The Human Abstract has gone through a bit of change recently. They picked up a new vocalist and saw the return of founding guitarist A.J Minette since the release of their last album, Nocturne in 2008. The member change has not seemed to effect them much. Actually I would say it's quite the contrary. The various member changes help make Digital Veil their best work to date.
Digital Veil keeps The Human Abstract's staple sound in place, it just improves on it. There is plenty of technical, complex musicianship on display throughout the album. The guitarwork, in particular, is very impressive. "Complex Terms" and "Faust" are basically guitar clinics that won't fail to blow your mind. The blend of progressive and technical riffing is spectacular. The Human Abstract is at their best when laying down instrumental sections. The songwriting is absolutely amazing. They create an almost dream-like atmosphere that captivates the listener with their highly impressive musicianship.
Where Digital Veil loses a bit of steam is with the vocals. The screaming vocals are fine, it's more so an issue with the clean vocals which become grating at times. The main track where the clean vocals are an issue is "Antebellum". "Antebellum" is a pretty dull song with nothing really interesting going on in the seven minute duration of the track and the clean vocals become kind of annoying. Don't get wrong, the clean vocals work pretty well for most of the album, "Antebellum" is pretty much the only the place where they become boring.
Digital Veil is The Human Abstract's best album to date. The instrumentation and songwriting is fantastic. The levels of musicianship are off the charts and it is an absolute joy to listen these guys play. They are able to create such a diverse sound with the overall complexity and ambition of their sound. The Human Abstract is a band just beginning to hit their stride. When they hit that stride watch out, The Human Abstract is one album away from a masterpiece.
4/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Complex Terms
2.Faust
3.Patterns
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