VERITAS is a Progressive Metal band from Kansas City, Kansas formed in 2012. After working for a few years to get something solid together, they released their debut EP in 2019 and have now issues their debut full-length album, "Threads Of Fatality". The disc was self-released on August 28, 2020. Fans of 80s Prog Rock/Metal should really like this one!

Starting the record off is "Prelude To The Sacrament", an eerie tune that never gets above a plodding, sludgy tempo. This song belies what is to come. You get a sense of the prog elements, but do not get a full indication of the beautiful music to come. That begins with "Frail". The second song. That's where you hear the guitarist show his flair for the technical, the bass hang out under the guitars and just fill the sound out and the drummer show how to add to the overall tone, not just keep the beat.

Moving farther into this 14-song opus, "Far Away" has all the elements of prog I love. The guitar solo and variable drum patterns are awesome. "Morbid Stale" is the song that starts with the guitar riff that just hooks you in and makes your head move. Then, "Fates Warning" slows it down a little at the start, but don't worry, it will move into a nice pace through the chorus. Nice variation between sections of this song.

One of my personal favorites on the record is "Say Goodbye". The intro really drew me in with the tones, then the guitars took over and kept me interested. Just an overall good track. "Sludge" came in second place with the same overall feel. My favorite guitar riffs are from "Eyes Of The Blind" and "Masquerade". Both of those just hooked me right from the start. Not to mention, to give some love to the bass, there is just an underlying rhythm that is both obviously present and amazingly subdued. That is incredibly impressive.

The production and mixing on this record are outstanding. How they managed to get the sounds that well balanced is beyond me. I know I spoke earlier of Mark Zonder, so now I will speak more of him. As a huge fan of 80s Prog Metal, I am familiar with some of his work. He has not only not lost a step; I think he is better now than ever. His fills and variable patterns are still as sharp and relevant to the music as ever. But there is more to the band than this awesome drummer.

The other instruments, bass and guitar, for instance. Gene Alberico and Greg Wenk are definitely a team. They work well together and somehow enhance each other's sounds. We typically think of the bass filling in the space under the guitar, but these guys complement each other. And then there is Denny "The Siren" Anthony. Not a growler, but can get gritty if necessary. He also doesn't spend much time going into those huge high notes you hear from some prog singers. He can and does hit them, just not in excess like sometimes happens.

This is a really good record in total. The musicians are all extremely proficient with their instruments and the vocalist is solid. He is consistent and accurate. He goes off when he needs to (Last note of "Love And Burn") and remains restrained when it fits better. This is not a prog album that tries to "out-prog" the rest, they are content to just be prog and know they do that very well. Congratulations on being happy with exactly who and what you are.