THE VEER UNION

It's always a great feeling when a beloved band comes back after a break. Vancouver, Canada's THE VEER UNION — featuring lead singer, songwriter and producer Crispin Earl, guitarist Ryan Ramsdell, drummer Ricardo Viana and bass player Glen Bridon — got their start in 2008 and have been laying low as of late. Now, they're back with a new album, the fiery "Reinvention".

The way "Reinvention" sounds, it's as if THE VEER UNION has never been away. From the album's pummeling opening riffs to the final rhythmic sounds of the album closer, they're starting right where they left off. There's something satisfying about a band circling back to the sound that made you care in the first place, and that's exactly what THE VEER UNION do here. This isn't a polite evolution record. It's not going after trends. It's a chest-out, amps-up return to hard rock and post-grunge muscle, the kind that makes you wish you were back in the early-2000s.

From the jump, "Reinvention" leans into big guitars and bigger hooks. The riffs feel deliberate, not over-polished. There's weight behind them. The choruses don't just arrive, they really surge. That anthemic instinct the band always had is front and center again, the kind that begs for a crowd, fists in the air, voices loud.

What hits hardest is the conviction. This doesn't sound like a band trying to prove anything. It sounds like a band remembering who they are. The grit and urgency are back. Even the more subtle moments feel ready to explode. Album highlights include opening track "My Empire", which shows off Earl's powerful vocals with heavy distortion and some heavy screams. The breakdown here is heavy and intense, with the kind of curling screams that one would expect from a much heavier band. Elsewhere, "Caught in the Crossfire" and "Sea of Fear" offer that same mix of melody and heaviness while staying radio-friendly and melodic. "Never Say Never" is the most metalcore-sounding track on the set, carrying a nice swagger.

While none of the songs here are tame, "Sunk Your Teeth In" and "Meet Your Maker" have some softer passages and soaring, heartfelt guitar solos that give the album variety. Still, with Earl's beautiful, thick vocals, the album would have benefited from a full ballad.

If you came to THE VEER UNION for soaring melodies wrapped in hard-edged rock, "Reinvention" delivers without apology. It's confident, loud and it feels like a homecoming.