Buckle up, you’re about to enter an epic journey. If you’re just like me, that gets into the music and just get chills by listening to certain melody arrangements and you just cry; yes, cry, then this album will probably lead you to that (maybe not necessarily crying, but you catch my drift). It’s not because the music is necessarily sad, this is not the case here, but rather from the excitement of what you’re listening to. Well, that was my initial reaction to Wilderun’s third album, Veil of Imagination (Self-Released), I literally couldn’t stop the tears coming out of my eyes in awe of what the information my brain was receiving. The first track ‘The Unimaginable Zero Summer’, my absolute favorite, by the way, it’s a summary of what you will get from this album. From epic choir vocals to great instrumentalization, this album surely brings a great variety of elements that will make any Progressive Metal fan jump in excitement.

Now, sonically, if you want to get an idea of what you will be getting, think of a combination between old Opeth mixed with a bit of Dream Theater, a taste of Devin Townsend, and a little of Gojira here and there. Yes, the titans of modern Progressive Metal all in one. The Folk elements are present, and this is what positions Wilderun in a positive path, aside from all the other bands that have tried or are trying to make this type of music. The band also mixes Death Metal by having blast beats and super aggressive riffs that have the company of growling vocals and then change to beautiful melodies with clean vocal performances that remind me of names like John Wetton (King Crimson/Uriah Heep) and Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth). This band has it all.

The only thing that doesn’t do it a lot for me is the length of the album, but this is something that I have been lately trying to figure why I can’t last longer than forty-five minutes listening to an album. Obviously, with an album like this one you have to produce as much music that is needed to make it flourish; to make it reach perfection, so I understand the reason why this album is one hour-long, I just have to work on my patience a little bit.

So, fans of old Opeth, rejoice! There are new bands that are taking the position that the Swedish band left behind when they started their ventures in the Progressive Rock world. Wilderun is one of the biggest promises in the Progressive Metal genre at the moment and a band that I am sure will be making a lot of noise in the time to come. Keep your eyes peeled!

8 / 10

WESLIE NEGRON