australia and New Zealand. At this stage, Allegiance were the undisputed biggest metal band in the country. In 1996 the band started work on their next album, Skinman . The album title was inspired by the tragic suicide of a member of Allegiance's road crew whose nickname was "Skinman". It was recorded in Western Australia on 48 track digital and was produced by John Villani who handled their debut. The album showed a progression in Allegiance's sound but still retaining raw power that made them popular in the first place. It was released in November through the Mercury label and debuted on the ARIA charts at No. 11. In 1997 the band was continuing to tour, playing shows and festivals with many big name international bands. However, tension between band members began to arise and while shooting a video for the track "Give Yourself" from the Skinman album in late '97, Dave Harrison left the group. Allegiance disbanded soon after.

After the break-up

Fans were not happy with the break-up of the band so the legacy of Allegiance continues on to this day. In November 2000, Allegiance did a massive[ citation needed ] "one-off" reunion concert in Perth and showed that the band's popularity had not dipped over the years. In 2003 Allegiance returned with another re-union for the 'NYE Kikstart' concert and were also inducted into the Western Australian music hall of fame. Allegiance re-united again in 2004 to play with KISS at the WACA and again in 2021.

Discography

Studio albums

List of albums, with Australian chart positions
TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart
positions
AUS
[7]
D.e.s.t.i.t.u.t.i.o.n 87
Skinman
  • Released: 1996
  • Format: CD
  • Label: Mercury (5343682)
-

Live albums

List of live albums, with Australian chart positions
TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart
positions
AUS
[7]
Time to React – Live!
  • Released: 1995
  • Format: CD
  • Label: Allegiance
-

Extended plays

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kreator</span> German thrash metal band

Kreator is a German thrash metal band from Essen, formed in 1982. Their current lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Miland "Mille" Petrozza, drummer Jürgen "Ventor" Reil, lead guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö, and bassist Frédéric Leclercq. The band's lineup has changed multiple times over its 41-year career, most noticeably with their bassists and lead guitarists. Petrozza and Reil are the only two original members left in Kreator, although the latter took a break from the band from 1994 to 1996. Yli-Sirniö has been the lead guitarist of Kreator since 2001, while Leclercq joined in 2019 as the replacement of Christian "Speesy" Giesler, who had been a member of the band since 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pantera</span> American heavy metal band

Pantera is an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas, formed in 1981 by the Abbott brothers, and currently composed of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, and touring musicians Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante. The group's best-known lineup consisted of the Abbott brothers along with Brown and Anselmo, who joined in 1982 and 1986 respectively. In addition to their development and popularization of the groove metal subgenre, Pantera is credited for being part of the second wave of thrash metal scene from the late 1980s to early-to-mid 1990s. Pantera is regarded as one of the most successful and influential bands in heavy metal history, having sold around 20 million records worldwide and having received four Grammy nominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judas Priest</span> British heavy metal band

Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band which was formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Despite an innovative and pioneering body of work in the latter half of the 1970s, the band had struggled with indifferent record production and a lack of major commercial success until 1980, when the album British Steel brought them notable mainstream attention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gyroscope (band)</span> Australian rock band

Gyroscope are an Australian rock band from Perth, which formed in 1997 as Gyroscope Sunday. The members are Daniel Sanders as lead vocalist and on guitar, Zoran Trivic on guitar and backing vocals, Brad Campbell on bass guitar and backing vocals and Rob Nassif on drums. As of 2014 the group has released four studio albums on major labels.

Powder Monkeys were an Australian punk, indie rock band, formed in 1991. The founding mainstays, Tim Hemensley, on bass guitar and lead vocals and John Nolan on lead guitar were both ex-members of Bored!. Powder Monkeys released three studio albums, Smashed on a Knee, Time Wounds all Heels and Lost City Blues (2000), before they broke up in 2002. Tim Hemensley died on 21 July 2003, aged 31, of a heroin overdose.

Mortification is an Australian Christian death metal band which was formed in 1987 as a heavy metal group, Lightforce, by mainstay Steve Rowe on bass guitar and vocals. By 1990, in the Melbourne suburb of Moorabbin, they were renamed as Mortification with the line-up of Rowe, Michael Carlisle on guitar and Jayson Sherlock on drums. Mortification has released fourteen studio albums, three compilation albums, three extended plays, six live discs, one demo album, one box set, and several videos on major record labels such as Nuclear Blast. As one of the earliest internationally successful Christian death metal bands from Australia, they served as an inspiration for later similar groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vinny Appice</span> American drummer

Vincent Samson Appice is an American rock and metal drummer best known for his work with the bands Dio, Black Sabbath, and Heaven & Hell. Of Italian descent, he is the younger brother of drummer Carmine Appice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roy Z</span> American guitarist

Roy Z is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer, best known for his work with Bruce Dickinson, Halford, and Judas Priest. He also is the founder of Tribe of Gypsies, a Latin-influenced hard rock band. Roy also helped write and produce the band Life After Death in 1996.

<i>Ram It Down</i> 1988 studio album by Judas Priest

Ram It Down is the eleventh studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 13 May 1988 by Columbia Records. It was the band's last album to feature longtime drummer Dave Holland, and was promoted in Europe and North America with the Mercenaries of Metal Tour.

