Review Summary: Veil of Maya swap their uniquely technical sounds for a much simpler product, which may welcome some, but will alienate previous fans.
As metalcore begins to fade from the spotlight, many bands have begun changing their sound so as to stay fresh, and differentiate themselves from their peers.
August Burns Red has adopted a more symphonic sound,
Of Mice & Men switched to radio rock, and
Attila went from an actual guilty pleasure to being a horrid brodown. However, Veil of Maya always differentiated themselves using ridiculous riffs, weird time signatures, and breakneck drumming. Most importantly, they never relied on generic breakdowns to get the job done. Unfortunately, "Matriarch" shows a regression in the band's talents, opting for something that's hard to distinguish from any other progressive metalcore band.
That's not to say "Matriarch" is an atrocious album, it has its moments that are enjoyable. The band haven't forgotten how to play their instruments, and utilize many incredible riffs. Flashes of mind-bending technicality can be seen by the guitars and the drummer, but are spaced throughout the album, possibly as a benefit to the listener. "Teleute" and "Phoenix" are the highlights of the album, mixing some more popular elements of metalcore with usual Veil of Maya concepts. These songs undoubtedly represent the direction they should have taken with the album, as the rest of the album is easily forgettable.
A considerable difference from the group's previous releases is their new found reliance on vocals. New vocalist Lukas Magyar has a distinct feature separating him from the previous one: He sings very frequently, and to a degree that tends to become overwhelming. Modern progressive metal can obviously work with singing, but mediocre singing is mediocre no matter what genre it is. His screams are effective enough, perhaps slightly better than the vocalist he replaced. In no way is he the worst replacement that could have been found, his parts only serve to hinder the band.
Beyond the decent parts, there are truly disappointing moments of the album. Along with singing sections, the band has decided to rely on chugging for most of the album. Therein lies the true issue with "Matriarch," as the aforementioned chugging bogs down every track, and seems to only be used to attract new fans adorned with snapbacks and Nikes. The obvious change in writing seems to have been done late into the process, as "Aeris" is unquestionably the worst track the band has ever written. It begins with a rather serene lead part, then attempts to surprise the listener with an onslaught of screaming and moderate rhythm, and continues onward much like a wounded animal that could barely be considered a B-side. "Mikasa" also sets a new record for the band for most generic song, featuring boring chugging and a poor attempt at a chorus. These and many more poor choices made by the band only serve to reduce the shine on the finer parts of the album.
Even with the album's poor choices in songwriting, it's still much better than many metal bands' attempts to net a wider audience. It's not as much of a whiplash as
Architects' switch from mathcore to borecore, nor is it as masterful as
Mastodon's most recent LP. It has its disappointing moments, but still retains some of Veil of Maya's signature flair, albeit reduced significantly. Unfortunately, the many missteps reduce the replayability of the record, and any replays only serve to expose more of the flaws plaguing it. It's clear that the band hasn't descended into utter garbage, but they are teetering on the edge of the cliff. Hopefully, they don't make the jump.
