Russell Allen

For other people named Russell Allen, see Russell Allen (disambiguation).
Russell Allen

Allen performing in Novara, 2007
Background information
Birth name Russell Allen
Also known as Sir Russell Allen (Star One)
Born (1971-07-19) July 19, 1971
Long Beach, California, United States
Genres Progressive metal, power metal, heavy metal, hard rock
Occupation(s) Musician, singer-songwriter
Instruments Vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards
Years active 1995–present
Associated acts Symphony X
Adrenaline Mob
Allen-Lande
Star One
Level 10
Avantasia
Ayreon
Avalon
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Joel Hoekstra's 13

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

He is also a member of supergroups Star One, Allen-Lande, Level 10, frontman of the band Adrenaline Mob and one of fourteen vocalists in the progressive symphonic metal band Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

Biography

Before working with a rock band, he 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 knowing 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. In the same year, he also made part of a duo melodic rock project with singer Jørn Lande (ex-Masterplan) called Allen/Lande, which already 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. The EP, Adrenaline Mob, was released in August 2011. The first full-length album Omertà was released in March 2012 and a second album called Men of Honor was released in 2014.

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.[1] 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.[2]

Musical style

Allen during a Symphony X concert in San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2007

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".[4]

Discography

Allen with Symphony X in Israel, 2016

Solo

With Symphony X

With Star One

With Allen/Lande

With Adrenaline Mob

With Level 10

As a guest

With Ayreon

With Genius - A Rock Opera

With Avantasia

With ReVamp

With DGM

With Takayoshi Ohmura

With Timo Tolkki's Avalon

With Magnus Karlsson

With Amadeus Awad's EON

With Noturnall

With Iced Earth

With Joel Hoekstra's 13

With Trans-Siberian Orchestra

With Magni Animi Viri

References

  1. ↑ "Mat Sinner facebook page". facebook.com. Retrieved 2014-10-05.
  2. ↑ "WHITESNAKE/Ex-NIGHT RANGER Guitarist JOEL HOEKSTRA To Release JOEL HOEKSTRA'S 13 Debut 'Dying To Live'". Blabbermouth.
  3. ↑ Lucassen, Arjen. "Artist – Russell Allen". ArjenLucassen.com. Retrieved 2006-06-09.
  4. ↑ "ALLEN/LANDE: In-depth Interview With Russell Allen". Metalassault.com. January 29, 2011. Retrieved 2014-07-28.
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