Album Review: Veil of Maya – “False Idol”

Veil of Maya’s False Idol goes heavy and I love every moment of it. I was actually really surprised by how sophisticated this album is; every song has a point in it that makes me go, “Wow, that was unique,” or “I was not expecting that.” I could have done without “Lull,” as I really am not a fan of intro tracks; I do not feel that they really add anything to an album. “Whistleblower,” however, is a great track. I love the little techno elements that are throughout the song. The transition from verse to chorus is good and makes sense. “Fracture” impressed me from the first note. I like that there is no major buildup; the song just starts strong and continues. There’s a little slowdown, then buildup until the song goes heavy again. I would compare this song to a house of horrors; there was something that popped up in my face unexpected around every corner. Around the 2 minute, 30 second mark, there’s also that “ooooh” sound like out of a Halloween movie (the sound usually made when a ghost is around) that really piqued my interest.

Something really interesting on False Idol is that there is not a lot of downtime between songs. Once one ends, the next one begins right away. This confused me for a little bit, because I had to keep going back to check if I had moved on to the next song or if I was still on the same one; after listening to the album a few times, though, I actually like this, because I can really enjoy this album from the second it starts until it finishes. “Citadel” is an interesting track. It starts off quieter and gentler than the rest of the songs on the album; in general, it really is probably on the softer side for this album, but this track is my favorite. The change in sound contrasts with the rest of the album, which makes you stop and kind of reevaluate the album in general, in a good way. It was not a track I was expecting to hear; without it, though, I think False Idol would have been a good but weaker release. By adding “Citadel”, Veil of Maya secure this album’s spot as one of the best metal releases of the year.

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Post by Karen Shalev

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