Track Listing

1. Intro
2. Piercing Where They Might
3. Spectre As Valkerie Is
4. Minions
5. Paramnesia
6. This Blood Falls As Mortal Pt. 3
7. Granite
8. Vortex Chalice
9. Fastened To The Five Points
10. Untitled Track

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #96232 in Music
• Released on: 2008-04-14
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

Marvel.
I heard Leviathan before I got round to listening to Lurker Of Chalice. At first, I wasn't particularly blown away by Leviathan. I thought of that Wrest project as perhaps an overrated spin-off of bands like Xasthur. I wasn't too impressed, but after a while, Leviathan began to grow on me. As a result of that, I decided I would look into other projects by Wrest due to curiosity. I wasn't expecting much of Lurker Of Chalice if i'm honest with myself. I thought that they would be very similar, if not identical to Leviathan. Boy was I wrong!

Lurker Of Chalice's self-titled masterpiece struck a chord with me instantly. Even the short introduction to this full-length had my depressive juices flowing in and around my body. To this very day I have not heard a band like Lurker. They, which I refer to all one man bands as, had me hooked from finish to end. The self-titled record was something that I could seriously relate to. At the time, when I first heard it, I do believe I was going through a rather lonely stage. I wasn't particularly dealing with life well and wanted to hear some music from another tortured soul. What I found was exactly what I was searching for. Wrest has the divine ability to be able to connect with a wide ranging audience through the sheer ambience of Lurker Of Chalice and it's in that ambience that something special is delivered from.

Every song on this full-length contains it's own special atmosphere, created solely for it's own purpose. Lurker Of Chalice are unique, in a sense. They don't seem to like continuity in the form of a similar sounding soundscape throughout. From one track to the other, everything is different. Wrest adds little differences, whether it be a swirling ambience or a clean version of vocals. This self-titled full-length is designed to depict a vast amount of pejorative emotions. This is something that is successfully achieved throughout and it's done by using innovative techniques to set Lurker Of Chalice apart from all the modern day acts who attempt to create something similar, but fall very short of the mark. Wrest is a man who knows what he wants and how to achieve it. This driving ability is something that rubs off on the music. Instrumentally and in terms of the vocals, Lurker Of Chalice is very focused in delivering.

As we're taken through the levels of emotion by Lurker Of Chalice, we see the sheer depth that comes with this record. The ambience of what I presume the keyboards create, builds solid foundations on every track. The ambience is never the same either, which is very appealing. To find an album of this nature is rare. Generally, the atmospheric nature will stay the same on a black metal record. It's either going to be raw as hell, or it's going to slide along slowly, causing a stir of emotions gradually in the audience. Lurker Of Chalice shows dynamism by shaking things up. Slower passages are greeted by mid pace riffs by the middle and then towards the end we're back to slowly driven soundscapes that depict a number of emotions. From depression to resentment and anger, they're all packed tightly into the mix. This adds up to complexity. Something the majority of black metal fans won't be used to.

The sheer output in emotion is overwhelming. The rich tones and textures will delight the masses for years to come. Lurker Of Chalice aren't primarily a black metal band though. You can see that the bass, in particular, has taken influence from the doom metal genre. Slowly ebbing away, with down tuned declarations of a restless and sleepless soul. The way in which both the bass and rolls of the drums build, gives the impression of an oncoming storm. Ready and waiting to wash away the lives and souls of the scared. One could perhaps see the varying nature of the vocals as a metaphor for this oncoming storm. Whether they be Wrest's harsh voice, or his toned down whispers. Whether they be the fantastic introduction of female voice segments, or Wrest's own operatic howls. They each act as a cry soul. A crying soul whose tears wash over the audience in the form of the ambient riffs flooding in through the gaps of the minds.

Lurker Of Chalice's self-titled debut is one to stand back from and marvel.