Darkness and despair are a breeding ground for creativity in the right hands. Since their inception in 2017, Atlanta-based band Alluvial have embraced the grim and gloom that the world has to offer through an intricately balanced blend of rapid-fire polyrhythms, haunting, sludgy atmospheres and tightly wound grooves. 

The band – consisting of Kevin Muller [vocals], Wes Hauch [guitar, vocals], Tim Walker [bass], and Zach Dean [drums] – take a stab at creating an even more sinister sound than their previous album, Sarcoma, with their upcoming EP, Death Is But a Door [Nuclear Blast]. 

“We wrote about 13 or 14 songs this summer, but we wanted to do this EP between Sarcoma and our next full-length. These songs align with the vibe we want to go for. We will always find a way to be darker from record to record in the same way that South of Heaven was heavier than Reign In Blood and Seasons In The Abyss was heavier than South Of Heaven,” says Hauch. “It was that concept of chasing the dragon to find a way to top the message and vibe on the last record while finding a way to do it that made us excited.”

After releasing their instrumental debut full-length, The Deep Longing for Annihilation, the band hit the road. Although the album has racked up millions of streams, there was always an intent to add a vocalist to their following releases. Hauch had begun writing what would become Sarcoma in 2018 and recruited Muller, knowing his vocal prowess from the vocalist’s time in Suffocation. 

Bringing Muller into the fold immediately elevated the band’s sound, but Death Is But a Door shows the synergy that the band has developed from working as a cohesive unit over the last few years. 

Although the band’s mission is to drive into bleaker and heavier territory with each new release, they manage to bring balance to their sound. While they remain grounded in death metal, the band's approach finds them exploring all of their influences. From traditional thrash like Pantera or Metallica to darker grunge like Alice in Chains or Soundgarden and everything in between, Alluvial aims to keep listeners on their toes by pushing beyond the realms of death metal.

“I wanted to have a band where we can write meaningful yet action-packed songs. Something that is terrifying but breaks your heart at the same time. I think we’ll always chase that, but we want to find new ways to be heavy” says Hauch.  

With the band’s members being as ingrained in the death metal scene as they are – with members previously playing in The Faceless, Suffocation and more – listeners can rest assured they’ll be met with plenty of brutality throughout their music. The twists and turns into clean passages, atmospheric ambience, or any of the other musical avenues explored throughout Alluvial’s music take them over the edge and invite listeners to return and find something previously undiscovered.  

“My favourite records have always been these things where you could almost crawl inside of them and hide out. Everything has a bit of a different tint on it when you’re really into a certain album and I hope people can get that from our records.”

By exploring musical facets beyond the gritty brutality and technical dexterity that Alluvial puts on full display, they’ve opened a world of options for them to explore. The band has crafted a unique experience by melding their influences into a one-of-a-kind sound. 

“I feel like we covered our bases on Sarcoma”, says Hauch. 'This EP is more furious than anything we’ve done before, but it still sounds like us.”