Redhead's Reviews

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

I'M BACK! [Matriarch Review - Veil of Maya]

Hey everyone! I know it's been a while since I posted a review or anything, but I'm back. I will also be creating a new format for my reviews and be going a little more in depth. Midterms had me swamped with plenty of other personal issues but I will now be posting a review or an update at least once a week. Now that that's out of the way... the new Veil of Maya album dropped yesterday, and I'm gonna tell you all about it.

MATRIARCH

Matriarch is by far Veil's best written album to date. While some fans man not feel that this is Veil at their best, this is definitely their songwriting at it's best. This is the first album to incorporate clean vocals, and guitarist Marc Okubo said that was something that the band had been talking about implementing for quite a while, before they even landed their new vocalist, Lukas. While even I was a little skeptical of the introduction of cleans, they couldn't blend any better and Lukas' voice is truly outstanding. Alright here's where I may lose some of you. I actually think Lukas is an upgrade from Brandon. He seems to have a wider range of screams as well as a great singing voice that is proving very intuitive for Veil.

For those of you thinking, "Oh this isn't Veil of Maya anymore", let's put those thoughts to rest. This is Veil of Maya. I can hear similarities to The Common Mans Collapse on tracks like LeeLoo and Teleute, while they manage to incorporate so many new sounds at the same time. This is by far the widest variety of sounds that we have seen to date on one of Veil's albums. However, some sounds and ideas do feel a little out of place and almost dumbed down compared to the rest of the material on the album. Matriarch is a masterfully crafted metal album and all the boys in Veil are showing what they have evolved into.

Track rundown:

LeeLoo - Alright this one is something special. If you're looking for the good old chaotic riffs and mind boggling rhythms of TCMC and even id, this is going to be one of your favorite tracks on the album. It features an intro riff that will melt your face while you groove all at the same time. Lukas layers over some brutal screams and Sam is clean as ever behind the kit. Dan also sounds great as the bass isn't hidden in the mix and everyone's contribution is able to be picked out while listening. This track also features some really neat effects in order to create atmosphere, and the second half has some rhythms that will leave listeners lost, but more than satisfied.

LeeLoo: A

Mikasa - This was actually the second single released from this album, and that's for a damn good reason. This is a kick-ass song, from start to finish. The heavy A sections give us plenty of what we want, but then we hear something new from Veil... choruses. Lukas really shines on this track because we are able to see the contrast from his screams and cleans so clearly. It's a track full to the brim with beautiful melodies and bellowing growls and exposes us to these new sounds of the band.

Mikasa: B+

Three-Fifty - Being a personal favorite of mine from this album, I have a lot to say about this song. First of all, it's fast. Opens with a blistering intro and then transitions listeners into a slow-flowing break section featuring Lukas' cleans yet again. This slow section returns with more emphasis and we really get to hear a lot of Lukas on this track. The final third is where this one picks up. Marc's riffs just fit. It's as simple as that and he has clearly spent A LOT of time writing this album. There are also some great layers added for texture behind the main riffs and rhythms.

Three-Fifty: A-

The Verdict:

So, is Matriarch worth your time? Without a doubt. This is some of the best work of one of the best modern metal bands around. Veil of Maya is proving to be like a fine wine, they are getting better with age. While many people will avoid this album all together due to the use of clean vocals, I really ask you to open your mind and give it a listen. I guarantee that there's at least one track that new and old fans alike can get down to. From start to finish this album just feels complete and full of wonderful musical ideas. I think that the inclusion of cleans has pushed them to new boundaries and will only further their music endeavors even after this album.

Matriarch = 9.2/10

Check out my favorite track from the album below!

