Altera Enigma
Encyclopedia
Altera Enigma is an experimental death metal
supergroup
formed by Jason De Ron
, the former guitarist and front man of Paramaecium
, and Jefray Arwadi, former guitarist, vocalist, and front man of Kekal
. Both of these musicians have a career that has seen them record and release nearly 20 albums between them. According to Jason De Ron, the name Altera Enigma was chosen because it represents something mysterious and unique.
and progressive music in all its forms. In an interview with NekroBlog, Jason said that, generally, metal has very limited emotional range, and that Altera Enigma is an attempt to break that mold. Kenny Cheong, a jazz fusion
bassist who plays a five string fretless, joined the band in 2005 and allowed Altera Enigma to further develop their signature sound.
The band released its first album, Alteration
, on 2006.
2007 saw the addition of drummer Jayson Sherlock
, formerly of Mortification
, Paramaecium
, and Horde
.
The band is in the process of creating a new album, but progress on the record has been slow due to various events in the band members lives. As of March, 2010, Jeff, who now resides in Calgary
, Alberta
, Canada
, decided that he needed to step away from Altera Enigma, and his contribution to the project is now minimal, although according to Jason DeRon the band will continue to take advantage of his creativity and inventiveness.
As of May 2011, the band have announced that work on their second album is almost complete, with bass, keys, guitars done, and only drums left to record.
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
formed by Jason De Ron
Jason De Ron
Jason De Ron is a musician from Melbourne, Australia, most notable for being the former guitarist for the death/doom band Paramaecium and co founder and guitarist of the avant garde/progressive metal band Altera Enigma.-Biography:...
, the former guitarist and front man of Paramaecium
Paramaecium
Paramaecium was an Australian death/doom metal band formed in 1991. There is use of instrumentation like flutes, cellos and violins on some albums. Paramaecium is one of the few doom metal bands that focus on Christian lyrical themes and Christian concepts...
, and Jefray Arwadi, former guitarist, vocalist, and front man of Kekal
Kekal
Kekal is a heavy metal band formed in 1995 in Jakarta, Indonesia. According to Allmusic, Kekal was one of the first heavy metal bands from Indonesia to make international inroads, and according to Keith Kahn Harris was one of the few extreme metal bands from Southeast Asia to ever make more than a...
. Both of these musicians have a career that has seen them record and release nearly 20 albums between them. According to Jason De Ron, the name Altera Enigma was chosen because it represents something mysterious and unique.
Biography
Altera Enigma was formed as an outlet for Jason and Jeff to work together on music that would push their boundaries and challenge them musically. While both Jason and Jeff are more well known for playing metal music, both musicians claim a heavy influence from jazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and progressive music in all its forms. In an interview with NekroBlog, Jason said that, generally, metal has very limited emotional range, and that Altera Enigma is an attempt to break that mold. Kenny Cheong, a jazz fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
bassist who plays a five string fretless, joined the band in 2005 and allowed Altera Enigma to further develop their signature sound.
The band released its first album, Alteration
Alteration (album)
Alteration is the debut album by Australian/Indonesian band Altera Enigma, recorded over 2 years and released on January, 2006. The emotional and sophisticated style found on the album drew comparisons to Liquid Tension Experiment, Gordian Knot, and Cynic....
, on 2006.
2007 saw the addition of drummer Jayson Sherlock
Jayson Sherlock
Jayson Sherlock was the drummer for the Australian death metal band Mortification, which was considered to be a major pioneer in the genre.Sherlock was the founder of the one-man project Unblack metal band Horde, in which he played every instrument...
, formerly of Mortification
Mortification (band)
Mortification is an Australian Christian extreme 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...
, Paramaecium
Paramaecium
Paramaecium was an Australian death/doom metal band formed in 1991. There is use of instrumentation like flutes, cellos and violins on some albums. Paramaecium is one of the few doom metal bands that focus on Christian lyrical themes and Christian concepts...
, and Horde
Horde (band)
Horde is the single-album unblack metal project of Australian musician Jayson Sherlock, formerly of Mortification and Paramaecium. In 1994 the only album Hellig Usvart was released on Nuclear Blast. With a session line-up, Horde played live-shows in 2006, Norway, and in 2010 in Finland and Germany...
.
The band is in the process of creating a new album, but progress on the record has been slow due to various events in the band members lives. As of March, 2010, Jeff, who now resides in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, decided that he needed to step away from Altera Enigma, and his contribution to the project is now minimal, although according to Jason DeRon the band will continue to take advantage of his creativity and inventiveness.
As of May 2011, the band have announced that work on their second album is almost complete, with bass, keys, guitars done, and only drums left to record.
Current members
- Jason De RonJason De RonJason De Ron is a musician from Melbourne, Australia, most notable for being the former guitarist for the death/doom band Paramaecium and co founder and guitarist of the avant garde/progressive metal band Altera Enigma.-Biography:...
- GuitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
(ParamaeciumParamaeciumParamaecium was an Australian death/doom metal band formed in 1991. There is use of instrumentation like flutes, cellos and violins on some albums. Paramaecium is one of the few doom metal bands that focus on Christian lyrical themes and Christian concepts...
/inExordium, Soundscape) - Jayson SherlockJayson SherlockJayson Sherlock was the drummer for the Australian death metal band Mortification, which was considered to be a major pioneer in the genre.Sherlock was the founder of the one-man project Unblack metal band Horde, in which he played every instrument...
- DrumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(ParamaeciumParamaeciumParamaecium was an Australian death/doom metal band formed in 1991. There is use of instrumentation like flutes, cellos and violins on some albums. Paramaecium is one of the few doom metal bands that focus on Christian lyrical themes and Christian concepts...
, inExordium MortificationMortification (band)Mortification is an Australian Christian extreme 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...
, HordeHorde (band)Horde is the single-album unblack metal project of Australian musician Jayson Sherlock, formerly of Mortification and Paramaecium. In 1994 the only album Hellig Usvart was released on Nuclear Blast. With a session line-up, Horde played live-shows in 2006, Norway, and in 2010 in Finland and Germany...
, Soundscape) - Jefray ArwadiJeff ArwadiJefray Arwadi is a musician, music producer, and graphic artist from Jakarta, Indonesia, who now resides in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He is most notable as the former guitarist and front man for avant-garde/progressive metal band Kekal, and as the co-founder of experimental death metal project...
- GuitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
(KekalKekalKekal is a heavy metal band formed in 1995 in Jakarta, Indonesia. According to Allmusic, Kekal was one of the first heavy metal bands from Indonesia to make international inroads, and according to Keith Kahn Harris was one of the few extreme metal bands from Southeast Asia to ever make more than a...
, Doctor D, Armageddon Holocaust, Excision, Inner Warfare) - Kenny Cheong - Bass (Soundscape)
External links
- Official Altera Enigma website
- Reverbnation Altera Enigma on Reverbnation
- Altera Enigma at Metal Archives
- Altera Enigma on Soundclick
- Altera Enigma Twitter Feed on Twitter