Did you hear that? That was the collective gasp of music fans everywhere as they learned that A.J. Minette, one of metal’s most notorious song-writing kings, had rejoined The Human Abstract for a brand new album. A.J. was largely responsible for the eclectic, brilliant masterpiece that was 2006’s Nocturne, and as he returns (from pursuing a master’s degree in guitar at the prestigious Thornton School of Music) fans are left wondering: what should we expect?
Everything. The album Digital Veil, is an amazing journey through a stunning young band’s development. With the additional of Travis Richter (formerly of From First to Last) as vocalist, the band has taken a new direction, into a much darker, heavier, and complex sound. A.J.’s liquid sweeps, Dean Herrera’s rapid hammer ons, and Richter’s deeper scream all contribute to a project that frankly is strikingly beautiful from beginning to end. The sheer technicality of the album is overwhelming. Excursions into the soft strains of classical guitar, gliding piano melodies, languid solos, and start-stop breakdowns create an atmosphere that recalls the tone of Nocturne, but does not emulate it entirely. What it does do, however, is craft an entirely unique, clever, and artistic sound, one that has never been imitated.
Indeed, there has never been anything quite like Digital Veil. A.J. and Dean throw blistering arpeggios over cutting breakdowns at each other almost constantly. Remember how magical that solo in “Mea Culpa” was? Simply listen to the soaring “Antebellum” where A.J. sits back in the groove and sweeps like he is trading licks with the devil for his soul (Which, by the way, he would totally win) or the fantastic sweeps amid the harsh breakdown in “Complex Terms.” Equally impressive are the rapid and precise half-sweeps that he seems to be experimenting with. A majority of the near continuous soloing is high-speed, but many unhurried and deliberate lines occur as well. When the measured, huge, anthemic chords are struck in “Elegiac,” the listener knows that A.J. is going to take his time and play soulfully in this album. For that matter, every track has such consistently astounding guitar work that it is hard to single any out, without mentioning them all. Though A.J. is certainly responsible for a large part of the song writing, Dean does not get enough credit for being shred-tastic himself, as he hammers and sweeps like a man possessed.
Conceptually, Richter brings a philosophical depth to the album with his lyrics, which explore the ramifications of an intensely digitalized world. At first, it seemed that replacing the passionate Nathan Ells would be a challenge, but as the breakdown in “Digital Veil” crashes and Richter screams “Pull me, from the gallows” you feel that he is more than up to the task. He gives an excellent urgency to the more brutal moments, and his melodies are an interesting companion to the neo-classicism that defines much of the album. A wide vocal range is a must for a band with such a diverse and extensive sound, and Richter is more than capable.
It has oft been said of the perennial Stevie Ray Vaughan, “Everybody can play a Stevie Ray Vaughan riff. But nobody can play it for as fast or as long as Stevie can.” This is certainly true of The Human Abstract as well. Every can play like them, but nobody can do it as brilliantly time after time as The Human Abstract does. Live they are even more incredible, playing every song to record perfection, without seeming to tire whatsoever. The band members seem conscious of the role they occupy in metal legend, and put on one of the most energetic and technical shows this writer has ever seen.
Digital Veil is an amazing musical journey that rises and falls amid astral melodies, callous rhythms, and soaring musical theory. If you consider yourself a true music fan, you need to experience this band and this album. Otherwise, you are guilty of simple ignorance, especially if you are disregarding it because it is metal. As Kelly Shaefer once wrote in the liner notes of Atheist’s now classic Elements, Atheist was for “all those who demand a thinking man’s metal.” Carrying on that honored tradition, The Human Abstract ‘s Digital Veil is a thinking man’s metal, for the thinking, questioning, and artistic man.
Key Tracks: “Complex Terms” “Antebellum” “Faust”
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