Veilburner wasted no time.
Almost exactly one year after their last release, the American duo Mephisto Deleterio (instruments) and Chrisom Infernium (vocals, Torture Ascendancy 1307, ex-Humanity Decayed, ex-Pyrrhic Salvation) are already back with their eighth album, Longing for Triumph, Reeking of Tragedy.
Longing for Triumph… opens hostilities with disturbing sounds that gradually transform into a brutal march towards jerky riffs laden with disturbing noise elements, but also cavernous voicings that make the mix even more chaotic. Aggressive patterns and mysterious touches go very well together to join Pestilent Niche, where the approach is initially a little more groovy, but also offers waves of intense heaviness and unhealthy vocals, as well as rare moments of levity, such as the transition to clear leads and the solo. Then Rigor & Wraith takes over, reconnecting with the strange tones that float in the air. Vocals are clearly in the minority on this track, leaving long instrumental moments to haunt us before reaching That Which Crypts Howls Grandeur, which returns to much more frightening, beastly, and possessed growls. The contrast with the harmonics is also quite intriguing, but Da’ath Ye Shadow Portrait takes over with an assumed ferocity that can be found both in the massive and virulent instrumental and in the wild vociferations. The track assaults and crushes us to its heart’s content, then Ouroboreal Whorl allows us a moment of respite with its ethereal introduction, but it is once again in darkness that the band weaves its veil of oppression and musical complexity, while incorporating haunting leads. Matter o’ the Most Awful of Martyrs follows directly with a new handful of heavy and impressive riffs coupled with roars that make the whole thing even more catchy, while allowing for a few forays into more prog and dissonant nuances on the finale, joining …Reeking of Tragedy, which opens with a sample, then a final wave of violence at full speed, disturbed by a break that will tinge the last part of the song with its melodious mist.
The Veilburner experience is as disconcerting as ever, but Longing for Triumph, Reeking of Tragedy has the merit of offering us a very diverse sound. While some tracks are very violent and catchy, there are unexpected passages in all of them, creating a form of richness that is not easily accessible to newcomers.
80/100