Time and the music industry may have tried to kill The Veer Union, but the band is pushing forward with the impressive Manifestations EP.
The luckiest among us get one shot in life to do the things we want the most. The vast majority never get that. If they do, it comes at a great cost or sacrifice. So much so, it may push them to wish they never dreamed of in the first place. I guess what I’m trying to say is that chasing your dreams takes a toll and if you knew that better than Crispin Earl of The Veer Union. For the better part of two decades, Earl has kept his rock ‘n’ roll dream alive, and it now manifests itself as perhaps the best work of his career.
Manifestations is the latest chapter in the ongoing saga of The Veer Union. The seven-track record finds Earl taking stock of a lifetime spent chasing melodies and performing for increasingly blurred faces while actively exploring ways to expand his band’s signature alt-metal sound. It’s less about fighting for a spot at the top of the charts and more about finding pleasure in the endurance challenge that is life.
“From The Fire In You,” the EP’s incendiary opening track, summarizes this position perfectly. As Earl explains in the press materials for the record, “In 2012, I lost my record deal and soon after lost myself mentally and emotionally, I thought this was the end of my music career. After a few dark days of self-exploration, I found a small spark inside myself that lit the fire to bring me to the life I have always wanted. The moral of the story is, there is so much truth behind the quote “It is always darkest right before the dawn,” so dig deep down and change your life “From The Fire In You.”
With that song serving as a thesis statement for the band’s latest evolution, Manifestations begins to grow into an immersive listening experience that aims to both inspire and console those fighting through unprecedented times. “Standing My Ground” and “Fade Into The Future” burst through the speakers with an undeniable, driving energy. It’s the kind of music you’d expect to hear booming through gym speakers while muscular people push their sore bodies to the absolute limit. It might be the soundtrack to a cosmic battle between man and machine in another universe. Whatever the case, it exists to balance the chaos of existence with the unbreakable nature of the human spirit.
If one exists, the only shortcoming might be in the cover of the currently popular top 40 song “ABCDEFU.” The Veer Union is more than capable of making the song theirs, but the reason for the cover’s presence on an otherwise focused release is perplexing. It will surely promote more streams, which benefits all the record as a whole, but thematically it feels out of place.
Luckily, The Veery Union return to their original material before bidding fans farewell. “Karma’s Coming For Your Crown” plays like a ballad for people who hate ballads. It’s a moody, slow burn of a song that surges with energy as it heads into the first chorus and never relents, giving the audience one last dose of persistent, crushing heaviness before leaving them to reach for the repeat button.
The Veer Union continues to prove everyone who ever doubted them wrong. After numerous member changes and more releases than most artists ever create, Manifestations proves there is plenty of gas left in the tank. It’s unclear where the group goes from here, but I believe the sky is the limit as long as they stick with original material.
The Rock Shop Records Spring Tour 2022 w/ The Veer Union & 2 Shadows
4/12 Fresno, CA, Full Circle Brewery District
4/13 Los Angeles, CA, Globos
4/14 San Diego, CA, Brick By Brick
4/15 Scottsdale, AZ, Pub Rock
4/16 Tucson, AZ, House of Bards
4/20 San Angelo, TX, The Dead Horse
4/21 Houston, TX, Scout Bar
4/22 Laredo, TX, Wonder Lounge
4/23 San Antonio, TX, Vibes Underground
4/24 Austin, TX, Come and Take It
4/25 Oklahoma City, OK, 89th Street Collective
4/26 Springfield, MO, The Outland
4/27 Columbia, MO, Rose Music Hall
4/28 Lincoln, NE, 1867 Bar
4/29 Sioux City, IA, The Marquee
4/30 Des Moines, IA, Lefty’s Live Music
5/2 Chicago, IL, Reggies Music Joint
**
The Rock Shop Records Spring Tour 2022 w/ The Veer Union, Heartsick and Late Night Savior
5/3 Westland, MI, The Token Lounge
5/4 Jeffersonville, IN, Maxwells House of Music
5/5 Fort Wayne, IN, Piere’s (Stan’s Room)
5/6 Akron, OH, The Vortex
5/7 Pittsburgh, PA, Preserving Underground
5/8 Syracuse, NY, Average Joe’s
5/10 Harrisburg, PA, Stage on Herr @ HMAC
5/11 Teaneck, NJ, Debonair Music Hall
5/12 Providence, RI, Alchemy
5/13 Frenchtown, NJ, Artie’s – Frenchtown
5/14 Richmond, VA, Richmond Music Hall
5/15 Washington DC, DC9
5/16 Virginia Beach, VA, Scandals Live
5/18 Jacksonville, NC, Hooligans
5/19 Spartanburg, SC, Ground Zero
5/20 Jonesboro, GA, Furnace 41
5/21 Birmingham, AL, Ghost Train Brewing
5/24 Dallas, TX, Trees
5/26 Colorado Springs, CO, Sunshine Studios Live
5/27 Denver, CO, Roxy Theater
5/28 Salt Lake City, UT, Urban Lounge
5/29 Las Vegas, NV, Rockstar Bar