There really is a place for everything out there (although, I have been known to hate on, say, Nickelback). But seriously, as long as the public pays attention to hard working, envelope pushing or even just well intentioned artists, it’s all pretty much good and serves a purpose to someone. I love me some Motorhead, QueenAdreena, Mission Of Burma or fuckin’ Gorguts, sure, but have recently been loving the shit out of Halestorm, particularly the uber-catchy “Bet U Wish U Had Me Back.” That tune from Lzzy Hale and the boys from their recent Chris Lord-Alge mixed self-titled record is a seriously anthemic summertime sex tune with lyrics and some “big rock” elements that most bands would sound absurd attempting, but which Halestorm manage to deliver so deftly that it basically helps update ‘80s arena elements into a fresher, modern context in a fun way. So yeah, of course hyper-marketing and audience targeting exists, sure, but for all the admitted snobbery and pretensions or music industry shark-like behavior out there, you’ll find just as many cool people working within the world of music.

The point of the last few paragraphs is that I think it is wack how holier-than-thou some people get when discussing bands. Chicago’s Veil Of Maya are a great example of a group that are part of an interesting progressive sub-movement of modern death metal and hardcore, a band that have many supporters and detractors but forge ahead with what feels right for them as players…one step, one fan, one show, one record at a time. One of the most high energy acts on the Sumerian Records roster, Veil are set to clobber some heads with their latest 2010 release, [id]. While they have some elements you’ve heard before like, uh, screaming and heavy riffs, they are still really aiming to be themselves, which is very cool compared to all the cookie-cutter emo bands out there (pop has a place in music too, kids, but you have to respect it or it becomes really gross).

Anyway, Maya means illusion, and one thing Veil does is blur the lines and boundaries that shackle so many would-be creative minds. The band is a reminder that you can be part of a musical movement and still find your own voice as an artist or group. It’s as much about letting go and allowing experiences and sounds to seep from your subconscious as it is about taking an active role in incorporating exactly whatever the fuck you feel like into your sound as inspiration strikes like lightning.

I talked with guitarist Marc Okubo about the new record and all this kind of stuff, and he graciously allowed Crusher a peek behind the Veil into the band’s heavy metal world.

MORGAN Y. EVANS: Ok. I have tried to figure it out for a while now, but is “We Bow In It’s Aura” really about an evil playground? I have to say it is my favorite VOM song. The lyrics remind me of Stephen King, or something.

MARC OKUBO: We like to leave the lyrics open to interpretation. Brandon actually writes all the lyrics. I think that song is about some outer worldly shit like World of Warcraft or something. [laughing]

MYE: How much rehearsal does it take to be locked in on the machine-like grooves on some of your songs? Or does it come from familiarity with the songs and friendship/band chemistry?

MO: It totally does. We've been friends and touring so long that live we're just a living, breathing unit. We have been through a lot together even before this band started and it shows on stage. We still practice while we are home but not as much as you would expect. Sam and I have been jamming for like, 11 years so we have grown as musicians together, making us naturally tight.

MYE: I would have to disagree with people who call you guys strictly a deathcore band. I think your guitar work has some of that at times, but there are also interesting melodic lines thrown in as well that make it much more texturally interesting than just breakdowns ad nauseum.

MO: It's funny when people label us as that. None of us come from a "deathcore" background. We all enjoy heavy music but there are definitely other influences that come out. I'm way into progressive rock from the ‘70s, techno, classical, jazz, and all kinds of other shit. I never expected for people to consider me a "deathcore" guitarist. Hopefully this new album separates us from that a little bit more.

MYE: Yeah, I think you would’ve fit right in playing CBGB’s shows with Locked In A Vacancy or Candiria a couple years back. “Wounds” on The Common Man’s Collapse was a cool little mood-setting opener for that record. It was of course, very short, though. You think you’d ever write a really long song like Between The Buried and Me or incorporate vocal melody? Not that you need to one way or the other, but it seems you guys like to try out different things.

