Review Summary: No light, only darkness.
I’ve said it many times and I will say it again, black metal is a glorious genre. Bands are still finding ways to make the genre sound fresher than ever over 30 years after its conception. Pennsylvanian band Veilburner is a band that had eluded me for years. Earlier this year I decided to jam their 2021 album
Lurker in the Capsule of Skull and immediately had mixed reactions. Overall I was underwhelmed because while it certainly wasn’t bad, it also didn’t do much to differentiate itself from the hordes of other black metal bands out there. Fast forward to 2024 and my perception of Veilburner has gotten huge bump with the release of
The Duality of Decapitation and Wisdom
The first thing I’ll say is that these guys must’ve been jamming tons of Akercocke and Deathspell Omega because the avant-garde tendencies are upped tenfold while creating one of the most menacing and suffering atmospheres on an album in 2024. The dissonance of the riffage is so dizzying and claustrophobic yet melodic at times and catchy. Now add the absolutely schizophrenic vocals into the mix and you’ll really be having some fun. Ranging anywhere from piercing shrieks to swampy death growls to some of the most unsettling ghostly wails you’ll ever hear.
The Duality of Decapitation and Wisdom sounds like some type of morbid freak show that you have no hope of escaping. It's a wall of sound and denseness that keeps hitting you and hitting you until you submit. The musical equivalent of a mental asylum would be a good way to describe this album. The riffs are super creative and avant-garde in the sense that it's not just a normal black metal album with tremolo picking and blast beats. They’re purposely creating the atmosphere that has your head spinning and feeling like you’re running hopelessly through a house of mirrors with no exit in sight.
There really are so many layers to peel back on this album. You’ll be so disoriented by all the insane riffage and the unhinged vocal performance soaking into your soul that it will be over before you know it. And isn’t that the sign of a great album? Veilburner may have disappointed me a bit in the past, but
The Duality of Decapitation and Wisdom is so amazing that it warrants a discog check. If you want a black metal album that doesn’t play by conventional rules, do yourself a favor and get on this bad boy.
