Veil of Conspiracy are a melodic metal band from Italy and this is their second album.
The promo blurb states that the 45 minutes of material on Echoes of Winter is for fans of Katatonia, Opeth, and The Morningside, which is a good starting point for Veil of Conspiracy’s sound. I’d also add that fans of bands such as Amorphis, Paradise Lost, Deathwhite, Moonspell, My Dying Bride, and Anathema will find much to like here.
The songs are well-written, offering fans of genre tags such as melancholic metal, old-school doom metal, melodic metal, Gothic metal, and dark metal a feast of enjoyable music. Out of the bands mentioned above Katatonia are probably one of the prime influences, although a range of bands can be heard in Veil of Conspiracy’s professional and engaging sound.
The well-recorded music slips through the airwaves with studied ease. The band know their source influences well, and these songs embrace their musical heritage while still offering a compelling slice of emotive melodic metal in its own right. The music is quite accomplished, with textured melody, rich feeling, and nuanced performances frequently on display.
I like the vocalist’s voice very much, whether he’s singing cleanly or screaming with vigorous passion. Some of the harmonies deployed with the clean singing are particularly affecting, and his voice works well with the rest of the music. The harsh vocals are striking in their juxtaposition with the cleans, their blackened bite adding an extra dimension to the songs when they appear.
I enjoyed this record a great deal. It may wear its influences on its sleeve, but its enthusiasm, passion, and ability for this style of music is undeniable.
Highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 