SonikGoat
Mephisto Deleterio and Chrisom Infernom follow up 2022’s VLBRNR with their seventh and arguably most potent conjuring yet—and their fourth album on India’s Transcending Obscurity. For those not yet initiated into the Pennsylvania-based act’s particular cult of audial occultism, this is as good a place to begin as any. For those who have followed their earlier work, this album (The Duality of Decapitation and Wisdom) delves further into the peculiar dimension I’ll dub the Veilburnerverse.
Thematically, the number seven provides both metaphysical inspiration and structural framework for the album. The seven tracks each span seven minutes, creating a unified yet unrelenting format. This consistency allows one idea to often bleed into the next with a constantly churning fluidity. Allied to an intensely focused soundstage and meticulous riff and note choices, the listener is swept into a ceaseless, dizzying vortex throughout the album’s 49-minute runtime.
Veilburner employ expertly programmed drums that impart an industrial edge of precision to the album. At the same time, they explore a wide variety of riffs, ranging from chopping Thrash and Noise Rock-adjacent chugs to flourishes of Blackened Technicality. Simple picked phrases in unconventional tunings intertwine with subtle synths to create layers of eerie discordance. However, this dynamic is used sparingly, making the occasional moments of melodic lead guitar stand out all the more vividly.
Chrisom Infernom’s vocals serve as delirious narration for the music’s increasingly cosmic scope. He veers from capturing the essence of Christopher Lee’s Saruman—bringing down Caradhras in The Lord of the Rings—to a choking, bestial speech that would do any Orc proud. His mangled incantations provide a ghastly counterpart to the precision of the music, like the half-mad cries of an extraterrestrial sorcerer.
The overall soundstage is clear and bright, with crisp percussion picking out details around the snaking bass, while the guitars ring or rage with a clarity that sets them apart from comparisons to acts like Blut Aus Nord. Unlike Vindsval’s penchant for burying his work in roiling clouds of dissonance, Veilburner, with its detailed and spacious production, conducts its rituals in a more open style—no less cryptic for its clarity.
As with most of the best Metal today, it’s the quality of the composition that ultimately makes this record so impressive. Seven minutes is plenty of time to explore multiple ideas in each song, with little repetition or reliance on obvious song structures. While BAN, Inquisition, and Leviathan might serve as reasonable touchpoints for newcomers, Veilburner are increasingly carving a path wholly their own with each release. Even after this album—arguably the pinnacle of its discography—there is still much to discover within the Veilburnerverse.
Label: Transcending Obscurity
Release date: 15 November, 2024
Website: https://www.facebook.com/veilburner
Country: USA
Score: An illogical and confounding 7.0/5.0
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