Alpha Galates

Alpha Galates, formerly The Hollow, was a Canadian progressive metal band that originated in Medicine Hat, Alberta and later became based in Toronto, Ontario.[1]

Matthew von Wagner, his ex-wife, Karen Wagner, and Todd Lefever formed The Hollow in 2001. The band released three independently produced albums: Natio in 2002, Vita in 2004, and ab Gehenna in 2006. ab Gehenna was a digital-only release. Another album, Obitus, was released on iTunes only. All of these albums were produced and mixed by Matthew von Wagner, who also mixed and produced music for Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker, Crystal Castles and A Primitive Evolution.

Original live drummer Colin Snortland (aka Nilock Lang) left, and singer Matthew von Wagner, (former drummer for pop punk band Racer 10), moved to drums. Guitar duties were filled out by Rowan MacPhail, and in 2006 Harmony was added on keys.

After EMI Music Canada president Deane Cameron came and saw the band at the bovine sex club in Toronto, the band signed to EMI in December, 2006 and began recording new 2 new songs to be added to the album originally called Obitus.[1] In February 2007, a 5th album was remixed at Bay 7 Studios by Joe Barresi (Tool, Tomahawk, Bad Religion), and mastered by Bob Ludwig.

A Stimulus for Reason, was released February 19, 2008 through EMI Music Canada under the band's new name, Alpha Galates.[2] The album was released in 2 forms, a digipak album, and a deluxe version packaged in a metal tin, that contains 3 bonus tracks that were recorded and mixed by Matthew von Wagner at Rainbow Trout Studios in Toronto. It also contains a video for the track "Natio".

In January 2008, Alpha Galates filmed their first video for "Standing", with director Margaret Malandrucollo.[3] It was based on the film "They Live" by John Carpenter. The video was added to MUCHLOUD station,[4] getting heavy rotation, and was also LOUDTESTED on Much Music.

The band completed a Canadian tour with Grimskunk in March/April 2008, and toured central Canada with Threat Signal.[3] They also played Rock am Ring and Rock im Park 2008 in Germany, Nova Rock 2008 in Austria, and Edgefest 2008 in Toronto. After playing a set of shows with the band 3, and Tubring in October 2009, Alpha Galates took a 6-month break from performing in order to work on new material.

In June 2009, the band hired new drummer, Phil Elliot, who was friends with Matthew after Matthew had recorded Phil's band, "Born Destroyers". Matthew returned on rhythm guitar, which he had also played on all of the band's recording, and consequently, guitarist Rowan MacPhail was asked to step down as the band's guitarist. After spending 10 months writing, followed by 4 months of working with Phil to learn the songs, Alpha Galates set out on a set of shows around southern Ontario in November 2009.

The band began writing and recording their second album and debuted a new track called "Over It" at the Velvet Underground, in Toronto, on Nov 18, 2009, but never completed the album in the studio. The band dissolved in 2011, with Wagner and Harmony starting a new project called 'Most Non Heinous'. Singer Matthew von Wagner died in 2018 from apparent complications caused by pancreatic failure.