Album Review: Veil of Maya - '[id]'

In 2009 Sumerian records proved to the world they had a secret treasure trove of bands possessing the technical chops to astound and amaze a progressively difficult to please metal fan base. This is not surprising taking into account the label has a back catalogue consisting of Born of Osiris, The Faceless and Circle of Contempt releases helping to stir up and generate interest from the consistently uninspired American music community.

Keeping in line with the current trend implemented by some of their label mates, Veil of Maya are more than adept at punching out minute something numbers filled with mind numbing polyrhythm’s that will make the majority of the musicians on the planet green with envy at their precise guitar playing (check the brain melting track colors to truly feel insignificant) . Are Meshuggah worship rhythm sections the new hot thing? Let’s hope so, as it’s a darn sight harder to pull off than having a muppet of a front man squealing about death and desecration.

Tracks like Mowgli and closing track Codex confirm that Veil of Maya is  operating on another level basically incomparable to most of their peers. The smooth transition between intricate riffing and power chords shows a significant improvement on their previous full length release The Common Mans Collapse. Each track present on [id] is memorable in its own particular way, catering for a wider spectrum of heavy music fans rather than aiming for a specific niche of listeners.

Combining the technical diversity and surprise tactics used best by the mighty Between the Buried and Me crossed with the obscure Sci Fi elements present on the latest The Faceless release should give you a brief run down on what to expect from [id]. Producer Micheal Keenes (The Faceless guitarist) influence can be heard on a number of tracks that showcase some startling effects that would not be out of place on an X-files episode.

Will Sumerian ever put out a spud release? It’s looking unlikely.

1. "[id]" – 0:43

2. "Unbreakable" – 3:44

3. "Dark Passenger" – 3:33

4. "The Higler" – 3:00

5. "Martyrs" – 1;13

6. "Resistance" – 3:01

7. "Circle" – 1:03

8. "Mowgli" – 3:03

9. "Namaste" – 3:30

10. "Conquer" – 2:56

11. "Codex" – 3:24