Wes Hauch

Modern Death Metal Riff Architect, Precision Legato Master & Alluvial Bandleader

Biography & Career Overview

Wes Hauch is an American heavy metal guitarist, composer, and producer widely regarded as one of the finest technicians and riff architects in modern technical death metal and progressive extreme music. Hauch first vaulted onto the international stage in 2012 when he joined technical death metal trailblazers The Faceless, tracking guitars and co-arranging material on their landmark progressive effort Autotheism.

Following his tenure with The Faceless, Hauch established himself as one of the most prolific players in extreme music, performing and touring with outfits such as Black Crown Initiate and Australian deathcore juggernauts Thy Art Is Murder. In 2016, he joined forces with drummer Keith Merrow to launch Alluvial, which evolved from an instrumental project into a crushing, groove-dense death metal powerhouse under Nuclear Blast Records. A revered educator and clinician, Hauch has also lent high-profile guest solos to acts across modern metal, including Periphery, Devin Townsend, Polyphia, Austrian Death Machine, and Enterprise Earth.

Musical Instrumentation & Technical Signature

Rhythm Tightness & Picking Precision: Celebrated for an exceptionally tight, relentless down-picking and alternate-picking rhythm hand, executing syncopated palm-muted riffs, polymetric grooves, and jagged down-tuned death metal patterns with metronomic accuracy.
Allan Holdsworth-Influenced Legato Phrasing: In sharp contrast to standard metal shred tropes, Hauch's lead style is deeply rooted in wide-interval, saxophone-like legato runs, chromatic passing lines, and whole-tone / symmetrical scale shapes executed with fluid left-hand dynamic control.
Dynamic Solo Architecture & Hybrid Picking: Weaves expressive blues-inflected vibrato and microtonal bends into high-speed technical passages, incorporating hybrid picking to navigate wide string skips without pick friction.
Signature Instruments & Gear Architecture: An official Ibanez artist famously known for his custom and signature Ibanez Iceman 7-string guitars (equipped with his signature Seymour Duncan "Jupiter" rail humbucker pickups), run through high-gain tube amplifiers (Peavey 5150, EVH, Revv) and modern digital profiling rigs (Fractal Audio Axe-Fx / Quad Cortex).

Bands, Formations & Notable Tenures

Alluvial (2016–present): His primary creative vehicle, originally co-founded with Keith Merrow as an atmospheric instrumental project before transforming into a full four-piece death metal group fronted by vocalist Kevin Muller, currently signed to Nuclear Blast Records.
The Faceless (2012–2014): Served as lead/rhythm guitarist alongside Michael Keene, performing on and co-writing portions of the critically acclaimed progressive/technical death metal album Autotheism.
Black Crown Initiate (2014–2016): Toured and recorded as lead guitarist, contributing his unmistakable solo work to the progressive death metal LP Selves We Cannot Forgive.
Thy Art Is Murder & The Black Dahlia Murder: High-profile live touring guitarist for Thy Art Is Murder and trusted live festival/tour fill-in for melodic death metal pioneers The Black Dahlia Murder.

Selected Discography & Releases

With Alluvial

The Deep Longing for Annihilation (2017): Formative instrumental progressive death metal debut composed with Keith Merrow, featuring blistering lead workouts and dark, subterranean grooves.
Sarcoma (Nuclear Blast, 2021): The breakthrough sophomore album introducing vocals via Kevin Muller; widely praised for tracks like "Ulysses," "Thy Underling," and "The Putrid Sunrise."
Death Is But a Door (EP) (Nuclear Blast, 2024): A relentless, razor-sharp four-song assault showcasing expanded technicality, vicious riffing, and atmospheric soloing on cuts like "Bog Dweller" and "Death Is But a Door."

With The Faceless & Black Crown Initiate

The Faceless – Autotheism (Sumerian Records, 2012): Key technical milestone featuring his rhythm tracking and expressive solo contributions across tracks like "The Eidolon Reality" and "Autotheist Movement."
Black Crown Initiate – Selves We Cannot Forgive (eOne Music, 2016): Full-length progressive death metal studio recording featuring Hauch's fluid lead phrasing and harmonic textures.

Selected Guest Solo Appearances

Periphery – "Mile Zero" (Periphery II: This Time It's Personal, 2012): Delivered one of modern progressive metal's most celebrated guest solos—a blazing, emotionally charged technical masterclass.
Polyphia – "Aviator" (Muse, 2014): Contributed a blistering, high-speed alternate-picking and sweep-arpeggio guest solo.
Austrian Death Machine – Triple Brutal (2014) / Enterprise Earth – Luciferous (2019): Featured guest lead guitar contributions on key technical deathcore and metal releases.