Russell Allen

Infobox musical artist |
Name = Russell Allen

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Img_capt = Allen during a Symphony X concert at Toronto, Ontario, Canada on July 18, 2007
Img_size = 200
Landscape = yes
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Russell Allen
Alias =
Born = birth date and age|1971|7|19
Died =
Origin = Long Beach, California, U.S.
Instrument = vocals
Genre = Progressive metal
Hard rock
Occupation =
Years_active = 1995-present
Label =
Associated_acts = Symphony X
Star One
Ayreon
Allen-Lande
URL =

Russell Allen (born July 19, 1971 in Long Beach, California) is the singer of the American symphonic progressive metal band Symphony X.

Biography

Allen has been the lead singer of Symphony X since 1995, releasing seven studio albums 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 is credited as such on Arjen Lucassen's Star One album.

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.

Musical style

Russell is most well-known for his very powerful singing style and drawn out vocal lines; possibly the most notable of which can be heard in the song "Wicked", on Symphony X's 2002 album, "The Odyssey". More recently, Allen has demonstrated a harsher vocal style on "Paradise Lost" and during live performances. His singing is much lower and more forceful, at times adding a sharp "growling" style blended with his older melodic style. This, combined with Michael Romeo's use of D tuning, makes for a much heavier sound on stage, even in performances of older, more melodic songs.

Multi-instrumentalist Arjen Lucassen has said the following regarding Russell Allen:

Allen has worked with Lucassen on various occasions: originally he sang the song "Dawn of a Million Souls" on Ayreon's 2000 album (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.

Discography

olo

* "Russell Allen's Atomic Soul" (2005)

With Symphony X

* "The Damnation Game" (1995)
* "The Divine Wings of Tragedy" (1997)
* "Twilight in Olympus" (1998)
* "" (2000)
* "The Odyssey" (2002)
* "Paradise Lost" (2007)

With Ayreon

*"Flight of the Migrator" (2000)

With Star One

*Space Metal (2002)
*Live On Earth (2003, live album)

With Jørn Lande (as Allen/Lande)

* "The Battle" (2005)
* "The Revenge" (2007)

External links

Official websites

* [http://www.symphonyx.com Symphony X's official website]