Aletheian, a Christian progressive/melodic death metal band, was formed in Lebanon, Pennsylvania in 1997 under the name Crutch. The original lineup included Alex Kenis on guitars, Keith Isenberg on bass, Vinnie Aldrich on vocals, and Bryan Clarkson on drums. They shifted towards a more technical and progressive sound influenced by bands like Death, Cynic, and Carcass. In 2001, they released ...Hope Prevails, which was later re-released in 2002 on Burning Records and remastered in 2004 on Hope Prevails Productions. The band changed its name to Aletheian in 2003, deriving from the Greek word for "truth," and released the concept album Apolutrosis (2004). In 2005, they released Dying Vine, which was later re-released by IronClad Recordings/Metal Blade Records in 2008. Aletheian performed at various festivals such as Cornerstone Festival and Ichthus and toured with bands like Cephalic Carnage and Becoming the Archetype. In 2008, following a performance at Cornerstone, the band went on an indefinite hiatus.
