The Human Abstract is a band who's being underminded astounds me. While the group's earlier material may not have been the strongest out there, many refuse to use the word "Metal" around the band. Digital Veil, the band's third full-length effort, takes the group's musical premise and really drives it through the Progressive Metal universe nicely. While the band doesn't do much on this recording to really stand out from others, the material here is still something to take note of.
Digital Veil finds the band exploring the reaches of the Progressive Metal style more, though for the most part seems to stay in place during this self exploration process. Musically, much of it is lighter, though the music has a heavy edge to it through the distortion and tuning. Of course, the tracks here have a good number of changing tempos throughout the song, though the music still retains the general atmosphere and compositions of the section prior to them. The vocals also stand out nicely, as they fit the music perfectly for the atmosphere that the tempo and heaviness give off. During the heavier moments, there is a traditional gutteral approach, or a rhaspier, somewhat gutteral style for when the music picks up speed, and when it becomes softer, the vocals typically become a very soothing clean singing. But, for as great as this range is, the clean singing can hit snags once in a while when trying to reach higher tones, causing them to go off key rather noticably, such as during the first real song of the release, "Complex Terms", a great song following a nice introduction with "Elegiac" that sets up the song, as well as some of the latter tracks with it's lighter, atmospheric music.
For the most part, the sound that is established on "Complex Terms" is essentially what the rest of the album sounds like. It's obvious that the band has created some sort of concept for the album due to how the music seems to stick to with it. The only time it really seems to venture out of that similar musical atmosphere is during the title track, "Digital Veil", due to how heavy and how much faster the track is compared to everything else on the release. Other then that, each track typically keeps the same atmosphere of well executed guitars that are simple and laid back mixed with passages that become rather complex, such as during "Antebellum". The variety of music on the song is a good thing due to it's nearly seven and a half minute track length, but the problem is that some passages seem to repeat once in a while, and the music seems to not really go anywhere. The song will establish itself, but then seems to be stuck on one plain of music, and simply can't pull itself out despite the powerful sining with screaming/gutteral layered behind it, as well as intricate guitar work and matching drums. Another song that breaks that conceptual-style of performance is "Holographic Sight", which does take on a more technical approach once again, but focuses on a heavier approch in a rather Groove Metal sense. It works for the song, and causes plenty of chaos, as does the breakdown it eventually cuts into.
"Horizon to Zenith" makes for another interesting track that breaks the mold. Whereas the song "Complex Terms" had a few off key moments, this track finds the vocalist pushing himself a little more, though he sounds a tad whinier on this track then others the way he handles the higher pitched clean singing, and for the most part he's on key with everything musically. The song seems to also take on a more Adult Contemporary musical setting that tries to incorporate a more epic sounding Progressive Metal atmosphere, and for both of those aspects it does the job well without really going overboard. While this performance has more energy and emotion behind it, the song also seems to really lead nowhere, cutting off at the end as if there should be more, but at the same time it feels like a suiting end to the song with the way the band plays up the music.
Digital Veil makes for a good CD, but the main issue here is that, while it feels like a conceptual piece, the music seems to stick too close to a primary pattern. The laid back approach feels good, but the music seems to share a lot of common atmospheres and structures. One track may not sound exactly like another, especially when the music and vocals pick up into a harsher Metal tone, but the lighter sections that really focus on clean singing typically don't have much in the line of variety going for them other then the random shifts in tempo. The music is also not the most original, as it sounds like what plenty of other Progressive Metal acts have done in the past, except the band manages to perform the songs well, and for that the band does deserve some credit.
In the end, The Human Abstract have put together a good album that, while not so original or unique, it shows a nice maturity in the band, and a great progression from previous materials. The varying tempo changes really save the release, as do the energetic harsher moments throughout the recording, but one can't help but feel that the band took using the same kind of atmosphere and things along those lines about one song, and then use it on another. It isn't exactly a repetitive album, but when the music isn't some dramatically different like with "Digital Veil", it just seems to feel the music is going nowhere, and that the general idea of the album seems to go on forever. Either way, Digital Veil by The Human Abstract is worth checking up on, but unless you are a die hard Progressive fanatic, there's no need to rush out and buy it before giving it a test spin.
|
