Under The Influence #68: The Aphelion on “Matriarch” by Veil of Maya!

A fifth studio album from Chicago Illinois Veil Of Maya, their fourth with Sumerian Records brought about a wealth of changes. The project started in 2004, rising from the ashes of Melodic Death Metal band Insurrection with guitarist Marc Okubo and drummer Sam Applebaum both in the current incarnation of the band. After a trio of albums largely in the Deathcore genre, 2012 saw the band record with Misha Mansoor of Periphery and the result was “Eclipse“, an album with Progressive DJent leanings that became the foundation of 2015’s “Matriarch“. As the band began recording with Taylor Larson of From First to Last, vocalist Brandon Butler exited stage left. Lukas Magyar of Arms of Empire was brought in and the DJent infused Metalcore sounds the band had been working on got some clean vocals for first time in the bands history. As the announcement of the new vocalist appeared, so did the albums first single “Phoenix“, giving fans a taste of what was to come…

The Aphelion comment: “We each take influences from a wide variety of bands and styles. However, we feel that “Matriarch” by Veil of Maya has been a consistently positive influence for all of us. The album came at a key point in our journey as a band, when we were still discovering our own sound. From the moment we first heard the album, the musicality in their rhythms, riffs and melody, as well as their choice in synthetic elements, struck us with inspiration. They succeeded in reaching a certain degree of technicality, whilst simultaneously leaving a lasting melodic impression, which made it so much more interesting than what we were listening to. This album has taught us a lot about writing, such as song structure, layering and when to increase complexity. Lessons that will definitely continue to influence us in the future.”