Style Thrash metal Original line-up: John Mihos (vocals), Jason Stone (guitar), Tony Campo (guitar), Dave Harrison (bass), Conrad Higson (drums)
Albums: D.e.s.t.i.t.u.t.i.o.n. (Id/PolyGram 1994), Skinman (Id/PolyGram, 1996).
History As Australia's foremost thrash metal band of the 1990s, Perth-based Allegiance has gained international acclaim and interest from several key figures in the heavy metal world. Allegiance's tight sound mixed the heavy riffs and complexities of San Francisco Bay Area thrash bands like Metallica, Testament, Slayer and Exodus with a touch of Sepultura, and has remained relatively unchanged since the band's formation in 1990.
When John Mihos left a couple of months after formation, Conrad Higson took over lead vocals and Colin Butcher joined on drums. Over the next three years, Allegiance became the biggest drawcard on the West Australian rock scene. The band's three self-financed cassettes (Make the Pledge, Torn Between Two Worlds and Studio Live) sold over 3000 copies and garnered favourable reviews in the UK headbangers' bible Kerrang! and USA metal magazine Metal Maniacs. Allegiance won Most Popular Band at the 1992 West Australian (WA) Music Industry Awards, as well as taking out the WA finals of the 1992 Yamaha Rock Competition. In the national finals, Allegiance was awarded the Juke Encouragement Award. The band contributed `Morally Justified' to Roadrunner Australia's compilation of local metal acts, Redrum (June 1993).
In early 1993, ex-Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford took an interest in Allegiance, with the view of setting up management and album -distribution in the USA through his Los Angeles-based company Entertainment Management Advisory Services (EMAS). The arrangement eventually resulted in the release of the band's first album, D.e.s.t.i.t.u.t.i.o.n. in June 1994. Without mainstream radio support, the album topped the WA charts. Allegiance repeated that feat with its second album Skinman (November 1996). Allegiance's fierce live reputation resulted in several appearances on the Big Day Out festival bill, as well as supporting international visitors like Morbid Angel, Kreator, Faith No More, Fight and Fear Factory.
Source: http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=24