The return of Green Bay's atmospheric death trio is one I awaited indeed. Aphotic's eponymous first demo [CoC #51] had already struck me as a sample of finely crafted tracks of forlorn beauty, and these four new tracks merely comfort me in my opinion that I have stumbled upon one of the finest unsigned bands I have ever heard. Aphotic have successfully evolved towards introducing new elements of technicality and discreet variety in their ambient death metal, and the material on _Under Veil of Dark_ is memorable indeed. Fine melodies placed in quiet repose on a powerful, compelling rhythm section -- alas still filled by a drum machine, which is realistically the -only- point I can even mildly begrudge _Under Veil of Dark_ --, simple, extremely charismatic vocals -- very similar in style and inspiration to those of Micke Akerfeldt's -- turn deeply introspective tracks such as "Precipice" or "Atmosphere" into monuments of forlorn, beautifully ornate sorrowful metal. With their second demo, Aphotic have raised their music to a new tier, and although they do not, as of yet, display the maturity of masters _Brave Murder Day_-era Katatonia or present-day Opeth, they are quite clearly revealing themselves as a powerful, emotional force to be reckoned with... provided a label plays its cards right and grants them the chance they so direly deserve.

[Pedro Azevedo: "Sounding a bit like a more death metal version of the Katatonia side-project October Tide, Aphotic show vast potential in this demo. Tight, intense and atmospheric, the music clearly proves that this is a band that can grow into something special in the future, if they are given that chance -- and they definitely should be."]