Search - Subarachnoid Space :: Red Veil

Heavy on the heavy, and forging ahead...

Mike Reed | 12/29/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It's a shame that it's been almost a year since The Red Veil was released and no one has reviewed it yet. Subarachnoid Space is one of the great space rock bands of the last ten years or so, and The Red Veil definitely lives up to that billing.



Changes in the band's line-up have resulted in a sleeker, sharper sound; The Red Veil has more of a metal edge than their previous releases. Tracks like "Honorable Mention" and "Trainable" explode out of nowhere and hammer the listener (much to the listener's delight), whereas the 11-minute title-track builds more slowly, harkening back to the noiser, more addled and wandering sound of These Things Take Time (2000) and Also Rising (2003). On The Red Veil, the sensation is more of hurtling through the wormhole (on some sort of bleak yet necessary mission) and knocking a lot of junk out of the way in the process. It's still stark, just a little more ticked off.



The straight-ahead tracks (1,2,4) work better than the slower, tension builders (3,5,6) on The Red Veil. Unlike the two albums mentioned above, this one is made up of distinct tracks---it's not an album-wide composition---which leaves the longer, more exploratory tracks somewhat disconnected from one another and (at times) lacking in vitality. We seem to get two, somewhat competing personalities here: one new, one old. This is not, however, an album about building momentum (in the old Subarachnoid fashion); when it's at its best, it's about kicking your door down, taking a breather, and doing it again. Such fun! I imagine (and hope) that the next release will be a fuller realization of this new space-metal sound that The Red Veil promises.



I recommend starting with either These Things or Also Rising if you are new to Subarachnoid Space (and want to hear them at their most beautifully sprawling best), but the Red Veil should please anyone who is into post-psych, noise rock, or instru-metal."

SubArachnoid Space - 'The Red Veil' (Strange Attractions)

Mike Reed | USA | 06/06/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The fourth title in my personal collection of this highly talented U.S. {sometimes} over-the-top space rock ensemble. Make no mistake, if you dig their earlier works like 'A New And Exact Map' and 'These Things Take Time', then you should get plenty of enjoyable spins out of this CD. Most impressive tracks here are the space rocking opener "Honorable Mention", the eleven-minute title cut - the lengthy, droning and wailing "The Red Veil" (best piece of this entire release) and the somewhat trippy "P.S.S.A.". Now that I look at the front insert, I see that Mason Jones (guitar, sound effects and theremin player) doesn't appear on this CD. Whoa! As good as 'Red Veil' turned out, it's hard to believe. Line-up here is: Chris Cones-guitar&electronics, Melynda Jones-guitar, Diego Javier-bass and Christophe Van Huffel-drums. An absolute should-have."