Allegiance

Allegiance
Origin	Perth, WA
Genres	Thrash metal
Years active	1990 - 1998, 2000, 2002
Labels	Id, Polygram
Associated acts	Black Steel, Human Extinction Project
Past members	Tony Campo, Glen Butcher, Dave Harrison, Steve Hidden, Conrad Higson, John Mihos, Jason Stone

Band members

• Final line-up
  • Tony Campo (guitar)
  • Jason Stone (guitar)
  • Dave Harrison (bass)
  • Conrad Higson (vocals)
  • Glen Butcher (drums)

• Former members
  • Steve Hidden (drums) 1990 - 1992
  • John Mihos (vocals) 1990

Formed

Perth, Western Australia, 1990

Band information

If things had continued to go right for Allegiance they may well have gone on to be the biggest Australian metal band ever. Indeed they seemed to be on the way there when suddenly everything just seemed to stop for this excellent Perth band.

Allegiance came together in 1990 around bass player Dave Harrison and guitarist Tony Campo, originally as a four piece with singer John Mihos and Steve Hidden on drums. Conrad Higson replaced Mihos after only a short time and Glen Butcher took over from Hidden in 1992 with Jason Stone being added as a second guitarist.

Allegiance took out the Western Australia state finals of a national band contest and followed up some solid early demos with the D.e.s.t.i.t.u.t.i.o.n. album for Id, a development arm of Polygram that also had Armoured Angel on its roster. The album highlighted Allegiance's brash thrash style which incorporated strong commercial elements. The band then toured nationally with Sydney hard rock band The Poor, who were also at the time enjoying a high point. The following year, Allegiance became the first Australian heavy metal band to tour the country with the Big Day Out.

By this time Allegiance was now the most high profile metal band in the land, supporting several major touring bands including Fight, Machine Head and Slayer. Fight’s Rob Halford was so impressed with Allegiance that he attempted to organise an international management deal but this fell through and resultant problems held up the band’s next album for 18 months.

Skinman, named after a roadie who was killed in an accident, was a sterling effort but the long downtime coupled with flagging label support and the Perth act’s isolation from the rest of the national touring circuit saw their progress stall. Harrison was controversially sacked in mid-97 and the band fell apart shortly afterward. Allegiance played a reunion show in late 2000 and they headlined a major Perth festival on New Year's Eve 2002. Since then nothing more has been heard from them.

Dave Harrison later formed Black Steel and Butcher is now with Human Extinction Project.

Discography

Albums:

1994	D.e.s.t.i.u.t.i.o.n.	Id
1995	...Time to React Live!	Id
1996	Skinman	Polygram