Veriteras
The Dark Horizon
11 April 2024
It's a nice surprise to find a good recording by musicians who take pride in their craft in all aspects: a strong focus on making quality music, in all components, from the melodies to sound quality, and from the solos to the lyrics, and everything else, while at the same time keeping things intelligent, and avoiding low-IQ or clichéd elements. It certainly looks like this U.S. band has been working on precisely that, on making melodic death/black metal that is memorable, good quality and thoughtful.
For example, let's begin in an area that listeners and bands consider unimportant: lyrics. So many otherwise skilled metal musicians ruin their music with imbecilic lyrics about ridiculous nonsense for the sake of tired gimmicks or some sense of following the rules of the scene/tradition/friendship. Some bands do not even bother thinking about it and make the most stereotypical lyrics for their specific subgenre without asking themselves, after spending time and money on writing guitar parts, songs and going through the trouble of making a recording, “Why do I ruin my work and effort with stupid lyrics?”. Why? To please whom? the “rules”? the “fans”? my “friends”? Of course, rectification is always possible if the musician is brave enough, as in the case of the U.S. band Death's change from feebleminded lyrics to smarter lyrics. In the case of Veriteras, lyrics may read like astronomy, psychology, war, history, relationships and matters of confidence, and other such general topics, in a way that is reasoned or earnest. In addition, the lyrics are for all audiences, not only for a specific sectarian fan base or a particular age group or a “scene.”
I have been impressed by Veriteras (Washington State) since their 2022 album Shadow of Death, which I have listened to repeatedly. Their history goes back further to their 2019 single, and then an EP in 2020 and another EP in 2021. Attention, if you are interested in a really efficient, no-filler recording aiming for perfection: no useless intros, interludes nor outros; no show-off long segments, meandering tracks that are a poor excuse to noodle around with things that have nothing to do with the song. This band brings to you songs for headbanging. The new album is nine songs in 31 minutes. Perfect! The songs run from about three minutes to four minutes and 25 seconds. The band is considered classic-style melodic death metal, but to me, the 2022 album was just as much melodic black metal as melodic death metal and this assertion has never been truer than on the latest album. The vocals and lots of the guitar work comes from black metal, and taken into account with the fast drumming, which often launches into blasting or speedier segments, it all underlines the black metal elements. However, the smooth production, the plethora of melodies, and the background keyboards make this album very, very likable for wider audiences.
So far in 2024 this is the album that I have heard and enjoyed the most. I have tried to explain above that I think everything (except the drums, I prefer real drums, which at this point are practically extinct in music) about it makes it as close to perfection as possible in 2024 for my insufferable, fastidious, intolerant standards.
The Dark Horizon
by Veriteras
https://www.facebook.com/VeriterasMetal
