Veriteras - The Dark Horizon

Veriteras is a melodic death band from Seattle, Washington that formed in 2019. “The Dark Horizon” is their second full-length album; they also have two EPs under their belt. 

I haven't heard the band's previous releases so I went into this album completely blind. Honestly, what I heard has blown me away….this is top tier melodic death metal with a blackened edge. It's also catchy as hell. Each song is filled with intricate melodies, harmonies and songs that lodged themselves inside my head for days.

The energy is infectious–every song exuberates a jaunty energy that make this album a very smooth and easy listen—at around 31 minutes this is a collection of songs that begs to be listened to over and over.  

Their black metal influences keeps the songs from being too “happy” sounding, ensuring for every melodic note there is a heavy riff to act as a counterweight. Some of the speedier moments, especially the faster moments, definitely add a lot of heft to the songs even when they are at their most melodic.

Most impressive about the album is how put together the songs are—each element is perfectly paired with all the surrounding ones.  If any one instrument, vocal line, or drum hit were removed, the songs would be changed completely.  The band is really in tune with each other and it shines through the songs.

The album opens with “Certainty,” which is a banger of a song.  It opens with blackened riffs and subtle but sweeping keys. The crisp drumming helps the riffs drive the intensity. The vocals are high growls that sounds great—throaty and demanding but intelligible. Around the 2:14 mark, the song shifts to a more atmospheric tone but the hard driving rhythm keeps it all grounded.

“Abyss,” is instantly catchy with the melodies digging their hooks in deep. The rhythm guitar and vocals provide a steady cadence for the drums to drive a beat into, allowing the melodies to play off these harder edges. After about halfway, the song speeds up greatly but still allows a lot of breathing room for the guitars to weave their magic.

“Sanctuary” is one of the best songs on the album, due in large part to its cold and unrelenting atmosphere not unlike anything from the first WINTERSUN album. This one of the more blackened and biting songs on the album, it shows how aggressive the band can be but they never forget how to keep their melody well balanced into the fabric of the songs.

“Light In The Darkness” ends the album on a high point. The keys in the beginning add a clever accent on the music, making the fervent energy that comes afterwards all the more potent. The drums are devastating here, as are many of the riffs. This song is the best example of how the album sounds as a whole and represents their style well.

I was very surprised by "The Dark Horizon." The album brings back much of what made the hey dey of melodic death so great.