False Idol With Autographed CD Booklet

Underneath a maelstrom of polyrhythmic guitars, sweeping vocals, and shuddering beats, Veil of Maya encode a ponderous narrative at the core of their sixth full-length album, False Idol. This time around, a captivating concept drives the quartetMarc Okubo [guitar], Sam Applebaum [drums], Danny Hauser [bass], and Lukas Magyar [vocals].

The whole album is told from a first-person perspective, Lukas explains. Youre following this character whos not the nicest man. He rises to power though. Youll have to listen in order to find out how it ends. The storyline is very dark.

It felt more like we were making a movie or a TV series, adds Marc. Lukas actually had a storyboard idea that we talked about before even starting. Its almost like we were providing the soundtrack in Veil of Mayas template.

Late 2016 saw the musicians head to Los Angeles in order to record what would become False Idol. Marc worked with producer Max Schad in one studio, while Lukas teamed with vocal producer Brandon Paddock in another.

Two studios working at the same time was a new approach for us, continues Marc. In the past, we completed all of the instrumentals for Lukas to marinate on. Everything was done by the time he joined the band. This is the first time we got to write with his voice in mind. Another change, he was writing on the spot. It brought a different energy and ended up really cool. Max made a big difference too.

That difference stands out in Veil of Mayas marked sonic evolution. Every element is amplified: its heavier, its more hypnotic, and it hits even harder.

The overall vibe is darker and heavier, reveals Lukas. with the story, the demeanor got pretty sinister. Thats an element that I dont think anybody was expecting.

The first single Overthrow revs up from a crushing tidal wave of riffing into a soaring and striking clean refrain. It taps into the expansive energy of signature fan favorites, while elevating the group to a new level.xxxWe show references to the beginning of the main characters life at this point in terms of the content, says Lukas. It was a more compelling way to tell the story. All of the songs stand alone. They represent their own pieces of the story.xxxWhether its the pulverizing power of Overthrow and Doublespeak or knockout send-off of Tyrant and Livestream, False Idol exorcises an unforgettable narrative in the landscape of Veil of Mayas most definitive work to date.xxxWe wanted to create something refreshing, Lukas leaves off. We didnt recycle the same old thing. Its a new beginning.xxxI hope the record is something people want to go back to and study again, concludes Marc. Its worth more than one listen.