“With ‘The Veil’ Translucent Veil draws on the freedom of classic psychedelic rock and encourages you to look beyond the surface, to allow space for the mysterious, the reflective and the exploratory.”
Some songs grab you by the scruff of the neck with a great hook, others pull you in through the ambience and the ideas. “The Veil” (the lead track from Translucent Veil) comes in with a very strong sense of the psychedelic/hard rock tradition of the late 60s and early 70s. It’s a band that really does want to be free and their identity as a band is very much rooted in that classic rock tradition. The songwriting is as much about the introspective as it is about the whimsical and the political. The title is of course a very interesting one to start with. A veil can imply something hidden, a barrier between what we see and what’s on the other side, or indeed the difference between what something appears to be and what it actually is. That sense of the mysterious is very much in keeping with the psychedelic rock idiom which has always been happy to accommodate the odd perspective and the open ended. The band’s own material doesn’t go into any detail as to what the lyrics actually mean but “The Veil” is a title which certainly invites the listener to interpret it in their own way. It’s a title which suggests mystery rather than provides an answer. It’s the track that defines the project in terms of its overall sound. The band cite Hendrix, The Beatles and Pink Floyd as their main influences. Each of those acts in their own way was able to take rock music in directions that were far beyond the normal verse/chorus format. Hendrix with his guitar work, The Beatles with their songwriting and Pink Floyd with their sense of atmosphere and scale. Those are the influences that inform the world that Translucent Veil are attempting to create.
What’s interesting about the group’s approach is that it’s not simply a case of nostalgia. Translucent Veil grew out of a Sunday afternoon jam which eventually became a proper band. That in itself is a project born of musicians playing together, coming up with things as they go. The members have all been in other regional bands and they all have that experience of playing in a band. “The Veil” is a project that has that background at its core, a project that is looking to the past for its inspiration but is also very much a band in its own right. The song is also part of an album that’s quite varied. “Last Night’s Dream” comes straight after it in the running order, and “Time We’re Moving On” (another focus track) points to a very different kind of contemplation. There’s a whole host of other tracks that point to the more imaginative and introspective side of the record, from “Under the Sea” and “Dreams and Sin” to the epic 19 minute “Seasons Must Change” which forms the closing track. Against all that, “The Veil” is the track that introduces you to the themes and the spirit of the project as a whole.
There’s a more substantial story behind the album as well. Whilst the band were recording at Sonark Media in Hillsborough, NC, drummer Tony Boutin was diagnosed with pharyngeal cancer. He went through a very intensive course of treatment and the rest of the band carried on with the music during that time. Tony eventually recovered, came back to finish his drum tracks and was very much involved in getting the record finished. That context gives the record a real human feel. It’s a record that was made as a result of a collaboration and also a record made through the very difficult period of Tony’s illness. Translucent Veil are now getting ready for their regional live shows in Fall 2026 which will give “The Veil” and the rest of the album a real chance to get out there and find an audience. It’s a pretty natural progression for a band that started out by just jamming together. “The Veil” is Translucent Veil in the spirit of classic psychedelic rock; it’s a curious piece of music, open to interpretation and firmly of the belief that rock ‘n’ roll can be both fun and challenging. The title is a prompt to look a little deeper and its position on the self-titled album makes it a perfect gateway into the band’s broader creative output. For those who still have an appreciation for the exploratory nature of rock ‘n’ roll then Translucent Veil is a project well worth checking out.
English