“Where there’s life there’s hope” – J. R. R. Tolkein. As Gnosis of the Witch fell into ruins and the band was cast aside to the black metal graveyard, Veiled rose from the ashes to thrust the flame of the torch skyward. Like the maturation of caterpillar to butterfly, Veiled soars where Gnosis of the Witch once crawled through the muck. But enough soliloquy. Veiled’s demo, Omniscient Veil, thrusts forth ready to attack and inspire. It’s a wholeheartedly enjoyable work of black metal with just enough invention to make it adhere to the brain.

It is shocking that Gnosis of the Witch, who earlier this year dropped a split with Swedish vets Grá (reviewed here) suddenly decided to call it quits. Their straight ahead black metal with touches of atmosphere was a welcome sound among the United States black metal scene. Yet, here is Veiled. Full of piss and vinegar but also sensitive and melodic. In a way, Veiled is a much-needed step forward for what was Gnosis of the Witch and it’s fair to assume that the older incarnation of the band wasn’t going to get over that hump.

Omniscient Veil is a demo. A tape demo actually. Tapes now being all the rage for music collectors now that vinyl collecting has become somewhat mainstream. But the recording does not suffer for the inferior format. In fact, it doesn’t sound much like a demo at all. Omniscient Veil is a polished work. Four tracks spanning nearly thirty-minutes that rise and fall with tension, anger and melodic valleys of fear.

The vocals take a welcome and explosive, turn on “II” as the normally undermixed black metal vocals leap to the forefront in near commanding fashion. A sort of Aldrahn style of attack (especially his work on the final tracks for The Deathtrip). The effect is such that the entire track takes on a near torturous style enhanced by the stony echoes by way of reverb.

A great album to listen to immediately before being taken by sleep or during the early dawn hours of insomnia induced insanity, Omniscient Veil, is a solid take on American black metal with a few touches and influences that make it slightly original and unique. And while the final track might take a bit to catch on, the buildup is worth the wait. Take a listen but beware of the demons that the mysticism of Veiled is likely to conjure forth.

– Manny-O-War

Omniscient Veil is available 9.25.2015 via Iron Bonehead. For more information on Veiled check out their Facebook page.