THE RED VEIL

One of the coldest album from SUBARACHNOID SPACE

4.5 stars

"The Red Veil" clearly shows the band's evolution to heavy improvised psychedelia to more polished and structured sounds, but also darker and tormented music. Mason Jones, the founding guitarist of the band, doesn't play on this record. Very different from their releases from their first era, before 2000, their playing reveal influences from early AMON DÜÜL II, but also stoner rock and other non-psychedelic bands, like Sonic Youth for example.

The opener, "Honorable Mention", sets immediately the atmosphere: icy, tortured, more on the side of KING CRIMSON than PINK FLOYD. Frightening and energic rock with changes of rhythm! "Ouroboros" (the serpent which bites his own tail, symbolizing the cycle of life) is more calm, containing heavy and relaxing passages. Then comes the title track, the longest of the album, rather ambient and stoner. Inspired but maybe a bit too long... The next song, "Trainable", begins with a 80s' feel to go on with terrifying soundscapes and sonic deflagrations. Short but nonetheless terrific. A little jazzy side of the band appears on "PSSA", which is constructed slightly by superposition of bass and guitar waves. The first part is sometimes too elongated and chaotic, but the second part reveals a musical theme worthy of the greatest horror movies ! The record concludes with "Duster", surprisingly slow and melancholic at first glance, but growing in intensity and power until the end. Beautiful !

Tortured, icy, horrifying, but very inspired, "The Red Veil" can be the soundtrack of a terrifying world where rules do not exist. Furthermore, the album offers a lot of a variety and manages to surprise the listener even after several plays. It's a pity the record is too short.

"The Red Veil" is SUBARACHNOID SPACE's latest release from 2005. It's heavier and more "Metal" than their previous albums. You could call this Psychedelic Metal I suppose, a style that I love. In the liner notes thet say that this was recorded live and as natural as possible. The cover art looks like something out of a Sci-Fi horror movie. Weird man. The music is incredible though and that's what counts. We have 2 guitarists (one who also does electronics) a drummer and a bass player.

"Honorable Mention" is a song that I just crank up high. Check out the grinding guitars as the drums pound. The metal is flying everywhere on this track. Amazing opener. "Ouroboros" opens with drums and bass as scorching guitar joins in. It's more intense before 2 minutes as the guitar echoes at one point. A powerful soundscape follows then it settles somewhat around 3 1/2 minutes. Great sound here. It's building and the drums let loose 5 1/2 minutes in. "The Red Veil" opens with sounds that slowly rise and fall. It's eerie. I can imagine those black birds on the album cover making these sounds. Drums after 4 minutes and guitars follow about a minute later. It settles around 9 minutes before kicking in heavier than ever a minute later.

"Trainable" is an uptempo onslaught. It does settle some as the guitar rips it up. "P.S.S.A." opens with these lonely sounds crying out. Drums and bass join in. It's almost doom-like here. The guitar starts to scream out. The tempo is picking up 4 1/2 minutes in. A change after 6 minutes to more of a straight up metal song. Incredible ! "Duster" has this haunting intro, drums before a minute. They stop 2 1/2 minutes in and it's still haunting. It turns intense after 3 minutes. Very intense.

I can't give 5 stars but I want to because I enjoy this so much. A great find for me.