Customer Reviews

Beyond the Veil

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When I first got started into the realm of Tristania, I was immediately caught by World of Glass, and Beyond The Veil took some getting used to. But after playing it through thorougly several times (and annoying the hell out of my roommate - hey, that's what he gets for making me endure The Calling and the damn Moody Blues for so long!), I see more and more good qualities about Beyond The Veil that just aren't present in World of Glass, and it has become (along with Lacuna Coil's Comalies) the most valued item in my music collection. Why? Listen for yourself, the album is darn near flawless. This is complex, heavy, dark, beautiful, poetic, and inspired music, much to the contrary of anything you'd find on the American mainstream. Our RIAA would frown upon such talented artists, which is why it is impossible to find Tristania in any American music stores.

Morten Veland is an amazing songwriter in both the lyrical and instrumental regimes. His lyrics may not be quite as introspective as Einar's or Osten's, but they're more poetic and less cliche. He's up there with Dani Filth as one of the more creative lyricists in metal, but unlike Filth, there are no satanic references in Tristania's music, it's just pure gothic poetry. And you can call it "gothic" due to the archaic themes of their songs. You don't have to be a goth to make gothic music; in fact, true gothic metal bands are not composed of goths. So stop calling Manson and Evanescence gothic. Anyway, back to the album, the guitars are so much better than they would be later on World of Glass, since Anders seems to be more of a rhythm guitarist and typically doesn't play a whole lot of riffs, whereas Morten makes a good lead. Morten's powerful extreme vocals are worlds better than Trail of Tears' Ronny Thorsen, who was his "replacement" on WOG. Osten Bergoy's clean singing seems to stand out much more here, as he sounds more like a professional vocalist on here than the cartoon character he sounded like on WOG. The choir parts are woven into the music far better, enhancing the atmosphere a great deal instead of overpowering the music. And then there's the lovely Vibeke Stene. She doesn't take as much prominence here, but to some degree, that's a good thing, because instead of sounding like mellow music with gruff vocals like most of WOG did, Stene's parts come out more as the light shining through the darkness. Flawless.

Tristania is in a class of their own, and I get tired of seeing them compared to mediocre acts like Theatre of Tragedy. The only rival they have right now is Sirenia (Veland's new band), so cut the "they sound like Therion" or "they're TOT + Cradle of Filth" or whatever. That's the problem with music fans today: they don't embrace the idea of originality. Hell, any established female-fronted band (i.e., Lacuna Coil), no matter how long they've been around, is automatically an Evanescence clone in the eyes of today's industry sheep - I mean - music fans. Tristania is a clone of nobody. They are possibly the most original band in the music industry, maybe even more so than Opeth. Not many bands use a mix of slow, heavy metal mixed with operatic female vocals, live violins (the best part), classical male singing, powerful drumming, and death/black vocals in a constantly-changing and unpredictable musical environment such as this. So don't try to compare them with anyone, the massive talent of these guys (and girl) will blow you away. I dare thee... enter the realm of Tristania! Once you're in, you won't want to leave!

Always on the lookout for something that isn't played to death on what passes for 'rock radio', I actually discovered Tristania through an ad in the late and lamented goth/darkwave magazine 'Carpe Noctem'. It took me two years after that to finally find a copy at a Best Buy (really) in West L.A.

I put it on my CD player, pushed play and went WHOA! My downstairs neighbor came upstairs wondering what kind of occult ritual I had going on.

At first listen, Tristania is NOT like anything I've ever heard before. It's as if Slayer married Kiri Te Kanawa and they had some kind of demonic love-child. Believe me, my eyes were wide open as I took in the insane soundscape that is the Tristania universe. There was the death metal growl overlayed with operatic soaring vocals with choruses of the Greek Furies interspersed within.

And I loved every freaking minute!!!

Normally I don't do male vocals that sound like the guy just crawled out of some grave, but Morten Veland's death-metal stylings were really great for atmosphere.

Then there's my drop-dead gorgeous (and full figured) Vibke Stene whose range puts Mariah Careless to shame. Both vocalists were well-balanced and everything was in its proper place - no overkill here.

And I love a band that treats its listeners like they're intelligent and literate beings, not brainwashed pop tarts.

