The Lifted Veil – Genocidal Bliss of Heaven

Hailing from Tampere (Finland), The Lifted Veil is a six-piece black/death metal formation founded ten years ago (2014), by Henri Kyllästinen and Mikko Koskinen. Later that year Aleksi Koistinen, Topi Hiltunen and Jere Korpela joined the band. Two years after its foundation they presented their first EP called The Wicked Shall Inherit the Earth (2016), while their second EP Grand Design of the Apocalypse followed in 2020. This second EP was recorded with the new singer Erkko Romo. Also bassist Aleksi decided to change scenery and Juha Kivinen joined the forces. A few days ago this hard-hitting death metal machine has unleashed its highly anticipated debut album entitled Genocidal Bliss of Heaven.

Genocidal Bliss of Heaven contains eight tracks of the crushing blackened death metal, that is uncompromising while trying to push the boundaries of extreme metal. They’re doing so by their signature trademark sound that is similar to some older black/death acts, but still being recognizable and something you’ll remember the name of The Lifted Veil for. It’s intense, brutal and relentless, creating a sonic maelstrom that defies categorization.

Lyrically, Genocidal Bliss of Heaven is a harrowing journey through the darkest corners of the human psyche, exploring themes of despair, destruction, and transcendence. Something one wouldn’t necessary expect from a black/death extreme metal act, but nevertheless it’s refreshing. All eight tracks (lyrics are written in a mixture of English and Finnish) are as atmospheric as they are brutal and extreme. Actually, some of the tracks are quite lengthy and epic!

Throughout the opus one can hear a solid mixture of slow, mid-paced and faster parts. It makes their sound more diverse and varied. Meanwhile, the solos and guitar leads are done in a more chaotic manner. Melodies, keyboard parts, and a brief use of clear vocals, are another nice details that make this album pretty interesting and listenable.

Beautiful album cover artwork somehow does not fit with what one can hear in its 42 minutes (8 songs clock in at 42 minutes) of spinning time. Alone judging from artwork I would expect to hear more traditional heavy and even power metal. I would also say that there are a few things to polish in terms of studio production, but everything else demonstrates an inhuman power that is rarely heard in extreme metal nowadays.

In conclusion; Genocidal Bliss of Heaven is a testament to The Lifted Veil’s mastery of their craft. To give fans a taste of what’s to expect on this full-length The Lifted Veil has released the single “Hunting Season”, which can be heard below. This particular track, alongside “Paradise of Parasites” also happens to be my favourite, offering a glimpse into the ferocious energy and unrelenting aggression that defines band’s sound.

Recommended for fans of Anaal Nathkrath, Aborted, Hate Eternal, Diolectian, Marduk and similar blackened death metal acts. More info on this particular release can be found at https://grindtodeathrecords.bandcamp.com/album/genocidal-bliss-of-heaven