November Veil - 3.7.9.3 EP |self-released, 2013| 
1. Inside Eyelids, 2. Withered, 3. Dying Again, 4. Hell Within Your Heart, 5. A Sinner's Wish (bonus track)
First of all, this is a free, newly released EP, so you can already download it from the sources recommended by the band. Once you start listening, you'll probably notice its concept. Music on 3.7.9.3 is based on dualities. There are strong guitar-driven melodies mixed with distorted and syncopated sounds, alternating smooth and angry vocals, and even slightly symphonic parts.
"Inside Eyelids" is a rocking opener. It includes a bit of sampling, though it's rather casual. The band doesn't have a keyboard player so their sound is quite rough. Therefore, some songs were additionally enriched with electronic effects. On the other hand, sparkling guitar riffs collaborate well with both bass and vocals. The composition sounds solid from start to finish thanks to tightly packed, yet not overwhelming arrangements.
Azz' voice is rock and metal-friendly, so it works with November Veil’s music very well. He can scream but also sing in a slightly higher voice which creates a softer atmosphere within a track. His skills are more audible in "Withered". The song dynamics are dense, but the high-pitched guitar riffs as known from Korn’s music were smartly smuggled in. The bass stays a bit in the background while the drums, vocals and guitars steal the listener's attention. There's also a very short symphonic part, just like in "Inside Eyelids".
Initially, "Dying Again" sounds softer, almost like a Metallica ballad. It gains power later, however. Peter’s bass is more accented here and makes for a nice duo along with Jerome's guitar riffs.
Undoubtedly, the band’s songwriting is their forte. Take "Hell Within Your Heart" for instance, which has serious hit potential. It's a beautiful and powerful track thanks to a mixture of catchy hard rock and modern alt-rock arrangements. The dynamics roll on smoothly, like a well-oiled machine. The middle of the track is enriched with a classically swirling guitar solo, eventually followed by a metal shout and heavier riffs.
The bonus track, "A Sinner's Wish", swerves slightly into the djent territory with its guitar and bass arrangements. The band can definitely surprise by using strong distortion effects on this EP. Fast forward "A Sinner's Wish" to the 1:58 mark and feel the impact.
There's only one thing that I think could have been done a bit better on this EP. Kamil plays the drums very well, but their sound turned out flat, too mechanical. The final result is that they obscure the instrumental parts written for guitar and bass in songs such as "Inside Eyelids", "Withered" and "Hell Within Your Heart".
November Veil, founded in London, UK in 2010 will easily meet the expectations of younger listeners, mainly because the members are quite young as well. They naturally keep up with contemporary and new music, its business models and trends. Their main influences seem to be Tool, Avenged Sevenfold, Killswitch Engage, Breaking Benjamin and Korn.
When you download and listen to this EP, make sure you let the band know what you think. It's extremely important, because they want to know if their efforts paid off. Once they learn it from you, they can move on with new ideas towards their next release.
(Katarzyna 'NINa' Górnisiewicz, Fabryka Music Magazine, September 9th, 2013. Proofreading: Mike 'Vesper' Dziewoński)
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