Review Summary: And all they had was just...talent, endurance and inspiration.
Starting into this album, I was skeptical. Having heard high praise about Veil of Maya, I had high expectations, so the intro through me off at first. And then it led right into "Divide Paths."Such energy! This song took an emotional twist with its bells and swift palm mutes. "Punisher" seemed to be their "lazy" song, if there is such a thing. Even so it's a fun song to listen to, and the music cutting out when that guy said, "and all they had was just..." was amusing. Having their "lazy" song near the very beginning of the album means the rest of the album makes up for it with extreme talent. The guitar never lets up, and each song has their memorable parts. Especially the tear chords in "The Glass Slide", the intro to "Vicious Circles" with matching guitars, the breakdown on "Numerical Scheme", and so on. The drums are spot on, considering the technicality of the band. It seems that they focused somewhat on accenting, meaning that you'll catch something different almost every time you listen to a song. The vocals? Very brutal. The lows and highs are not disappointing, although it wouldn't hurt to have a little more variety. In talent, the guitars matches the drums: it doesn't disappoint, and very technical. Mostly in this kind of genre, the bass is hardly noticeable, but when you catch it in this album, it stands out showing the talent of the bassist.
One thing you'll notice when you start listening to this album is that you'll get through it so quickly. It lasts 28 minutes. Each song fits perfectly, except for one. With an album of such a short run time, two instrumentals is pushing it a little much. The intro instrumental, "20/200", is great and could mislead you to think the rest of the album is just a breakdown! But the song "Eclipse" doesn't stand out much, and seems mostly filler. Considering the inspiration of this album, they could have made it something much more interesting. But that most certainly doesn't take away from the very last song, considering "Eclipse" is the second to last song. Number 10, "With Passion and Power", has some notable guitar riffs and carries the same energy that the rest of the album does, "Eclipse" being the exception. The lyrics are a change from the typical lyrics bands of this genre has to offer. Deep, and well thought out.
Veil Of Maya doesn't disappoint with this album. In fact I believe it leaves you wanting more. Of course 28 minutes of any great album would leave anyone wanting more! Looking for an album to grab your attention and keep it? This is it. Get it.
Recommended songs:
Divide Paths
The Glass Slide
Enter My Dreams
Numerical Scheme