Warumpi Band were an Australian country and Aboriginal rock group which formed in the outback settlement of Papunya, Northern Territory, in 1980. The original line-up was George Burarrwanga on vocals and didgeridoo, Gordon Butcher Tjapanangka on drums, his brother Sammy Butcher Tjapanangka on guitar and bass guitar, and Neil Murray on rhythm guitar and backing vocals. Their songs are in English, Luritja and Gumatj. Their key singles are "Blackfella/Whitefella" (1985), "Sit Down Money" (1986), "My Island Home" (1987) and "No Fear" (1987). The group released three albums, Big Name, No Blankets (1985), Go Bush! (1987) and Too Much Humbug (1996). From late 1987 to mid-1995 the group rarely performed as Murray focused on his solo career. In early 1995, Christine Anu, issued a cover version of "My Island Home". Warumpi Band regrouped before disbanding in 2000. Burarrwanga died on 10 June 2007 of lung cancer. Gordon butcher died in early 2020 of unreleased causes

<i>British Steel</i> (album) 1980 studio album by Judas Priest

British Steel is the sixth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 11 April 1980 by Columbia Records. It was the band's first album to feature Dave Holland on drums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mortal Sin (band)</span> Australian thrash metal band

Mortal Sin were an Australian thrash metal band that formed in 1985 and existed over three distinct periods until 2012. The band released five albums and were the first Australian thrash metal band to tour internationally. According to Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, they were one of "two leading lights... [of] a small, but fervent underground thrash/speed metal scene."

Abramelin is an Australian death metal band, which formed as Acheron in 1988 and were one of the first such groups in the country. They were a main influence on the development of Australian heavy metal music in the early 1990s. The name change occurred in 1994 to avoid confusion with a similarly named international group; the new name was adopted from The Book of Abramelin, which concerns a mage of the same name. Members of Abramelin have also been in Blood Duster, The Berzerker, The Amenta, and Akercocke. Abramelin supported tours by Napalm Death (1995), Paradise Lost, Cathedral and Cradle of Filth (2001). They released two studio albums, Abramelin (1995) and Deadspeak (2000), before disbanding in 2002. Abramelin reformed in 2016. In May 2020 the band released their third album Never Enough Snuff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hobbs' Angel of Death</span> Australian thrash metal band

Hobbs' Angel of Death was an Australian thrash metal band that began in 1987 in Melbourne, and are one of the first Australian groups to perform in that genre. They released two studio albums, Hobbs' Angel of Death (1988) and Inheritance (1995) before disbanding in 1996. They reformed in 2002 and released a compilation album, Hobbs' Satan's Crusade (2003), and a third album Heaven Bled (2016).

Armoured Angel were an Australian thrash and death metal band from Canberra, which formed in 1982 as Metal Asylum. The band's founding mainstay, Glen "Lucy" Luck provided bass guitar. They pushed the musical boundaries of the local thrash metal scene and were pioneers of Australian death metal. The group also helped establish Australia's metal festival, Metal for the Brain in 1991. They issued a studio album, Angel of the Sixth Order, in July 1999 before disbanding soon after.

Sanatorium is a thrash metal band from Skopje, North Macedonia. It consists of Pero Stefanovski, Konstantin Kačev (guitar), Goran Stanković and Goran Atanasov (drums).

Glen Cummings is an American thrash metal guitarist best known for his work in Ludichrist and Scatterbrain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Chlasciak</span> Polish-American guitarist

"Metal" Mike Chlasciak is a Polish-American musician, best known as the guitarist for heavy metal band Halford, led by Rob Halford.

<i>D.e.s.t.i.t.u.t.i.o.n</i> 1994 studio album by Allegiance

D.e.s.t.i.t.u.t.i.o.n is the first full-length album by Australian Thrash metal band Allegiance, released in 1994. The album was produced at Planet Sound Studios in Perth, Western Australia by Dave Pinsky. The album was mastered in the Netherlands by Attie Bauw.

<i>Skinman</i> 1996 studio album by Allegiance

Skinman is the second and final studio album by Australian Thrash metal band Allegiance, released in 1996. The album was produced in Perth, Western Australia by John Villani.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Allegiance'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop . St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN   1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 3 August 2004. Note: McFarlane has "Colin" Butcher as their drummer.
  2. 1 2 "ArtistProfile: Allegiance". Metal Music Australia. Archived from the original on 13 February 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2017. Note: this source has "Glenn" Butcher as their drummer.
  3. ↑ Allegiance (1991), Make the Pledge, Allegiance, retrieved 16 June 2017
  4. 1 2 West Australian Music Industry Association (1999), Kiss My WAMI: WA Music Annual, Western Australian Music Industry Association, retrieved 16 June 2017
  5. 1 2 Birkin, James (4 July 2013). "Backtrackin': Allegiance". Loud Mag. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  6. ↑ Allegiance (1992), Torn Between Two Worlds, Allegiance, retrieved 16 June 2017, Performer: Allegiance: Tony Campo (lead guitar), Glenn Butcher (drums), Conrad Higson (lead vocals), David Harrison (bass guitar, backing vocals), Jason Stone (lead guitar)
  7. 1 2 Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 12.
  8. ↑ Allegiance (1994), Destitution, id/Phonogram, retrieved 17 June 2017
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.