Without any warning, and after some debate as to whether it was still a one man project or not, Agalloch permanently called it quits this year. Guitarist Don Anderson, bassist Jason Walton, drummer Aesop Dekker, and ex-Giant Squid vocalist Aaron John Gregory went on to form Khorada, leaving ex-frontman John Haughm out in the cold. Though that wasn't surprising given that the breakup seemed to be Everyone In Agalloch v. Haughm.
Haughm hasn't disappeared though. Alongside Stephen Parker (Maestus, ex-Arkhum) and Trevor Matthews (Uada, ex-Infernus), Haughm has formed Pillorian and will be releasing its debut album titled Obsidian Arc on March 10 via Eisenwald.
A 7" featuring an album track and a non-album track will also be released on February 10. Pillorian describes itself as a band who incorporates "haunting melodies with avantgarde structures, dark folk elements and blackened walls of furious sound," which certainly sounds promising.
