Veilburner – Longing for Triumph, Reeking of Tragedy

Veilburner – Longing for Triumph, Reeking of Tragedy
Release Date: 14th November 2025
Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Avant-Garde Extreme Metal, Progressive Death Metal, Black Metal.
FFO: Blut aus Nord, Deathspell Omega, Akhyls, Imperial Triumphant, Oranssi Pazuzu, Hexrot.
Review By: Rick Farley

Hot off the trail of 2024’s masterwork The Duality of Decapitation and Wisdom, Pennsylvania’s two piece avant-garde extreme metal band Veilburner return with another off kilter, but highly engaging look into a world that’s mysterious, brutal, disturbing and grotesquely dissonant. Multi-instrumentalist Mephisto Deleterio and vocalist, conceptualist Chrisom Infernium offer up another slab of extreme metal psychosis in the twisted form of Longing for Triumphant, Reeking of Tragedy, set for release November 14^th, 2025, on Transcending Obscurity Records. This album marks the bands eighth full length and continues to open hellish portals into other realms with their gnarly soundscape, where the void stares right back into your eyes and sneers as it’s about to unleash its otherworldly purgatory upon civilization. 

Truth be told, Veilburner despite their noticeable eccentricities, construct and write remarkably coherent music with unconventional, complex layers that can still easily be followed, while its foundation of anguished blackened death metal drives the methodical sense of chaotic disorder steadily. Any band that sounds this esoteric, like they’re going completely off the rails but still emotionally and physically move the listener with their music, is something I find extraordinary. Whether it be the grossly toned That Which Crypts Howls Grandeur that recklessly chugs and pulsates its nauseating blast beat momentum or the bluesy stomp of Ouroboreal Whorl that somehow remains impishly heavy while its defiant hooks slither towards obliteration. The gnarled soundscape of Longing for Triumph, Reeking of Tragedy is a transgressor who also enjoys a sick sense of playfulness while inflicting its suffering brutality. Its mischievous nature comes in small flourishes of light-hearted melodies, rock inspired leads, mesmerizing progginess, warped guitars passages and lively airiness that all tie in as if this bizarre monstrous being wants to play with its food before annihilation.

Mephisto’s guitars on closing track …Reeking of Tragedy smell of sulphur and death unleashed in the form of hideous tones, sluggish to spasming, wailing viciously in every direction. His Intricate nerve wrecking guitar passages can be jangly but also ungodly sludgy, the riffs twist, churn and sever genres with ease. Chrisom’s unorthodox vocals range from mangled gutturals to croaky shouts and phlegmy gurgles; he sounds like a deranged sorcerer spitting out dark magic capable of doing the most unthinkable of wickedness. The groove laden rhythm section gleefully steers this brutal carnival ride as if the destination is hell itself. 

Conceptually and by Veilbuner’s own lore, the record touches upon the idea of their characters being bound to an infinite loop of death and reincarnation. Destined to repeat the same traumas and failures as before. Their continued suffering consumes one another in a serpentine like fashion until neither can no longer consume the other, frozen in the shape of infinity (∞) and numerologically represented by the digit eight (8). Samael (the “poison of god” and the eight sphere of the Qlippoth), as well as Choronzon (the dweller of the threshold) and the ouroboros all correlate with this symbol of infinity as the agnostic and immutable eternity, which confronted can lead to self-destruction and the finality of manifestation, permanently breaking the loop. Musically, lyrically, and conceptually, this record hits its mark at the top of every level. The stunningly sick artwork was done by Luciana Nedelea.

Longing for Triumph, Reeking of Tragedy, while just as heavy, if not heavier, is a much more musical evolved record than the previous one. Meaning, it’s a whirlwind of inspiration that drifts around several emotive sparks outside of just pure savagery. At times I was caught off guard at how often they went with an unexpected taste of genre bending that changed the vibe from schizophrenic death metal to traditional non-metal tropes. Spacey 70s prog, spaghetti western guitar lines, and bits of lush ethereal atmosphere are just a few examples that add to the mysticism of this record. The maniacal vocal and musical performances here to a brand-new ear might seem crazy at times or are dissected pieces randomly sewn together, but I assure you that’s not the case. Once again Veilburner has proven to be well above any of their peers in songwriting as well as storytelling. Let this soak a little while and it will brilliantly answer all your questions. Unless I’m just a fucking weirdo, this is another masterpiece full of high level song crafting, albeit a nightmarish one.

(5 / 5)