“Patience is a virtue.”
It feels odd to say, but it’s been almost six years since Veil of Maya put out their last full length, False Idol, back in October of 2017. To say a lot has happened in that time is an understatement, but despite likely popular belief, the Chicago quartet haven’t been sitting idly by. The group put out a good number of standalone singles between 2019-2021, some of which were purported to be included on a since-shelved release that may never see the light of day, but people were itching for more. As each single came, it felt as if a new Veil album was just on the horizon, but as they came and went, so too did that notion.
That was until earlier this year, when news finally broke that the prog-core veterans were at last unleashing their latest full length, [m]other, alongside the release of possibly the most palatable of their recent singles yet in “Red Fur”. See, the preceding teaser tracks in “Godhead”, and the brilliantly titled “Synthwave Vegan” showcased a side of Veil of Maya that fans had not seen in quite some time. While they’ve not shied away from their heavier tendencies at any point in their career, this material was notably closer in sheer brutality to their earlier, more deathcore-adjacent work than much of what they had put out since the arrival of vocal powerhouse Lukas Magyar.
I, for one, welcomed this with open arms. I absolutely adore Veil’s melodic side, but there’s something in the frenetic chaos of their heavy moments that part of me wished they’d fully embrace, and that’s exactly what they did. Fan opinion, of course, was divided, as the denizens of online fan communities like Djent Shitposting oftentimes seem to not even remotely understand what they actually want out of a band. For years I had seen comments on their socials begging for the band to embrace their heavier roots, but the moment they actually did it, it was met with an equal measure of ire and apathy, mind boggling.
I digress, and the main takeaway is that, at last, [m]other is here, and she’s not afraid to show her teeth. Opening with the explosive “Tokyo Chainsaw”, which sees the band further embracing the refined freneticism seen on aforementioned cut “Synthwave Vegan”, but amped up to the nth degree, Veil of Maya state loud and clear that they aren’t fucking about. Punishing chugs, angular riffing and tight polyrhythmic syncopation form the broader sonic make-up of the track, and aptly set the tone for the journey to come on [m]other.
Following track “Artificial Dose” keeps pace, opening with a wailing pad synth, before dropping into the track’s primal core groove. We get a taste of the album’s more melodic side here in its drop dead gorgeous chorus, which provides a nice juxtaposition to the otherwise unrelenting soundscape of the record and its singles thus far. Previously released certified ass-beater “Godhead” follows, and while it certainly leans into the low ‘n’ slow tropes of deathcore in a way that I can see people rolling their eyes at, for me this track hits all the right notes.
One thing to note from the jump here, is just how good Magyar sounds on [m]other. He was always a technically proficient vocalist, but here it feels like something has truly clicked, and he’s expanded his range to an impressive degree. His highs are higher, his lows are lower, and the gorgeous harmonies he injects into each and every one of the band’s soaring choruses prove more infectious than the last. This has always been a band full of truly masterful musicians, but Magyar’s performance here deserves lauding in particular for just how much he’s honed his craft.
On mid-album cut “[re]connect” we get our first glimpse of guitarist Marc Okubo’s iconic melodic guitar work in the track’s main riff, harking back a tad more toward the sound of 2015’s Matriarch than anything heard in the group’s recent output. It’s a welcome addition to the broader palette of the [m]other, and while the track’s heavier moments certainly don’t stray too far from the chaotic foundation of the record, it’s the melodicism present in “[re]connect” that left the most lasting impression on me.
Jumping ahead to “Disco Kill Party”, we’re greeted with one of the record’s, and possibly the band’s most sonically diverse cuts to date. Gorgeous synth work, melodic riffing, drum samples and the track’s huge chorus certainly carve out their own corner in the track’s overall sound, but it’s the interplay these elements have with the absolutely bonkers display of musicianship present in its heavy moments. The track’s breakdown in particular feels like Veil of Maya’s attempt at creating something close to glitchcore, with a riff so frenetic it sounds like it’s almost impossible to play – but knowing Okubo’s abilities and tendency to push his own limits, he’s certainly found a way.
The album’s titular-ish cut “Mother Pt. 4” proves to be its most sprawling, standing as its lengthiest track at just north of five minutes. It certainly earns its place as the album’s title track through that sprawling nature, however. Throughout that five minute runtime, the listener is taken on a prog-soaked journey dancing effortlessly through the realms of glitzy prog metal, techy metalcore and punishing deathcore. It’s quite the listen, and it’s one that has left a lasting impression from the very first moment I heard it.
The album’s closing stretch with “Lost Creator” and “Death Runner” seems to be a treatise in the absolute extremities of the band’s core sound on [m]other. With the former tapping further into their roots than any other across the project, feeling closer to a tech-deathcore track than anything Veil of Maya have crafted since The Common Man’s Collapse, it’s an unapologetically heavy and violent exercise. Replete with blasts, hyper-speed double kicks, as well as being contrasted by Veil’s signature groove – holding potentially the album’s most groove-laden riff in its ‘chorus’, if you can even call it that, “Lost Creator” is an absolute thrill ride, that more than deserves to be lauded among the band’s greatest of greats.
Then comes the latter in “Death Runner”, which seeks to dethrone the recently crowned “Lost Creator” as holding the [m]other’s most bouncy cut, as the track darts between fierce, fast-paced riffing; and primal, stank-face-inducing grooves. In particular, the track’s mid-point breakdown hits like a truck, as before it fully lands, the band drop out after the initial hit of the breakdown, before entering back a beat later in one of the most lethally bouncy moments I’ve heard in metal all year.
All in all, while it’s undeniable [m]other has taken some time to see the light of day, this record showcases Veil of Maya at the very apex of their craft. Each member provides a world class performance here, and it truly feels like the Chicago unit have created a record that encapsulates the very best of all their eras in one tight, concise package.
9.5/10
[m]other is due for release this Friday, May 12th via Sumerian Records, and you can find pre-orders for the record here.