This is what the Europeans have been doing with metal ever since we Americans rolled over and gave up our dominance to grunge and crappy emo-rock. Because of Tristania I've discovered an entire genre of metal where the bands aren't scared to have a tough female frontwoman and that the music, not the image, comes first.

If this is any indication as to what Tristania is capable of doing than sign me on as a fan for life because this is simply out of this world!

When a friend of mine bought me this cd a while ago I wasn't quite sure what to make of it as 'Beyond the Veil' was unlike anything I'd ever been exposed to before. At first it was a bit harsh on my (then) delicate ears but I kept an open mind and with very little time at all I grew to love it. Now it is one of my all-time favorite albums. I normally can't stand demonic death growls, and while that hasn't changed much Tristania seems to be an exception with me. Oddly enough it just fits among the interplay of gorgeous operatic singing, intensely haunting choirs and sparsely used Gregorian chants. It almost sounds like a battle between Heaven and Hell with the fiercely powerful yet intricately woven melodies that are as beautiful as they are dark. I especially enjoy the epic "A Sequel Of Decay". It contains a lot of clean vocal parts, which really sounds good and makes me wish he'd sing this way more often. But, then again, they probably shouldn't change anything since, to me, they've delivered a flawless record here.

One thing I particularly like about Tristania is their ability to not follow the usual formula most metal bands tend to take. They're not afraid to experiment and I love the inclusion of the violin (the purest, most exotic instrument around, in my opinion).

I can't recommend this enough so stop thinking about it and buy it already!

For so long, I had read reviews of Tristania on the Internet; many hailed them as being a great Gothic Metal band, "if not a bit too much like Theatre of Tragedy". Well, for those of you who have yet to hear them, pay no heed to those reviews!

I bought "Beyond the Veil" after hearing absolutely nothing of Tristania but the thirty-second preview clips here on Amazon; those alone had me sold immediately. I'd expected them to come out sounding a bit like ToT, who I also enjoy, so I bit the bullet and made the purchase. Imagine my surprise when I first put this album in my CD player and cranked up the volume!

Tristania is more than just your standard Gothic Metal clone band. Their music is by no means regurgitated, nor does it resemble anything I have ever heard to date. Their music is both powerful and haunting, yet serene and angelic -- a characteristic so many Gothic Metal bands attempt to hold, but few manage to capture perfectly.

When thinking of Gothic Metal, the first thing that comes to most peoples' minds are the angelic female vocals; while Tristania's Vibeke Stene definitely delivers in this aspect, her voice is not depended upon to carry the band. Indeed, "Heretique" is completely void of Vibeke's angelic voice, and yet it remains to be one of the best songs on the album.

The Black Metal-style vocals are performed with exceptional skill, oft times mixing well with the serene violins and keys. At other times, the choir-like singing merges with blasting drums and razor-sharp Metallic guitar riffs to form some of the most amazing music ever heard.

Tristania is more than just a Doom or Gothic Metal Theatre of Tragedy clone. If you have yet to listen to their music, buy this album! There's something in it for everyone.

In my opinion, this album is their best. The first time I heard it, I was completely thrilled. Beyond The Veil, the intro-track, starts off with soft female vocals, and then, hell is unleashed into a controlled chaos of instrumental madness, choir singing and aggressive grunting. Aphelion continues with the heavenly combination of destruction and beauty. A sequel of decay is a more peaceful song, followed by the most aggressive song on the CD, Opus Relinque, which starts with a music-box-like tune, after which aggressive grunting and enchanting choir singing holds you in awe. (Notice the 'Sanguine Rebirth, Sanguine Divine Rebirth' part and the singing before it. Awesome, isn't it?) Lethean River is masterly composed, a melodic river dragging your soul away. The mood of '...of Ruins and a red nightfall' might be less dark than Lethean River, nevertheless it always leaves a stronger impression on me. Simbelmyne is a short piece of piano, actually an introduction for the next song: Angina, a masterpiece filled with vocal and instrumental contrasts that make it better every time you listen to it. Heretique has an industrial sound to it, more electronical than the rest of the CD. This is good, I love variety. Dementia is the perfect outtro, making you want to play the CD all over again. Yes, you'll want to hear it again, this is a mark on your mind, showing that you've been Beyond the Veil.