PS - I was lucky enough to see Veil of Maya last night for the album release show. It was my first time seeing the band live with Lukas, and they played a great combination of new and old material. He really displayed his chops with some older tracks like "It's Not Safe to Swim Today" and "Resistance" while also absolutely slaying all of the cleans and screams from the material that he has written. Was impressed with the whole band as always and it was one hell of a show.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Mikasa - Veil Of Maya [New Single and Upcoming Album Info]

About a week ago, Veil of Maya put out a little parody video of Breaking Bad. It had to do with their new vocalist (Lukas Magyar) defending his right to sing with clean vocals. As a longtime fan of Veil I never thought I'd see the day where they include clean vocals. But damn, I'm actually pretty glad that I was wrong on this one. This new track embodies everything that Veil represents. Crazy guitar riffs by the always innovative Marc Okubo, with bass lines and beats to match provided by the Higler and Sam Applebaum. Then we get a taste of Lukas and his cleans. Let me say this: this dude can sing. He has not only a great range with his cleans, but his screams are tremendous across the board. Even from the live footage that I've seen so far of him performing with the band on some older songs, he kills it. Adding in cleans adds a whole new element to this band without leaving behind what they've been all these years.

With the release of this new song, the band also announced that their upcoming album is titled Matriarch and will be available May 12th 2015. Pre-order bundles are up and I highly suggest looking into this album. Veil have yet to release a disappointing album and with this new direction that they are moving in, I'm sure that Matriarch will provide some of their best material to date.

Check out the music video for Mikasa below!

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Skylasher - Lee McKinney of Born of Osiris [Solo Debut]

Lee McKinney from Born of Osiris has just released his first solo track titled, Skylasher. I have always enjoyed BoO and Lee definitely proves that he has contributed quite a bit of his creativity to the band with this solo effort. This track features some great shredding with a surprisingly solid backing track formed of electronic sounding drums and bass tones. While not bad by any means, I simply have the preference for live instruments, although seeing how it was all written by one man, I think I'll cut Lee some slack. It's a nice track with a hint of Animals as Leaders that really shows off what Lee is capable of. Hopefully he brings some of these new ideas and concepts to the new Born of Osiris content...

Monday, February 16, 2015

On The Run - Dance Gavin Dance

AHH Dance Gavin Dance are back! Their second new song since Acceptance Speech, On The Run is a killer track. This has to be one of my favorite intros in a long time and it only builds on that. Tillians vocals are beautiful throughout and offer a more though provoking style over Jon's who seems to be back to his usual lyrical nonsense. Personally, I don't think that's a bad thing because Jon's lyrics may not be plotted out perfectly but his sporadic sound and style fit him very well within this band, as he always has.

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Bottom Line is this track is killer! My only complaint is that we need more Will!!! The guitars seem a little low on the mix and that could be due to "youtube quality" or some other b.s... however, Will Swan is a truly unique and talented guitarist and has been part of the backbone of this band since their conception. Let me hear those tasty grooves that he can deliver on the strings! Other than that definitely give this one a listen and keep an eye out for their upcoming album, Instant Gratification out April 14th!!

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

A Gift a Curse - Emmure [Video]

Sadly, Emmure have always been a guilty pleasure of mine. Hell, the bass player and I are even from the same town in good ol' Connecticut. Even though I was a little more than disappointed with their latest release, this was one of the exceptions off the album, and although the video might seem a little extraneous, I enjoy seeing new material from these guys in any shape/form. The video features Frankie growling away and has a dark theme that seems to be dealing with a parellel universe possibly? Who knows... it's Emmure. However, this video is on repeat on my end just cause I can always go for some nice chuggin' from Emmure. Enjoy!

Saturday, January 17, 2015

New Oceano Singles!!

Oceano are back with two brutal singles off their forthcoming album. After a few somewhat disappointing releases, it's glad to see these deathcore aficionados are back on track. These tracks are Oceano at their best: brutal, violent, atmospheric, and just plain old heavy. The songs show a great deal of progression from beginning to end while also introducing motifs. These are two very solid tracks that will be a treat for long time fans, as well as those who are hearing Oceano for the first time. I'm glad to see that this album should be a great outing for Oceano and can't wait to hear more from these guys! Check out the two singles below!!

Dead Planet

Dawn of Descent

Monday, January 12, 2015

Favorites of 2014!!

Finally, I have my list of favorite albums from the whirlwind that was 2014. I know it's like 2 months late but whatever dudes. Hope you enjoy and make sure to check out something from this list!