Building up with singles Godhead, Synthwave Vegan and Red Fur, Veil of Maya’s seventh full-length offers crushing sounds that jump from strength to strength, chaining together elements of electronic dance music, progressive metal and metalcore.
Taken in chronological order, [m]other is a journey through the technical proficiency of Veil Of Maya, and is a perfect example of music unafraid to push the limits, written by musicians as fearless as they are talented. Opening up hard and fast, ‘Tokyo Chainsaw’ lives up to the title, with razor sharp odd-meter chugging over dissonant chords from guitarist Marc Okubo and low growls from vocalist Lukas Magyar. This song makes a statement, ensuring the listener knows the brutality this band is capable of. Establishing this early contextualises the rest of the record: at its heart, [m]other is fast-paced, aggressive and wild.
‘Artificial Dose introduces’ synthwave elements, with rising subs leading into a brutal verse, and a huge chorus. Demonstrating Veil Of Maya’s melodic capabilities, it’s pleasantly reminiscent of previous album Matriarch. ‘Godhead’ offers massive riffage accompanied by ambient synths, again channelling an electronic aspect to the music. The breakdown In this one is something to not be missed as a satisfying nod to the group’s djent-focused False Prophet. It’s only natural to ask, after 4 extremely strong songs, how do Veil Of Maya continue to push and build across the rest of the record? ‘[re]connect’ drives far the boundaries of modern metal, with complex melody-building and the constant innovation offered by Okubo. A perfect representation of the absurdly refined musicality of the Chicago-based quartet, it leaves the listener questioning the discourse of what can be done, and what should be done.
Almost hyperpop from the beginning before shifting into the chaotic yet beautiful metal that Veil Of Maya do best, ‘Disco Kill Party’ takes pop-esque melody and turns it groovy. Dynamic vocals from Magyar really shine here, as he shifts tonality to suit this everchanging track. Paired with single ‘Red Fur’, the record is very strong in the EDM department. The record concludes with final tracks ‘Lost Creator’ and ‘Death Collector’. Both songs, despite touching on themes consistent throughout the rest of the record, bring back the roots of the band, technical yet straightforward driving tracks that invoke an overwhelming sense of brilliance. The choice to end the album on tracks such as these is cyclic, considering the opening track, and only leaves the listener wondering what Veil Of Maya have in store next.