Russell Allen

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Russell Allen
Symphony x 10.jpg
Allen performing in 2007
Background information
Born (1971-07-19) July 19, 1971 (age 52)
Long Beach, California, U.S.
Genres Progressive metal, power metal, hard rock
Occupation(s)Musician, singer, songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, bass guitar
Years active1995–present
Member of
Formerly of

Russell Allen (born July 19, 1971) is an American singer who is known as the vocalist of the progressive metal band Symphony X. He has also worked with the supergroups Star One, Allen-Lande, Adrenaline Mob, Level 10, and as one of fourteen vocalists in the progressive symphonic metal band Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

Contents

Biography

Allen during a Symphony X concert in San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2007 Sx-russell-3-small.JPG
Allen during a Symphony X concert in San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2007

Before his music career began, Allen was a jouster at a Medieval Times Dinner Theater. He was introduced to the band Symphony X by former singer Rod Tyler. Allen has been the lead singer of Symphony X since 1995, releasing eight studio albums and one live album with the band.

His first solo album, Atomic Soul, was released April 25, 2005. As well as singing he also plays the bass when performing songs from Atomic Soul live.

He is referred to in various circles as "Sir Russell Allen", and he is credited as such on Arjen Lucassen's Star One albums, because of a joke that Arjen made regarding Allen's former job as a jouster.

In the summer of 2005 he went on tour with Symphony X on Dave Mustaine's Gigantour alongside such bands as Dream Theater, Megadeth, and Nevermore. The same year, he also made part of a duo melodic rock project with singer Jørn Lande (ex-Masterplan) called Allen/Lande, which has four albums, all released by Frontiers Records.

In addition to being Symphony X vocalist, he is also currently working in another band with guitarist Mike Orlando called Adrenaline Mob.

Allen with Symphony X in 2016 Russell Allen, 2016a.jpg
Allen with Symphony X in 2016

In November 2013, Allen joined Trans-Siberian Orchestra for their 2013 Fall/Winter tour and performed with the group at the Wacken Open Air 2015. He is also featured in their 2015 studio album Letters from the Labyrinth.

In 2014, a new project was announced, featuring Russell Allen with bassist Mat Sinner and other members of the German band Primal Fear, called Level 10, with an album release slated for January 2015. The release date and the name of the album were revealed in November 2013: it would be titled as Chapter One , to be released on January 23, 2015, in Europe and on January 27, 2014, in North America via Frontiers Music srl.

In 2015, Russell Allen recorded vocals for a new project of Whitesnake and former Night Ranger guitarist Joel Hoekstra called Joel Hoekstra's 13, with an album called Dying to Live, released on October 16. Russell sings lead vocals on half of the songs in the album with background vocals and the other half of lead vocals recorded by Jeff Scott Soto. [1]

In 2020, Russell Allen collaborated with former Nightwish vocalist Anette Olzon on a new a duo melodic rock project under the name Allen/Olzon. Worlds Apart , their debut album, was released on March 6, 2020. [2]

Musical style

Multi-instrumentalist, singer and composer Arjen Lucassen has said the following regarding Russell Allen:

Russell has a very powerful and versatile voice, and on top of that he is a great musician and performer. Russell was one of the few singers with whom I didn't need to be present during recording, but when on the phone he let me hear the parts he had sung, my eyes filled with tears. Russell thought I was joking, but I was truly moved! At the moment Russell is one of the best singers in the world. And he proved that during the Star One tour. [3]

Allen has worked with Lucassen on various occasions: originally he sang the song "Dawn of a Million Souls" on Ayreon's 2000 album Universal Migrator Part 2: Flight of the Migrator (which also featured a guitar solo by Michael Romeo), and in 2002 he became one of the lead vocalists for Lucassen's project Star One.

