Cognitive Dissonance

about this album

Veil of Thorns: Cognitive Dissonance Down-and-dirty, dark retro-futuristic music Veil of Thorns cover Every Veil of Thorns song so far contain lyrics in the form of dreamlike fragments making one continuous tale. Cognitive Dissonance brings some of the underlying structure into focus. While they wove their tale they listened to the stories of others. In the spirit of our times they collected many apocalyptic tales. Ragnarok, Armageddon, the end of one life and the beginning of another forms one side of this archetypal narrative. Tales of the death of the ego, of the body, the breaking down of a belief offer a more insightful view. Coming off collaborations with Gaia-conscious Industrial cabal subQtaneous and Norwegian post Blackmetal band Manes, Williams took the experience of working with such gifted and unique artists and has re-emerged with a stronger and darker vision. Lyrically encompassing two universes and two realities, this tight and spare album ends up being more expansive an experience than anything Veil of Thorns has released before. Cognitive Dissonance marked a return to the classic style of classic Veil of Thorns. People found they could dance to it, but it required having been trained by Martha Graham or Twyla Tharp. Online and college radio picked up some tracks, a couple put the entire album into rotation. As P. Emerson Williams has been putting the finishing touches on the kkoagulaa debut, "Aurum Nostrum Non Est Aurum Vulgi" he is well into the writing p

why this is interesting

This album merits attention for its ambitious narrative architecture underlying sonically grimy, retro-futuristic textures. Rather than treating apocalyptic mythology as mere aesthetic—Ragnarok, Armageddon, ego-death—Veil of Thorns weaves these archetypal narratives into a coherent dreamlike progression. The distinctive approach lies in how fragmented lyrics accumulate into a continuous story, while the production's dark, industrial character reinforces themes of dissolution and transformation. The band demonstrates genuine curiosity about collective human mythology during uncertain times, treating end-times narratives not as decoration but as frameworks for understanding personal and cultural breakdown. This synthesis of conceptual depth with gritty sonic

tracks

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