Album Review: Wilderun – Veil of Imagination (Century Media Records)

The Boston-born quintet that is Wilderun are a progressive and melodic death metal act with folk influences. They will re-release their third album Veil of Imagination on July 17th 2020 via Century Media Records.

Originally released late 2019, the album was initially passed on by most labels it was shopped to, forcing the band to release it themselves. Not surprisingly, they sold out of their first run of 1000 CD’s in just a few short weeks.

Now, under the Century Media Records banner, Veil of Imagination has the opportunity to reach a larger and wider audience.

Transcendent. Supreme. Magical. Thought-provoking. Fascinating. Intriguing. Exciting. Stirring. Stimulating. Dreamy. Haunting. Gorgeous. Smart. So many ways to describe Wilderun’s Veil of Imagination, an album that is simply unforgettable.

An album that is humongous in scale and scope, it begins with folkish prettiness as The Unimaginable Zero Summer gets underway. Symphonic elements building upwards an eruption of heaviness and crashing of instruments.

The guitars spin wildly, the drums batter away with complete abandon and the vocals aim to ground everything. It’s very intense, shifting constantly but never sounding incomplete or the sum of different parts. From metal driven penetrating highs to darkly melodic lows, it’s a very impressive job for a track that comes just short of 15 minutes.

Time that literally flies by which applies to the whole album. An hour plus experience that somehow feels too short.

How on earth do you follow that? With a pair of enigmatic heavyweights. O Resolution with a thumping rhythm that makes you feel larger than life and Sleeping Ambassadors of the Sun’s mix of power and subtle melodies.

We then get a breather with the short emotionally affecting symphonic and melodramatic Scentless Core (Budding). Before Far from Where Dreams Unfurl builds the metal back up with a medley of riffs, soloing and symphonic speed. One of the more energetic efforts, it is the soundtrack to battling a video game boss.

Scentless Core (Fading) begins with moving mellow melodies and haunting vocals before everything becomes darker and heavier. Like storm clouds rolling in over a glorious vista, it is the precursor to The Tyranny of Imagination. Where chaos reigns and Wilderun are the holders of all, the progressive brilliance of this track utterly spellbinding.

Such is life, it must come to an end and When the Fire and the Rose Were One is the finale to beat all finales. The delicate vocals, the soft keys, the feeling of lightness that comes from the strings and the build upwards towards something grander is utterly thrilling.

What an album. If you didn’t experience it first time around, now is your chance.

Wilderun – Veil of Imagination Full Track Listing:

1. The Unimaginable Zero Summer
2. O Resolution!
3. Sleeping Ambassadors of the Sun
4. Scentless Core (Budding)
5. Far from Where Dreams Unfurl
6. Scentless Core (Fading)
7. The Tyranny of Imagination
8. When the Fire and the Rose Were One

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