Veritae's eclecticism is as true as its name

For anyone who believes that a distinct, progressive-rock gap has existed in mainstream radio since the heyday of bands like Tool, A Perfect Circle and Nine Inch Nails, hear this: After four years of off-stage setbacks and Metro-sized accomplishments, a viable local-rock solution has resumed its efforts to plug the hole. And for the rest of you closet Hinder fans, well, take comfort in the fact that gregarious pop punk doesn't rule every creative musician's garage band in the 'burbs.

The truth is, it's been a rocky road for Veritae, an Algonquin/Arlington-Heights hard-rock hybrid built on the band's literal, "(artistic) truth" Latin translation. The electronic-fueled foursome rose out of what ashes remained from popular suburban metal outfit Hellshock, which guitarists Krystof and Troy Mork were rumored to have taken label-bound before breaking it off for moodier, more rock-based pastures. Post-Hellshock, the two set off looking for singers, drummers and bassists -- succeeding off the bat in vocalist Stephen James and his roommate, drummer Brant Maze. A revolving cast of bassists, though, set the band back several times and even in one of its most crucial moments: post-recording.

"We kind of went back to the drawing board," Maze says of that critical, style-changing point back in 2004, when their full-time bassist left for a job in Texas and Veritae decided to re-evaluate their Tool-laden sound and break it back down to its roots. Though they'd recorded a few tracks with their now-former bassist, something didn't feel right.

"It was good," Maze says, "but we're not ones to play it out if we're not behind it 100 percent."

Bands like Kraftwerk and cyber-gothsters Orgy would be happy to know that Veritae's second and most commanding phase centered on the addition of synths and enough gritty electronic beats to validate comparisons to NIN. Tribal drum forms and impressively energetic vocals round out a pretty, prog-rock package fit for the next generation of lyrical metal kids -- an extension of what Alice In Chains wrought on the '90s. And Veritae darn near had it: They drew attention from Sonicbids and scored a spot on the compilation album distributed during VH1's Rock Honors two years ago. They gallivanted on stage at the Grand Prix in Vegas and landed a special Q101-sponsored show at Chicago's Cubby Bear. And then they found themselves without a bassist again.

"This is definitely the longest I've spent hammering songs out with a band," Maze says. "… We've kind of taken some hits along the road."

Four years after it began, Veritae proudly released the best form of a several-song EP at the end of July. Aptly named after one of the disc's strongest tracks, "What Lies Beneath" stands on its own as an updated version of goth-bridged electro rock that slings hook junkies almost immediately. It's interesting to note that the early versions of this song is what attracted Maze to Veritae some three or four years ago, back when his roommate auditioned for the band's singer spot. He still remembers thinking, "Man, that's hot; that's awesome. I'm a little jealous."

Perhaps that's why Veritae's truth-driven mantra proves so romantic and seemingly infallible even for a little-known band from the Midwestern land of ever-flowing eyeliner, emo pop and too-tight jeans. They held onto the same song for four years before considering releasing the tune for general consumption, altering it further from radio pop to retain this unwaveringly personal theme: This music, held to Veritae's high expectations, is the result of no less than the amalgamated efforts of the entire band. And though it vibes early-'90s alt.-metal sounds, the music will only be released if it echoes Veritae's sense of artistic freedom. Anything short of that will absolutely, positively be sent back to the drawing board. (So there, Radiohead!)

The funny thing is, I believe them. Especially after talking to Maze about it. This Hickory Hills inhabitant who originally hails from Missouri obviously loves this band -- and not just because he's played a role in its overall voice. It's mostly because he can't think of the last time he really truly "got off" from a concert, from experiencing the sheer, spiky-edged exhaustion of spending 80 percent of one's energy connecting with a band and then carrying that all the way home. Sure, there were Tool shows, but isn't that a generation past?

OK, the sappy part of the story is that Maze gets that feeling again when he's on Veritae's stage.

"It all comes down to the live performance," he says. "I've never felt so great on stage."

Their EP release party at Clearwater was less than the outwardly climactic experience they'd probably hoped for, but for the band itself, it proved to be the turning point needed to take the next step. This was their reintroduction to the scene, to their fans who'd followed them and learned their lyrics two years ago, before Veritae returned underground to hone their style. For better or worse, this is their next shot at giving this scene a college-Tool try. In truth, it hasn't been too bad so far. They've hooked up with a marketing agency who's excited to have them. They've lined up some shows and are planning a series of EP releases to coincide with "What Lies Beneath." The next of the series should be out next year.

The best part? Even if they don't make it, even if you don't hear the band's name again after reading this, I'd be hard-pressed to say they'd consider altering their truth-driven theme.

Veritae

When: 8 p.m. Monday

Where: Reggie's Music Joint, 2105 S. State St., Chicago

Info: www.regieslive.com or (312) 9949-0121