VEILBURNER is a blackened metal project with a whole lot of weird things going on musically. The two musicians behind this mad scientist mash-up of an album explore the theme of transhumanism on "The Obscene Rite", which is the third in a trilogy on this theme. According to the band, transhumanism is "the belief or theory that the human race can evolve beyond its current physical and mental limitations".

After listening to the first half of the album, I was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed by the sheer volume of different elements incorporated into this piece. The music is somewhat similar to SIGH, also known for mixing black metal elements with a bunch of other influences. VEILBURNER manages to squeeze in elements of industrial, psychedelia, progressive metal, black metal and dissonant death metal, and for the most part they pull it off well. If not for the slightly more pared-back approach taken from "Dilemma Manifestation" onwards, I feel that the album would've sunk under the weight of its own ambitions. At times, some elements are a bit distracting, and make the tracks drag on in places.

Chrisom Infernium adds to the otherworldly feel of the album with some interesting, effects-laden vocals that make him sound he has indeed progressed to a form beyond human. His black metal rasps are impressively scary-sounding, and I enjoyed his clean vocals as well. The cleans on "In the Revelations of the Bloodstained Void" were particularly memorable for me.

Mephisto Deleterio is a talented guitarist, in addition to handling all the other instruments with aplomb. A song such as "Baphometic Catalyst" is a good showcase of Mephisto's abilities; there are the creepy industrial parts, frantic blastbeats, brooding death metal and a blazing guitar solo. Throughout the album, Mephisto plays a series of discordant, jangling guitar lines that nonetheless give a strong framework on which to hang the other instruments. His work is highly technical, with a progressive feel. The offbeat feel of the tracks and the off-kilter drumming add further intrigue to the story being told through the music.

"The Obscene Rite" is a majestic, intricate spectacle of an album that manages to be both disturbing and uplifting. The duo behind this album should be applauded for creating such a distinct sound, and I think that if they can maintain their current level of songwriting, their future works will be intricate without becoming bloated. VEILBURNER's material is a good choice for metal fans who are looking for an unorthodox approach to black and death metal.