From the insalubrious heat of Atlanta dark metal outfit Cloak arrived in 2013. Not out of other bands, but of ceremonies necessary to bind the darkest elements of death, black, and heavy metals, the members of Cloak aligned. They fought through the nascent stages of life and arrived at a point where they’re purveying a style of dark metal not unlike Sweden’s Tribulation but with a different trajectory and swagger. The group’s debut self-titled EP, “Cloak”, stunned the underground with songs like “In the Darkness, the Path” and “The Hunger”. From out of nowhere, Cloak immediately proved they were next-level material. In just two songs, they had labels far flung courting them for their signatures. In the end, Cloak inked a deal with France-based Season of Mist, where they share innovation with the likes of Sólstafir, Arcturus, and Crippled Black Phoenix.
Cloak toiled on their debut, “To Venomous Depths”, like mindful musical tacticians in the basement of a Victorian castle. There, they crafted nine songs of dark intent, where the melodicisms of black metal, the intensity of death metal, and the tenets of heavy metal were ensorcelled, twisted, and reconfigured to form a sound that’s immediate and identifiable. Says the band: “The making of “To Venomous Depths” was a journey full of pain, setbacks and frustration, which is the reason the final product is so victorious. The core of this album represents the triumph of darkness over light, strength over weakness, and progression over complacency. None of these things will ever come easy because a life of true liberation is a life of strife.”
So impressed with Cloak’s previous work and “To Venomous Depths” we requested to premiere a track off said album. ‘Beyond the Veil’ is Cloak in full. It’s everything we’ve come to appreciate and more about the Georgians’ approach to the darkest of metals. So much so, vocalist/guitarist Scott Taysom commented: “‘Beyond The Veil’ has a very specific place on the album. It’s a song of high and low, both musically and lyrically. We could even call it a song of celebration or praise, one that represents a continuous cycle of growth, death, and rebirth. It serves as an adoration for the source that provides us with inspiration and purpose.”
With torches ablaze, temperatures rising, and sweat dripping off our black leather, we present to faithful Decibel readers Cloak’s ‘Beyond the Veil’.
** Cloak’s new album, To Venomous Depths, is out November 10th on Season of Mist Records. Pre-orders from the darkest depths of Season of Mist’s vaults are available HERE on vinyl and CD. Photos used by David Parham.
