Review Summary: In the end, Veil of Maya accomplished the things that they were supposed to on [m]other and produced something that is technically a pass. [m]other is something that will capture the attention of many, while leaving others to pass it by.
It can be difficult to narrow down to what exactly Chicago’s own, metalcore/djent group, Veil of Maya, seek to accomplish with their sound upon each album’s release. Syncopated, heavy-style riffs and breakdowns with combinations of other styles including electronica, have allowed Veil of Maya to make more of a name for themselves in recent years. In their latest release, [m]other, the band speaks directly to this musical combination and blends their progressive metal influence with some interesting synth-wave sounds, all while touching on dystopian and futuristic themes featured in the songwriting. [m]other is something that will capture the attention of many, while leaving others to pass it by.
Their newest release begins with the hard hitting track, “Tokyo Chainsaw,” featuring elaborate and technical, syncopated heavy grooves alongside intense guttural screams. There are many other moments on the record that encompass this style and feeling such as, “Synthwave Vegan,” “Lost Creator,” and “Death Runner.” Listening to these songs provided a great experience to hear how the band has established their heavy sound and technical skill, but the listening experience begins to suffer when you recognize how blanket sounding some of the breakdowns and riffs begin to feel having reached the end of the album. In moments in “Artificial Dose” and “[re]connect,” where we get to hear clean, sway-like choruses, the feeling of the songs encompass different and alluring sounds that are quite enjoyable. Some failing moments on the record occur in the song, “Godhead,” where the song doesn’t feel all that inspired and features the textbook heaviness that we have come to expect from the band.
Veil of Maya’s recent release features pristine production that benefits the heavy guitar tones and punchy drums that leave such an articulate and crisp sound in the mix. Drummer, Sam Applebaum and guitarist and bassist, Marc Okubo and Danny Hauser (respectively), continue to shine in their ability to reach new technical heights in their journey in the band. Vocalist, Lukas Magyr, continues to awe and electrify through his performances on this record with such a powerful and dynamic range. The lyrics written on this record compliment the underlying instrumentation and composition to provide a compelling story throughout, highlighting themes of a dystopian future setting and the forms of oppression and uprising that come with it. Because of each member’s ability to be masters of their own craft, [m]other is technically not allowed to fail. The problem begins to arise when the band relies so heavily on this ability alone that the overall sensations and textures of the album begin to feel a bit drab and worn-out. Some shining moments on this record come from “Disco Kill Party,” where the band focuses on heavy progressive metalcore while combining engaging traces of an electronic-synth sound. The song, “Red Fur,” also features an electronic-trance style opening that exemplifies the creativity that would have really pushed this album forward.
In the end, Veil of Maya accomplished the things that they were supposed to on [m]other and produced something that is technically a pass. It is not to say that their latest album fails to execute in creativity or does not have the ability to push its own boundaries. There are plenty of moments on this record that feel engaging and moving, but the majority of the sound feels written from a formula we already know works. I would have really enjoyed seeing Veil of Maya push these boundaries further as I’m sure there would have been some thrilling moments that we have yet to see from the band. I would not count this record out as I do believe it is worth a listen, but as we begin to approach the middle of the year, I worry that Veil of Maya will be overshadowed by other records that have already been, or will soon be, released.
