Veil Lifter Night Grotesqueries Review
Veil Lifter
Night Grotesqueries
Kold Kave Production
2025
Every so often, a Black Metal release sneaks in and reminds me that the genre still has something left, that all the chaos, bleakness, and atmosphere aren’t dead and buried. Italian band Veil Lifter’s “Night Grotesqueries” is exactly that kind of EP. It’s not a casual spin by any stretch. This is music best consumed when you’re willing to let yourself drift into the dark corners and lose your bearings for a while.
After a brief intro track, the opening tune, “Votive Candles”, sets the stage with oppressive weight. The guitars rip and roar, coiling around the rhythm section like serpents, constricting tighter with every riff. The drums pound endlessly, and the vocals, though guttural and buried, sound like the shrieks of something unhinged and damned. Personally, I’d like them louder in the mix but given that the riffs are the spine of the song, the balance works.
The track “Crumpled Sleeve” pulls back just a little, trading sheer aggression for a more melodic hook. There’s still atmosphere everywhere, but this time you can catch moments where the fists can pump, and the head can bang. The vocals, while still raw, are more decipherable, and the track strikes a balance between ferocity and catchiness that lingers. Then comes “Psalm X”, another standout drenched in melody yet fully anchored in the icy heart of Black Metal. The vocals once again take a backseat to the instrumentation, but the song carries that familiar, cultish chill that feels like home for anyone who’s spent time in the genre’s underground scene.
“Night Grotesqueries” isn’t background music. It’s a descent, a ritual in sound. Veil Lifter has conjured an EP that drags you into its shadows and leaves you to wander among the damned. Released this past July on cassette and CD (with the tapes already sold out), this one is for anyone who craves their Black Metal bleak, relentless, and utterly merciless. The band is already at work on a follow-up.