Continuing in the ever growing popularity of southern metal powerhouses The Showdown and Maylene and the Sons of Disaster comes Facedown Records’ grittiest band ever to emerge from the depths of Alabama. Introducing Remove the Veil, a band that could easily bring a smile to the face of Christian hardcore frontman Dallas Taylor. Remove the Veil have a musical style that contains influences ranging from Merle Haggard to Metallica, but don’t be too quick to call them country in a musical sense as their intense and brutal arrangements far exceed any notion that a certain “twang” can be expected to heard anywhere on the album itself.

This is down home metal at its near peak, smashing any stereotypes that many may come to a conclusion that the band is a “been there, done that” act. From the edgy “How to Jump a Ravine” to the dramatically haunting “Devil Child,” “Another Way Home” is an effort that’d make any music critic shake in his boots, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Though not blatantly spiritual throughout each song, Remove the Veil’s album insert is filled with imagery containing a man bowing his head and praying to the Almighty, as well as a prisoner held together with chains for believing in the Unseen in which others would denounce their faith to escape imprisonment.

Amongst the constant screams and shouts, lead vocalist Mark Hendrix actually tones his voice to pure harmonies late in the album as expressed in the songs “The Revision” and “Another Way Home,” both graced wonderfully with smooth melodies and backing arrangements. My only complaint is that with the exception of the previous songs mentioned, the singer rarely changes his vocal range in between tunes, adding to the fact that repetitiveness is not always the cure when running out of original ideas, which can falter slightly if not handled in the best manner.

Overall, though Remove the Veil may tend to be overlooked due to the fact that a pair of bands before them have already popularized the southern metal genre, it may be essential for them to test the waters in seeing where they can go musically as they progress as a band. These southern boys may have more up their sleeves in the coming years, but for now, “Another Way Home” is a swell starting point for a band that enjoy keeping it both country and metal in an influential sense.

Track Listing
1. The Crux
2. A Rage Scene Retold
3. Vampire
4. How to Jump a Ravine
5. Burn it Down
6. Watauga
7. Devil Child
8. Wait to Wake
9. The Revision
10. Another Way Home
11. The Secret Syndrome

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