Veil of Maya originally formed after melodic death metal band Insurrection broke-up, which led to members Marc Okubo (lead guitar) and Sam Applebaum (drums) to begin a new project. Okubo and Applebaum were joined by bassist Kris Hilger, guitarist Timothy Marshall and vocalist Adam Clemans; who all decided on naming the band Veil of Maya.
After recording a demo in 2005, the band inducted guitarist Scott Okarma into the group in 2006 while they played and booked shows in their local area. With Okarma's inception, Veil of Maya at this point were a six piece that employed three guitarists, however, both Marshall and Okarma shortly thereafter left the band, and the members found Bryan Ruppell to replace them both.
With this five member line-up, the band recorded, self-produced and released their debut full-length album All Things Set Aside through Corrosive Recordings in 2006. After this debut, vocalist Clemans and guitarist Ruppell would both leave the group, which then had Veil of Maya in search for a new vocalist which led to them discovering 20-year old Brandon Butler, who was formerly part of a Christian metal band named Iscariot. Butler joined in 2007, however, the band decided not to search for a new rhythm guitarist, thus leaving Veil of Maya as a four piece.
After Butler's inception and after gaining exposure through tours and interviews, Veil of Maya signed with Sumerian Records in January 2008. Sumerian manager Shawn Keith and founder Ash Avildsen were both reportedly very ecstatic and interested in signing the band. Veil of Maya's second album, The Common Man's Collapse was recorded with Butler in 2008 and released the same year. Being Veil of Maya's first album through the much larger label that Sumerian is, it was produced in better quality than their debut. After this release, the band parted ways their original bassist Kristopher "Kris" Higler in 2009, he was replaced by Matthew Pantelis.
After their second album's release, the following several months held extensive touring before the writing and recording for the group's third full-length, [id] began. [id] was released on April 6, 2010, and reached number 107 on the Billboard 200. The band worked again with producer Michael Keene from The Faceless for this album, who previously produced The Common Man's Collapse. The album's name was derived from the main character of the PlayStation game Xenogears, the album itself also holds several concepts and references to other topics in popular culture, especially television shows.
After [id], Pantlis as well left the band, which lead to Dan Hauser replacing him in 2010, the band's current bassist. On January 13, 2012, Sumerian Records released a teaser for Veil of Maya's most recent album, Eclipse. On January 17, the single "Vicious Circles" was released onto the iTunes Store. Eclipse was then released on February 28, 2012 and was produced by Periphery guitarist Misha Mansoor.
In 2017, Veil of Maya released the album "False Idol". It is their second album to feature vocalist Lukas Magyar.
In 2018, Veil of Maya released the album "[m]other".
Phoenix
Veil of Maya Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've held it in my hands
My dismembered soul reassembles
I've held it in my hands
I've held it in my hands
My dismembered soul reassembles
My dismembered soul
Take shape of which you desire
Evil lingers within each valley we pass through
Take shape of which you desire
Evil lingers within each valley we pass through
I've held it in my hands
I've held it in my hands
Evil lingers within everything
Evil lingers within everything
Hope has replenished my healing body, relentless
Always in motion
Evil lingers within everything
I've seen it now, I've held it in my hands
My dismembered soul reassembles
I've seen it now, I've held it in my hands
My dismembered soul reassembles
Elevation is no escape
We send ourselves
To search for tranquility
A feeling that can't be found
Search for tranquility
A feeling that can't be found
It is fabricated through acceptance
Of a broken world
Evil lingers within everything
Evil lingers within everything
Evil lingers within everything
Evil lingers within everything
The lyrics of Veil of Maya's song Phoenix evoke the idea of a dismembered soul that can be reassembled, and the concept of evil that resides within everything. The first few lines repeat the phrase "I've held it in my hands, my dismembered soul reassembles." This may suggest that the singer has somehow lost or shattered their soul, but they have finally found a way to put it back together. They might feel like a new person now that they have the parts of their soul reunited.
The lines "Take shape of which you desire, Evil lingers within each valley we pass through" might suggest that once the singer's soul is reassembled, they have the power to become whatever they want. But they are also aware that they will encounter evil in their journey. This could imply that the singer is facing a difficult situation, perhaps a mental or emotional struggle that they will have to overcome. The evil referred to in the song could represent the inner demons that people carry around with them, or it could be a metaphor for the obstacles that we encounter in life.
The song continues with the catchy refrain "Evil lingers within everything" repeated several times, which reinforces the idea that there is always something sinister lurking beneath the surface. However, the lines "Hope has replenished my healing body, relentless, Always in motion" could suggest that the singer has found a way to keep going, even though they know that evil is omnipresent. They have hope that things will get better, and they refuse to give up.
Overall, the song appears to be about finding the courage to face life's challenges, even though we know that there will always be something trying to hold us back. It is about resilience and the determination to keep moving forward, no matter what.
Line by Line Meaning
I've held it in my hands
The singer has physically held something
My dismembered soul reassembles
The singer's soul, which was previously broken apart or dismembered, is now coming back together
Take shape of which you desire
The soul can transform into whatever form the singer desires
Evil lingers within each valley we pass through
There is an ominous or sinister feeling that is present in every situation or environment
Evil lingers within everything
The darkness or malevolence remains pervasive no matter where the artist looks
Hope has replenished my healing body, relentless
The singer's hope is so strong that it's able to heal and energize their body without fail
Always in motion
The singer's hope is constantly moving and progressing forward
I've seen it now, I've held it in my hands
The artist has had a revelation or realization and has physically experienced it
Elevation is no escape
Escaping one's problems or issues is not possible by simply raising oneself to a higher level
We send ourselves
It is up to the individual to take control of their own situation
Search for tranquility
The singer is seeking inner peace or calmness
A feeling that can't be found
The artist is struggling to find the sense of tranquility they're seeking
It is fabricated through acceptance
The only way to achieve peace is to accept the broken nature of the world and find peace despite it
Of a broken world
The world is filled with imperfections and struggles that must be accepted in order to find peace
Lyrics © KILLPHONIC
Written by: Brandon Butler, Mike Okubo, Sam Applebaum, Lukas Magyar
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@BaenaCarcosa
I can't be the only one who thinks this is fucking awesome?
@BaenaCarcosa
And yes, I've been following them since 2008.
@omgnuub
Andrew Baena Brandon was a bad vocalist but it worked with the band. It had a certain raw feel to it. Just as mick jagger never was a good vocalist but it fit with rolling stones. This vocalist is better, but I'm not sure if it fits super well with the band but this is what it is. No point in bitching about it. I thought the song was pretty decent.
@IshBSkatin
this song is fire af, lol youre not alone
@DylanSmith-qs2pr
To be honest I have only listened to them because I enjoy Marc's weirdly amazing binary riffs, and this song is no exception. I am really enjoying the new vocal style as well; it's good to have a change.
@182guns
it's andrewwwwwwwwwwww
@TheLazyPeon
Holy shit that was awesome, I definitely approve of the new vocalist, can't wait for the album.
@user-oz3dz2xh4t
Prophetic comment
@appleipodtouch2g
This dude does clean vocals too which I guess people are gonna hate. He's damn good at it though, Veil knows what they're doing.
@appleipodtouch2g
His old band was called Arms of Empire. They're pretty good honestly