EP REVIEW: The Black Rite – Veiled
The resurgence of deathcore is showing no signs of slowing down as wave after wave of bands are bringing their pulverising brand of metal to the masses. Whilst the likes of LORNA SHORE, BRAND OF SACRIFICE and SHADOW OF INTENT are spear-heading the second coming of deathcore across the pond, on home soil VEILED are the latest emerging force to step up to the plate with their debut EP The Black Rite.
Just shy of 18 minutes, The Black Rite is lean, mean and razor-sharp in its delivery of pummelling deathcore. Opener The Discovering [I] leads with orchestral keys a la SHADOW OF INTENT before subsiding into a cacophonous maelstrom of blistering riffage, tasty shred and monstrous gutturals that fit snugly into the deathcore blueprint. It’s a pretty emphatic statement of intent, albeit one which strictly follows in the footsteps of those who have done it before.
From there, if deathcore tickles your earbuds then The Black Rite‘s delicacies will continue to whet your appetite. Recusant boasts hench riffs that hit like a sledgehammer that intertwine with the undercurrent of symphonic swirls incredibly well; Confession displays some dynamism in the vocal department as rasping highs and bellowing lows are dispatched with the utmost ease; and Relinquished cements itself as the strongest song on the EP thanks to a tech-leading approach to the riffing and a boisterous guest appearance from Kyle Lamb of SHE MUST BURN.
For all that VEILED do well, as EP closer The Becoming [II]‘s dazzling shredding can more than attest to, there is an underlying issue however and that is The Black Rite is nothing particularly original or revolutionary. The fusion of deathcore and orchestral elements is nothing groundbreaking and the wider scene’s trailblazers have set the benchmark incredibly high in that regard and for VEILED, their interpretation of this approach doesn’t quite hit as mark as well as we’d hope. However, not every band has to reinvent the wheel and it’s not like VEILED are a meat and potatoes, cannon fodder grunt in the deathcore ranks; there’s more than enough quality on offer on this record to showcase there is potential here. Potential to experiment and push their sound further.
Across its lean runtime, it’s clear that VEILED have a potency for what makes deathcore, and their brand of it, tick. Although The Black Rite could benefit from a slightly longer runtime to allow a more lasting impression, and there is room for improvement in terms of expanding their musical palette to offer something that can really stand out in a packed crowd, VEILED have made a connection with their first bout, and should appeal to many who are indoctrinated into the ongoing second coming of deathcore.
Rating: 7/10
The Black Rite is set for release on April 14th via Seek & Strike.
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