Chalice of Blood have been making music together for a decade and this the debut EP culminates those ten years into around nineteen minutes of warm dissonance and wonder. Hailing from Sweden, more renowned for its Death Metal scene, Chalice of Blood offer up true sonic sacrifices with Helig, Helig, Helig (Holy, Holy, Holy).
It begins with an introductory track, Hoor-Paar-Kraat, that is a pompous homage to the raw seduction of the second wave Norwegian sound. Blending from the same cut into Nightside Serpent, it is like splicing the riffs of Ancients’ Cainian Chronicle and the structure of In The Nightside Eclipse by Emperor. Great albums to learn from but as homage it is lackluster in comparison.
On the third track Shemot the EP moves into its own sound. Thrashing with pure unadulterated passion. The induction of trance starts herein with torrential blastbeats. Which is good because the next track The Communicants is over seven minutes long and just as discordant, but heavier, with more emphasis on the rhythm section. Certainly a worthy address to the composition itself.
The lack of variety comes in the conclusive three minute thirty morsel Transcend the Endless, did you see what they did there? Clever, but it is a tired and pseudo-serious attempt at miraculously empowering that that just sounds cliched. Compacting the entire release in to one pop song.
With all that said it is not a bad debut, it is genuine, clear and mysophobic, also the production is crispier than hard skin, but it could be embellished. It would sound better if they payed tribute to their own ideas, like on the punkier Shemot.
5/10
