Veilcaste – Precipice
Release Date: 10th February 2023
Label: Wise Blood Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Doom, Sludge.
FFO: Yob, Neurosis, Khemmis.
Review By: Paul Cairney
In 2015, an Indianapolis band named Conjurer released their debut album, ‘Old World Ritual’. 8 years later, and now called Veilcaste, these Indiana doomsters have released their 2nd album proper, Precipice.
Following the bands, rather enjoyable, split EP with Tusk, Precipice finds the band stuck on the edge of a, erm… precipice. Although sounding better than the 2015 debut, the sophomore album struggles to maintain its momentum throughout the 7 song, 40 minute run time. Their debut didn’t really suffer from this, meaning Precipice is a slightly more disappointing listen.
That said, the album does kick off rather well, with the opening track, ‘Asunder Skies’ having a great opening line, ‘Euuurgh, I said, Euuurgh’. Quite brilliant. It also has riffage sounding like the pick was made from a concrete slab. Coupled with the vocal stylings of Dustin Mendel, it leads to a very welcoming intro to the album. Mendel’s gruff vocals compliment the riff exceedingly well. ‘Dust and Bone’ was originally heard on the Split EP, however it sits perfectly well on Precipice as the 2nd track, with another catchy riff complimenting the vocals.
Sadly, although I genuinely like Mendel’s voice, the vocal delivery does not vary throughout the album. It is constant. This means that when the riff is played with a more mundane, non-concrete slab, pick, the vocals take a more, obtrusive centre stage, which ultimately causes the album to falter the further you get in to it.
Precipice is almost the definition of a ‘front loaded album’. The best songs would be on Side A of the record, and listeners will listen to that far more than Side B.
That said, Veilcaste have still delivered an album that is worth checking out. The highpoints of Precipice just about outweigh the low.
(3 / 5)
