With their first two LPs—2012’s Olden Tales & Deathly Trails and 2015’s Sleep at the Edge of the Earth—Boston quintet Wilderun created some magnificently multifaceted music. Combining metal, progressive rock, classical, folk, and more into wonderfully chameleonic epics, theirs is an especially ambitious, commendable, and rewarding recipe. Fortunately, their latest outing, Veil of Imagination, largely outdoes its predecessors and further solidifies Wilderun as a truly remarkable act. Although it officially releases tomorrow, you can stream the entire album below right now.
Veil of Imagination is inspired by vocalist/pianist/guitarist Evan Anderson Berry’s “own neuroses”. He adds, “[It] feels like the most natural, genuine thing we’ve created so far…. Instead of wondering if the final product was going to fit into some sort of specific genre mold, I think we let things unfold a bit more freely.” Mixed by Dan Swanö (Nightingale, Witherscape, Edge of Sanity) and mastered by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Soilwork, Between the Buried and Me, Ihsahn), the album certainly sounds immaculate.
Beyond that, each track feels like an essential and exploratory piece of the cumulative puzzle. For instance, the nearly 15-minute opener, “The Unimaginable Zero Summer”, cascades between relentless death metal, bittersweet acoustic ballad, grandiose symphonic metal, and even an ethereal piano coda with immaculate purpose and compatibility. Likewise, the remaining set maintains those stylistic switches without ever feeling repetitious or meandering; rather, each moment flows into the next masterfully, taking listeners on a chaotic yet cathartic and inventive journey that few of their peers—whether new or old—can top.
Take a listen to Veil of Imagination in its entirety and let us know what you think! Also, be sure to get yourself a copy when it comes out on November 1st.