Review Summary: Tasty blackened experimentalism just waiting to be discovered.
Forged as a studio project by Mephisto Deleterio and Chrisom Infernium, Veilburner has been slipping under the radar since its inception seven years ago. With four full-length releases under their belt, the prolific duo has shown an interesting consistency throughout their journey, namely their stylistic coherence that blends black and death metal in an avant-garde formula. Although the songwriting has been evolving over the years it has never strayed too far from the initial premise, mirroring not only a clear aesthetic vision but also strong creative chemistry between the two musicians. Veilburner's 2018 release,
A Sire to the Ghouls of Lunacy, stands as the peak of this tight collaboration while being intertwined with the duo's latest chapter -
Lurkers in the Capsule of Skull. A connection so visceral that one would not exist without the other, either musically or conceptually. I love this kind of bridging, even when it’s somewhat invisible to the naked eye; it is synonymous with purpose. Mephisto's multi-effect guitars (tracked via virtual amplifier and cabinet modelling software - Amplitube 2) and programmed drums are other cross-cutting features in the band's portfolio, being part of Veilburner's trademark sound.
This multi-layered approach, both in guitars and vocals, is still very much present on
Lurkers in the Capsule of Skull. Almost everything has multiple sound levels, catapulting the listener into a hall of mirrors in which every reflection is somehow a distortion of the original image. The pitch-shifted vocals and guitar’s schizoid effects are probably the most visible faces of this aesthetic option. Of the latter, I would highlight the harpsichord-ish sound that springs from Mephisto's guitar in 'In the Tomb of Dreaming Limbo' and 'Dissonance in Bloom', as well as the synth effect on one of the guitar solos in the former. It's impressive that most sound effects emanate from a guitar rather than a synthesizer. Mephisto's Inquisition-esque tremolo bar technique on the opener or his deranged riffs on 'Nocturnal Gold' and 'Dissonance in Bloom' are also among the album's highlights, alongside the existing stylistic contrasts. The psychedelic-ish 'Para-Opaque', which serves as a pit stop between the uptempo title track and 'Vault of Haunting Dissolve', is arguably the most contrasting example.
Despite Veilburner's somewhat catchy approach, I'd say fans of Akercocke, Deathspell Omega, Portal, or Dodecahedron, will find something of interest here. Even Nile-like archaeologists should enjoy the more straightforward assault of songs such as the title track, ‘An Odyssey Through Cataclysm’, and 'Dissonance in Bloom'. The band's scope and stylistic versatility are thus its greatest strength and what the listener should expect when diving into it. I must confess that I would have preferred a good old-fashioned drumming, but much like Anaal Nathrakh or Slugdge, the lads didn't go down that road, and on second thought, maybe it was for the best. For as a wise man once said: “if it ain't broke…”
Creatively linked to its predecessor, yet with a soul of its own,
Lurkers in the Capsule of Skull is a tasty slab of blackened experimentalism just waiting to be discovered. Its avant-garde nature, coupled with a catchiness rarely seen in such audacious territory, gives it a rather peculiar multifaceted personality that is as frightening as it is seductive. This gloomy hybrid capsule thus stands as a must-listen for anyone who likes to venture across the boundaries of black and death metal, unafraid of stepping off the beaten track.