Allen has stated in an interview that "Ronnie James Dio is definitely at the top of my list of influences" and also mentioned Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden and former Free and Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers as influences. [4]

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symphony X</span> American metal band

Symphony X is an American progressive metal band from Middletown, New Jersey. Founded in 1994, the band consists of guitarist Michael Romeo, keyboardist Michael Pinnella, drummer Jason Rullo, lead vocalist Russell Allen and bassist Michael LePond.

Star One is a Dutch progressive metal supergroup/side-project of Arjen Anthony Lucassen of Ayreon fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avantasia</span> German heavy metal supergroup

Avantasia is a German supergroup metal opera project created by Tobias Sammet, vocalist of the band Edguy. It has been characterized as a rock opera, as it features the contributions of various vocalists and musicians and it consists of concept albums. The name is a blend of the words Avalon and fantasia ('fantasy') and describes "a world beyond human imagination".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Floor Jansen</span> Dutch singer

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arjen Lucassen</span> Dutch musician

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jørn Lande</span> Norwegian singer

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Romeo</span> American guitarist

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anette Olzon</span> Swedish singer

Anette Ingegerd Olsson, known by the stage name Anette Olzon, is a Swedish singer, best known as the former lead vocalist of Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish from 2007 to 2012. She is also the vocalist of Swedish classic rock band Alyson Avenue, and of the Finnish heavy metal band The Dark Element.

The Snakes were a British-Norwegian hard rock band, formed by former Whitesnake members Bernie Marsden and Micky Moody in 1997. The line-up consisted of guitarists Marsden and Moody with Norwegian musicians, vocalist Jørn Lande, bassist Sid Ringsby, who later joined the Norwegian band TNT, and drummer Willy Bendiksen. The band released one live album, one studio album and broke up in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allen (collaborative projects)</span> Set of collaborative metal supergroups

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joel Hoekstra</span> American guitarist (born 1970)

Joel Hoekstra is an American guitarist currently in the band Whitesnake. Hoekstra also tours as a guitarist for Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The son of classical musicians, he started out playing cello and piano at a young age, but it was hearing Angus Young of AC/DC that inspired him to start playing the guitar. He was raised in the suburbs of Chicago, in Orland Park, but has lived in New York City since 2001.

<i>Free Fall</i> (Magnus Karlsson album) 2013 album by Magnus Karlsson

Free Fall is the first full-length studio album by Swedish heavy metal songwriter, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and producer Magnus Karlsson.

<i>Dying to Live</i> (13 album) 2015 studio album by Joel Hoekstras 13

Dying to Live is the first full-length studio album by Joel Hoekstra's 13. It was released on October 16, 2015 by Frontiers Records.

<i>The Source</i> (Ayreon album) 2017 studio album by Ayreon

The Source is the ninth studio album from Ayreon, a progressive metal/rock opera project by Dutch musician Arjen Anthony Lucassen, released on 28 April 2017. It is Lucassen's first album under his new label, Mascot Label Group.

The Dark Element is a Swedish symphonic metal band formed by former Nightwish vocalist Anette Olzon and former Sonata Arctica guitarist Jani Liimatainen.

<i>Worlds Apart</i> (Allen/Olzon album) 2020 studio album by Allen/Olzon

Worlds Apart is a collaborative album by American singer Russell Allen and Swedish singer Anette Olzon (ex-Nightwish) under the moniker Allen/Olzon. It was released through Frontiers Records on 6 March 2020.

References

  1. "WHITESNAKE/Ex-NIGHT RANGER Guitarist JOEL HOEKSTRA To Release JOEL HOEKSTRA'S 13 Debut 'Dying To Live'". Blabbermouth. July 29, 2015.
  2. 1 2 BraveWords. "ALLEN/OLZON Feat. RUSSELL ALLEN And ANETTE OLZON Streaming New Song "What If I Live"; Debut Album Out Now". bravewords.com. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
  3. Lucassen, Arjen. "Artist – Russell Allen". ArjenLucassen.com. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved June 9, 2006.
  4. "ALLEN/LANDE: In-depth Interview With Russell Allen". Metalassault.com. January 29, 2011. Retrieved July 28, 2014.