The cover of this new Crimson Moonlight album depicts a man in a trench coat, lying on some old, worn steps with his face buried in his hands. His face is ever so close to the cold stones below and one can only imagine what is going through his mind. As the nearby trees sway in the wind, they begin to block out the sun and cast a dark shadow on the man. And while one could endlessly ponder the possible thoughts of this individual and think of what could be troubling his spirit, one might be better off tearing themselves away from the captivating artwork and venturing to what’s inside instead. What lies within is one of the most relentlessly aggressive and brutal pieces of work that a mere mortal can experience.  This album keeps coming after you and will not stop until it grabs you by the throat and slams you up against the wall...repeatedly. The men of Crimson Moonlight have honed their craft and have unleashed what can be described as nothing less then a merciless assault on the listener’s ears. Furious, tight, and blistering black metal combined with lethal death metal can hardly communicate what you should prepare yourself for. The frantic blasting of Gustav Elowson will drop your chin in awe and the amazingly versatile vocals of Simon Rosen will shriek and growl their way into the deepest pits of your soul. What lies beneath the haunting and gloomy album cover is disturbingly good. Unify Crimson Moonlight’s last album with the chugging riffs of Embrace the Eternal-era Embodyment, the occasional melodic guitars ala Extol, and the insanity of Dark Funeral & Dimmu Bogir….then kick it up a notch above that and you have Veil of Remembrance.

I guess the only downers I can really comment on regarding this disc is the somewhat lack of variety and the drum sound.  One key to the variety problem was listening all the way through the album at a high volume (that's always necessary) while reading along with the lyrics.  That seemed to make this album come alive for me.  The lyrics are fabulously written and definitely something that you shouldn't ignore if you buy this disc....um....strike that "if" comment.  "When" you buy this disc.  The lyrics are dark, but it's obvious that much time was poured out in penning these words.  Another thing about the lyrics is that these songs are crammed full.  I think it was about song number five before they went more than 15 seconds without Simon singing.  And back to the other negative, the drum sound could've been better.  While the drumming is killer, the drums themselves sound weak at times.

As far as best songs go, I'd have to say songs five and six...."My Grief, My Remembrance" and "The Cold Grip of Terror."  Both are mammoth songs, but really though....there is not a bad song on this album.

I'd definitely have to say that Crimson Moonlight has stepped it up a notch here.  This is one of the top discs of 2005 so far and one that will probably garner them more fans than all of their other releases combined.

Terrifyingly excellent!  (Review by Matt)