Turpentine Valley Push Their Sonic Weight Further on Veuel
- Pat O Regan
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
Band: Turpentine Valley
Album: Veuel
Release Date: 06-03-2026
Vinyl: Dunk Records, A Thousand Arms, Ripcord Records.
As a fan of Turpentine Valley both musically and personally, I'm thrilled to see Veuel finally being released! This new record of theirs feels less like a new chapter and more like a calculated side step. For me, Veuel treads darker, more venomous ground than their previous outings Alder and Etch, which is a bold statement considering both those albums were not for the faint hearted either. This album moves like lava through ruin, each track tightening the air around you. The songs are short by post music standards, maybe a little too much so at times, but there's no denying the cathartic sprawl they can master in a short few minutes. All that compression breeds pressure. And it’s in the latter half where the record truly scars, where the riffs become more distinct, the atmospheres more suffocating and the melodies more haunting. Anyway, I'm jumping ahead of myself...lets break some of Veuel down.
I won’t drain you with a track-by-track wander through all ten songs, but it’s worth highlighting just how strong the band’s musicianship is, and their instinct for dark, brooding melody. The album opens with Serpent, and the first surprise hits immediately, with those filthy, downtrodden basslines from Thomas Maes sitting right at the front of the mix. They don’t just underpin the track, they dominate it, rumbling through the speakers, rattling your ribcage and vibrating through your bones. Against that thick, distorted low end, the drums and guitars cut in with sharp contrast. Crisp, biting, technically tight riffs slice cleanly through the murk, and it’s that interplay between the oppressive bass and the razor-edged guitar work that makes for a hugely impressive opener, a track that’s both heavy and intricate, and an absolutely delicious way to kick off the record.
The quality carries straight through into Derf and Trampel, with the band clearly harnessing the confidence and experience that comes from being three albums deep. Trampel begins as a slow, contemplative piece, patiently building tension before swelling with muscle and attitude. Beneath it all, Roel Berlaen drives the track forward with a tribal, percussive battle cry that gradually pulls the whole thing into darker territory. The result is something elusive and deeply unsettling. It's a track that understands the power of restraint, with a pace that feels absolutely dialled in.
Pando, one of the album’s singles, is another strong example of the diversity and confidence Turpentine Valley are playing with here. For me, everything about this band thrives on contrast. The guys seem to have their own mood swing that they take turns on, pushing each other, and in turn pushing their musical prowess! With shades of Russian Circles creeping through Kristof Balduyck’s crushing, monolithic riffs, the track is a fucking monster! It’s also interesting to see something this bold and towering planted around the album’s midpoint , a statement piece that splits the record wide open.
For me, Veuel really comes into its own in the final third. Transparent opens with wandering acoustic lines and a slow-burning introduction that quietly tightens its grip on you. There’s a sense that every instrument is fully awake here, each one breathing and shifting in the mix, including that hulking bass once again rising from the depths. As the track gathers weight it locks you into a groove with a satisfying and perhaps unexpectedly, a real sense of melody. A hook emerges from the haze and holds you there, suspended, until the whole thing slowly dissolves into the ether.
List and Frugaal bring the album to a close, and honestly they feel less like two separate tracks and more like one long, gut-wrenching finale. Everything I admire about Turpentine Valley’s sound is distilled here and thrown forward with devastating force. The band’s trademark patience is front and centre with tension slowly coiling before those snarling, thunderous riffs finally crashing down and leaving you bruised. Even at their heaviest there’s something strangely celestial hanging in the air, on Veuel, a vast and haunting atmosphere that lifts the music beyond pure heaviness. The closest the album comes to vocals arrives at the end of List, and it’s a moment the band should absolutely lean into in the future. Those distant, chanting cries are sinister, ritualistic, and utterly mesmerising.
Frugaal then seals the record shut with a dark, all-consuming closer. It’s a piece that feels both haunting and deeply unsettling, yet undeniably brilliant. Turpentine Valley have power, emotion, and craft in abundance. Veuel feels like a genuine step forward in the band’s evolution, and if this is the direction they’re heading in, the future looks incredibly exciting for one of Belgium’s finest post-metal acts.
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