The Human Veil Detail Their New EP ‘Fractures’ with an Exclusive Track-by-Track [Song Premiere]

If you’re feeling aggressive, then we got something for you to blow off that excess steam. Enter The Human Veil and their brand new single, “Faceless God,” off of their new EP, Fractures, due out on August 14th. This is your first taste of many more offerings to come from the metalcorers in the coming months, a collection of songs on which they have been hard at work. The EP is meant to be interpreted as a commentary on the inner battles that people experience within their own minds, conditions such as depression and addiction, psychosis and issues related to past traumas. The feeling of dread and hopelessness is sewn throughout Fractures, but, at the same time, it does make sure to convey a more positive message of strength, hope, and healing, even if things seem like they couldn’t get any worse.

Both fiction, such as the story of Hannibal Lecter, and some of singer Matt Wall’s own personal experiences inspired the writing of Fractures. Wall wanted to write honest lyrics that people could relate to and take some sense of optimism away from. A “fracture” may cause a lot of pain and discomfort, but that pain eventually goes away and if provided with the proper care and support, it will heal. Formed in 2018, The Human Veil is on a journey to offer a fresh new take on metalcore, defined by structured ambiance, with unforgettable melodies and hooks.

Commenting on the recording of the EP, the band stated, “We began by creating revisions of the songs in demo format, which Matt wrote the main body for using his recording setup at home. We all learned our parts and contributed our own voices to the songs, and after deciding which songs to commit to our debut EP, we proceeded to plan how we could keep the whole production process as slick and DIY as possible.

(Drummer) Sam (Hughes) tracked drums at the studio he works at, which created the perfect foundation to start layering the instrumentation on top; and we also used Sam’s own home recording studio to record the bass and guitar, while Matt exported the synth and orchestral elements of the songs using his own sample library. Using our own space was much more relaxing to record in, instead of constantly checking the clock in a hired studio. It gave us the freedom to add guitar harmonic elements, underlying melodies and piano arpeggios that gave the song more depth.

We took a lot of time discussing who should mix the EP to make it effective, powerful and as punchy as when we play the songs live. After listening to our good pals in Borders’ awesome album Purify, we got in touch with Myroslav Borys at Jigsaw Audio. He sent us a sample mix of one of the songs after only working on it for a night, and we were blown away by how massive he made it sound so it was only right to have him mix and master the EP.”

In addition to the exclusive premiere of “Faceless God,” Wall has been kind enough to offer us a special track-by-track commentary where he takes us through the writing, recording, and inspirations behind all five tracks contained on Fractures.

Artwork for “Faceless God” by The Human Veil

1. “Faceless God”

“The opening track ‘Faceless God’ is probably the heaviest track on the EP and one of our favourites. It is one of the darker, atmospheric tracks that follows a similar style to ‘A Thousand Crows,’ by having a really unsettling ambiance and feel to it but maintaining its heaviness. The lyrics for ‘Faceless God’ are based on Arya Stark’s story in the Game of Thrones series. I take a lot of influence from fiction and the story of her losing her sight in her training to see people for what they really are really stuck with me. It talks about becoming someone else by wearing another face, relating to The Human Veil name, influenced by Hannibal Lecter. The story was so powerful that it inspired me to write lyrics heavily based on it and it needed an instrumental that portrayed this kind of disturbing story. It’s a mixture of creepy and chaotic.”

2. “Fractures”

“The band name, The Human Veil, referenced from the Hannibal quote, ‘Maybe it’s less of a person suit and more of a human veil’ is also referenced within the lyrics of the ‘Fractures’ single as a relation to the concept of the song, which is heavily based on human and machine, and the irony that human beings could lose their humanity and become more barbaric than artificial beings who are supposed to be the ones that lack emotion. When talking about wearing a persona or a ‘version’ of one’s self to hide what is underneath, I wanted to quote the band name in a track, and it seemed to fit perfectly in ‘Fractures.’

‘Fractures’ speaks about how I could fully lose myself and not understand why; why I spent a lot of my life feeling like an outsider and feeling a loss of identity, which lead to some self-destructive behaviours, failed relationships and addictions. It takes a long time and hard work to figure out who you really are, overcome your demons, and to be truly present.

I did not understand what I was trying to say at the time of writing ‘Fractures’ because I was so deep in it, but hindsight paints a picture of the struggles I had and have now overcome. It is probably the most important song I have written to remind my future self to remain present and not lose myself down that dark path again.”

3. “8612”

“After reading about the Stanford Prison Experiment, it made me think about the mindset of the real people that were involved. How the ordinary person could easily be transformed into a sadistic, megalomaniac given the right environment. The lyrics are through the eyes of a real inmate. My interpretation of how disturbed his mind must have been from the trauma experienced during the experiment. The track is very different to the others and probably one of those most unsettling. How human beings could be reduced to nothing but a number: inmate 8612.”

4. “A Thousand Crows”

“I’ve always been a skeptical person, but the concept of ‘A Thousand Crows’ is a very psychological song that delves into possession and psychosis. Mainly psychosis. Imagined through the eyes of someone that feels they have lost control of their own mind and body. Possessed by something horrific that makes them see their worst fears materialized. From seeing people with blacked out eyes to their biggest regrets played out on a loop. The torment, fear and horror that must be experienced by people who suffer with psychosis and mental illness of that degree. This isn’t related to me personally but my observations of patients that experienced these struggles every day. People that have relapsed so many times that they are never coming back. Being stuck with their darkest thoughts and worst fears. Something a lot more terrifying than dying. I think this is one of the heavier tracks and I wanted the female voice samples to be really haunting and unsettling.”

5. “Lone Wolf”

“I wanted the EP to end on a track that signified the end of a journey. From the darkest days to a glimmer of hope. One that had a more positive direction and hint of what is to come. ‘Lone Wolf’ is about leaving the old behind and embracing positive change. No matter how painful the process. ‘Lone Wolf’ is a very introspective track that talks about being surrounded by toxic people and becoming someone you loathe. How lost you can feel when you’re surrounded by the wrong people or influences. Whether that be bad relationships or unhealthy attachments to people. That continuing down a path of self-destruction can only end one way and that the current means of coping aren’t working. That drastic change needs to happen.

‘To save my soul, I’ll walk this path a lone wolf’ is symbolic of a wolf leaving the pack to become independent or find a new pack. I feel that this is a challenge we all face in life, sometimes several times. It’s important to find your own path, sever ties with people that hold you down and break free from those negative influences. This being the only way you will ever better yourself. To become a ‘lone wolf.”