MO: I think we could. At one point I was thinking of making the new album just one continuous track divided into sections. Some of the parts of the album we even left like that. BTBAM can transition between any two parts it seems. That's something I would always like to keep working on. I think if we had more time there would’ve been some melodies in the vocals. We just had to work with what we had though.

MYE: How are things going with Sumerian Records? I have to say I really love a lot of what that label is doing for the scene.

MO: Things are awesome with the label. We are really close with everyone there and it’s a really supportive team to be on. They've already grown so much since we started working with them. It’s very exciting to see what the future holds for them.

MYE: How did you decide to work again with Michael Keene of The Faceless on the new record, [id]? You guys have a good thing going. What were some standout moments of the latest sessions with him?

MO: Well, we were all very happy with how the last album turned out. While we were on tour with The Faceless he mentioned being down to do another album and since he’s our friend and super talented we were way into it. I spent about a month one on one with Keene making this album and we had tons of good times. We get along pretty well outside of the workplace and would often go to parties together or go to the mall or whatever. I got to meet a lot of his friends and family and it was a good experience overall.

MYE: How does it feel to be part of the Atticus Metal tour 2? Of course, Unearth is always killer live and their last album The March was awesome, (though III: In The Eyes Of Fire is still my favorite of all of them). And you’ve also got Darkest Hour and Stray From The Path on select dates.

MO: This tour is awesome! We are way stoked to be a part of this year’s lineup! All the bands are great and bring something different to the table. I heard Darkest Hour won’t be able to make the dates, which sucks, but I can’t wait to chill with my boys in Stray From The Path!

MYE: You have toured a lot. Ever overheard anything really weird early in the morning at rest stops or wherever?

MO: [Laughing] Sometimes. I won’t name any names but I've definitely had a few rude awakenings on tour. It's funny how people expect you to just act like nothing happened afterward.

MYE: Do you think there is a Chicago area sound to metal nowadays? I read a funny forum thread about if people liked you guys or Born of Osiris better and someone asked if art forums aggressively compare people like Michelangelo to Raphael (if it was The Mutant Ninja Turtles I’d go with Raphael). Obviously there are lots of differences in your bands, but also some similarities. Chicago has a killer underground history with Touch And Go bands or Hum (the best band ever) and today also there are cool marijuana damaged bands like The Atlas Moth out of there.

MO: [laughing] Awesome. My favorite is Donatello. I don't know if there's really a Chicago sound. Us and Born of Osiris met after our bands were already established. We had never really heard each other until we started hanging out. It's crazy how similar we were having not heard each other. We realized that our fans would probably dig both bands so we started playing shows/tours together before we were all signed to Sumerian. My favorite Chicago bands are Tortoise, Maps &Atlases, Russian Circles and Telefon Tel Aviv, aside from all the sweet metal and rap music from the area.

MYE: What do you think is the best thing going on with the metal scene these days?

MO: I'm personally way into the new progressive movement that's taking place. You got bands like Periphery, Animals As Leaders, The Faceless, Circle of Contempt, Born of Osiris and After the Burial. It’s like a new niche of metal that I would really like to
see catch on.

MYE: People accuse a lot of newer bands (sometimes rightly) of having a rock star mentality. At the same time, it isn’t easy to make millions of dollars playing extreme metal. Of course people want to make a living, but what do you think is the best way to conduct yourself as a musician?

MO: I often forget that I'm even in a band on tour. I like to just walk around and hangout. Playing guitar in a metal band is just like having a sick Call of Duty team or something. It in no way makes me better than anyone. We are very privileged for this opportunity and we hope to make many new friends throughout our journey.

MYE: What do you think will most startle people about the new album?

MO: I think the use of MIDI in some songs is probably what will stand out the most. Other than that I think this album still sounds like us. Maybe a little more matured but it is definitely still Veil of Maya.