As time passes by, musical formulas and Metal genres sediment in a better way, because sometimes, in the beginning of all things, things can sound fuzzy and the lack of deeper understanding of what's going on can create a wrong idea. One example: bands that mix Doom Metal with Sludge Metal, sometimes, exaggerate a lot in some aspects of the genre (namely, the filth on the sound quality). But some new releases of such genre are sounding in a better way, as "Precipice", the latest album of the North American quintet VEILCASTE. As the paragraph above is showing, the quintet works in a blend of Doom Metal with Sludge Metal, but in a form that isn't repetitive and filthy as some bands love to do.

Their music is rich on melodic hooks and filled with many monolithic influences of BLACK SABBATH, some touches of Space Rock/Psychedelic Rock (heard clearly on "Dust & Bone"), and with a solid instrumental work (and the vocals, sometimes, contrast between grunts and clean tunes, as heard on "Asunder Skies"). It's nasty and full of energy, aggressive and bitter, but catching and hypnotic. It's a very good release, indeed.  The band worked with Carl Byers (sound engineering, mixing) and Collin Jordan (mastering) to make a sound quality that fits on their work. It's organic and filthy, but cleaner if compared with the filthy addicted ones that are usual for the genre. One can understand what the band plays and expresses on its songs without problem.

"Precipice" is a work that shows a band that has too much potential to be turned into music in the future. But for now, the hooks shown on "Dust & Bone" (a filthy and brutal song, but filled with many very good melodies and hooks, all of them coming from the guitar riffs), "Drag Me Down" (an horror-like ambience can be heard, with harsh vocals filling the bitterness of the guitars), "For Us" (the brutal and oppressive feeling of this song is created by the slow and massive rhythm conducted by bass guitar and drums), and "A Gasp of Air" shows that this album deserves to be heard carefully and enjoyed. The best album of VEILCASTE is still hidden with them, but "Precipice" shows that they're about to deliver it to fans of the genre.