Genre : Djent, Progressive metalcore, Melodic metalcore, Technical deathcore
Released : May 12th, 2023
Label : Sumerian Records
FFO : Periphery, Monuments, Volumes, Born Of Osiris
After a streak of singles between 2019 and 2022, six years after their previous album "False Idols" released in 2017, "[m]other" definitely does feel like a long anticipated return album from the Chicago tech-djent veterans Veil Of Maya, especially after the hype standalone singles such as "Outrun" or "Outsider" had managed to generate.
While not necessarily reinventing the band's signature sound or formula, "[m]other" certainly does however refine and expand upon it further; most notably when it comes to the experimentation with electronic sounds and digital manipulation which weaves in a futuristic, "cyberpunk" atmosphere whose glitching nature goes hand in hand with guitarist Marc Okubo's recognizable binary syncopated riffs.
Neck-bobbing "golden age" djent style riffs, occasionally eerie guitar sounds, complex rhythm sections, atmosphere-building use of synths and electronics : the whole Veil Of Maya package is there, including those big melodic choruses and catchy vocal hooks the band introduced with the arrival of vocalist Lukas Magyar and the subsequent release of their 2015 album "Matriach".
I'll leave it to die-hard Veil Of Maya to discuss whether "[m]other" was worth the long wait or not, but as far as I'm concerned, I think it's earned its place amongst the more fun and slightly more freakish releases in this style of metalcore music this year.
Favourite tracks : "Tokyo Chainsaw", "Red Fur", "Synthwave Vegan", "Lost Creator"
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