Veilcaste are a doom metal band from the US, and this is either their third album, (or first, depending on your perspective – they released two albums under the name Conjurer, before changing to Veilcaste).
After Veilcaste’s Split with Tusk from last year, I’ve been interested to hear more from this band. With that in mind it’s time for Precipice, which contains 41 minutes of material, including one of the songs from the aforementioned split, (Dust & Bone).
Precipice is a feast of riffs and attitude. It’s a collection of belligerent, heavy songs that throw out doom, sludge, and stoner riffs like nobody’s business. The songs are constructed around this rampant display of riffery, building well-crafted frameworks for the band to kick out the jams to.
Veilcaste exist in a sort of unhindered hinterland between harsh extremity and a more palatable accessibility. The music has the heaviness of suffocating doom, a lick or two of stoner’s hard rocking groove, and the caustic edge of sludge metal. There’s also an emotive aspect to the music that’s focused on building immersive mood, and this helps elevate Veilcaste’s material to a higher level. These atmospheric enhancements are very effective, especially as they’re usually paired with the thick distortion that the band unleash so well.
Taken together, all of the above elements make for songs that should appeal to fans of the grittier side of the underground, as well as those fans of tunes that are more easy-on-the-ear. It’s a hard balance to strike, but Veilcaste have managed it.
The majority of the vocals are rough and thuggish, which suits the music well. Semi-clean singing is also used in places, and is effective not only because of how good it sounds, but also because it’s used sparingly.
Precipice has impressed. This is a really enjoyable way to spend 41 minutes. The songs are strong and packed with hooks, and the production is powerful and punchy. Veilcaste’s newest work is a crushing success.
Very highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 