From the throngs of countless gothic-metal clones comes this Swedish treasure. Headed by singer/guitarist/songwriter Morten Veland, this sextet turned heads with their first releases, Tristania and Widow's Weeds. With Beyond the Veil, the band has perfected their gothic/symphonic sound and churned out very powerful songs.

The opening title-track, "Beyond the Veil" has female operatic vocals (courtesy of Vibeke Stene), powerful melodic guitars, a deadly violin and haunting keyboards. Throughout the album, Tristania makes very good use of sinister choirs (as exhibited on the dense "Aphelion"), most of which are comprised of the band members themselves. Eerie classics such as "Lethean River" and "Opus Relinque" are testaments to Tristania's gothic flare, coupling intense guitars with Veland's dual raspy and guttural screams, a play between evils. The album's standout track is the genre-defining "Angina", whose 4-minute run is a musical sweep of anything and everything gothic metal: pianos, violins, clean female vocals, male choirs, and many other such elements. The operatic all-male choir in "Heretique" is hypnotic and rarely found in the genre as much as its other overdone elements.

The album is stunning and excels in its balance of elements, a quality that many clones fail to achieve. Beyond the Veil is a gothic masterpiece, an album to which many bands aspire.

To me, this thing is #2 on my list directly behind blackwater park, extremely close, this is the most powerful band i've ever lent my ears to. It's amazing the construction they put into this album, because it will absolutely destroy, soothe, and amaze you. It'll tear you apart, leaving you on the ground in a bloody pulp, but you have an ear-to-ear smirk on your face. The opening track "Beyond The Veil" is my favorite Tristania song, because it wreaks of all the aspects of their song-writing style, complete with gorgeous chorus singing, awesome guitar riffs, groovy drum and bass beats (which go surprisingly well with the music), a violin solo, and ear-piercing black metal screaming. Buy it...now.

Haunting and beautiful! I picked this one up because it came free with a Within Temptation single I've been dying to hear. To be perfectly honest, I had never heard Tristania before this album and am not fond of black metal vocals, but after listening to this CD, Tristania pulls it off wonderfully! Don't get me wrong; I'm not saying this is black metal, in fact it's far from that! This CD is melodic, heavy, and extremely well written! The production is also top of the line; some of the best production work I've ever heard! If you like Theatre of Tragedy's first two or Within Temptation, you'll hopefully like this! Tristania are top of the line melodic/doom metal!

Beyond the Veil is one of the best gothic albums ever created. It is right up there with Theater of Tragedy's Velvet Darkness They Fear. Tristania writes some of the best gothic metal in the world. They, like most Gothic Bands, combine Death-Metal style vocals and instrumental with classically-influenced female vocals and instrumental. Gothic Metal is not to be confused with other Dark Metal styles. Dark metal is a broad category. It can be used to describe Gothic bands like Tristania, Death Metal bands like Cannibal Corpse, or Black Metal bands like Cradle of Filth. Each of these subgenres are their own style. Death metal is characterized by extremely heavy guitars with lightning-fast leads coupled with a singer who grunts more than they sing. Black metal usually has faster instrumental and has a screamer for a singer. Gothic metal is an offshoot of Death Metal. Early Gothic sounds very much like Death Metal. They are different, however. Tristania's singer is not a rip-off of Dani from Cradle of Filth. They do not sound alike. The vocals of Tristania are more related to the gutteral voices of Death Metal. People tend to throw all Dark Metal into that general category and say that more underground bands, like Tristania, copy the commercial bands, like Cradle of Filth. They are wrong. Tristania is not Black Metal, it is not Death Metal, it is not Doom Metal. It is Gothic Metal.

I've already written a review for Widow's Weeds (Tristania's first studio album); I echo the same feelings here.

The album is amazing; get it. It's got a more operatic touch than Widow's Weeds, and I like 'em both. The album is worth purchasing to for the track "Angina" alone. People who dock off stars for the male growls, listen to this song; you may rethink your position. Growls are easy to do wrong, but when done right, it's like Yin and Yang -- unity of opposites.

Apart from the occassional good track, I haven't heard solid offerings like Widow's Weeds or Beyond the Veil from Morten Veland's new band Sirenia, which is quite sad. Hope their new singer is someone like Tristania Vibeke Stene.