Veils - Clarity

Veils independently released debut demo EP, Our Enlightenment Is Dead, ended up having to be re-issued several times. This, its follow up EP and Veils first EP proper, Clarity, the first for new record label Tangled Talk Records, must be hoping to be even half as successful.

I recently saw an interview with post-hardcore band Thursday talking about their debut album Full Collapse, and why they thought it was so popular with fans. They claimed that it was down to the little touches in the album, such as the many lead breaks that their new guitarist had input into the album, which sort of sums up how I feel about Veils Clarity EP. From the bleak stand-alone guitar that opens the EP on Alone (Isolation), to singer Chlo Edwards passionate scream in the same song “Why are we still standing alone in the dark?”, to the brilliant drum induced introduction to Stallions (Adrenaline), to the build-up in the bridge of Caves (Anxiety). They are all small touches but they sound fantastic, showing a vast amount of growth for a band who haven’t actually been around that long at all and helping to set Veils apart from the more relentless (or one dimensional, it depends how you look at it) bands that they might call their counterparts.

I bought Thursday’s Full Collapse ten years ago, and still to this day, play it almost religiously. Like Full Collapse, Clarity is far from perfect but it has enough passionate emotion, great musicianship and balls to ensure that it too, should stand any test of time. If you are a fan of hardcore then I recommend this EP greatly. And if you happen to be one of Veils counterparts then watch out, it looks like they are about to steal all of your fans.

4/5

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