35 TAPES – Veil on Life

RELEASE YEAR: 2026
BAND URL: https://35tapes.bandcamp.com/album/veil-on-life

The experimental Norwegian prog rockers 35 Tapes have garnered a good and solid reputation on the back of their well-received offerings from these past few years, namely Lost & Found (2020), Home (2021), and Fabric of Time (2023). Their latest opus titled Veil on Life, which came out a couple of days ago via Apollon Records Prog, sees the group continue along the same musical path carved out by its predecessors only that it packs a little more emotional punch and that its compositions come across as slightly more concise and focused compared to what came before.

The eclectic yet subtle art-rock stylings, the finesse displayed throughout in terms of the song arrangements and musicianship, and not least its prevailing aura of yearning are all things to be applauded, but the overall effect and experience of listening to the disc is not necessarily a thrilling one for a few different reasons. The vocals lack the depth and range to truly move the soul, there are no real surprises to be discovered and captivated by, and any notion of well-crafted drama or a climactic denouement appears absent.

There are plenty of aspects of Veil on Life to admire – not least the melancholy and reflective piece named “Clueless” – but parts of the LP appear strangely sedate and devoid of substance somehow, and it is not as entertaining, thoughtful, and thought-provoking as this scribe had hoped it would be. Fans of the band’s previous records will undoubtedly cherish Veil on Life, however, so check it out if you dig their back catalog.