Season of Mist has signed MERIDIAN VEIL, a new progressive extreme metal band from Montreal that brings together four well-known names from the Canadian scene. The label announced the deal on November 3, confirming that the group's debut album will arrive in 2027.
The lineup is guitarist Danny Marino of THE AGONIST, vocalist Matt McGachy of CRYPTOPSY, drummer Dylan Gowan of SEVEN SPIRES and cellist Raphael Weinroth-Browne, best known as the touring cellist for LEPROUS. The label pitches the result to fans of OPETH, LEPROUS, Devin Townsend and NE OBLIVISCARIS.
The project has been a long time coming. According to Marino, he and McGachy first met in the early 2000s and wanted to make music together from the start, with the idea that MERIDIAN VEIL should be deeply emotional. He says the upcoming record gets heavy, but a deep sense of longing runs through the cautionary tale at its core.
McGachy, whose day job in CRYPTOPSY sits at the brutal end of technical death metal, describes singing in the new band as freeing, a chance to show a different side of himself. Gowan calls the material progressive metal with a very dark atmosphere and thought-provoking lyrics, and credits the mix of writers from different styles for its character. Weinroth-Browne says the demos struck him with the quality of their songwriting, and that the band captures the best of 2000s death metal and prog metal with a modern approach.
The first taste is a short trailer for lead single "The Watcher":
The album title, release date and tracklist have not been announced yet; Season of Mist says more news is coming soon.
MERIDIAN VEIL are:
- Danny Marino — guitars
- Matt McGachy — vocals
- Dylan Gowan — drums
- Raphael Weinroth-Browne — cello