CHALICE - Divine Spear CD + OBI (Pre-Order)

Formed in 2016, the Helsinki-based CHALICE have quickly become a beacon of esoteric heavy metal. Featuring current or former members of such bands as Ranger, Satan’s Fall, and Vincent Revenge, CHALICE released an opening demo and then subsequent EP in 2017 and ’19, respectively, before their decisive debut album, Trembling Crown, in 2020. Reaping widespread acclaim, CHALICE’s first full-length weaved high drama and dynamic metal into a tapestry of wonder and weightiness.

Now, CHALICE return with a record that eclipses that feat: Divine Spear. Presciently titled, Divine Spear is a carefully crafted, razor-sharp package that nevertheless reveals a bounty of sonic and psychic treasures. Forged in the freezing winds of the Finnish winter, here do CHALICE further refine their deceptively elegant sound, combining the pure spirit of classic European metal in a unique blend with cinematic progressive influences and the dark aura of their northernmost melancholy. Sometimes slow-burning in its doling out of details but duly benefiting patient listeners, Divine Spear paints a picturesque landscape of both light and dark, offering deliverance to those seeking beyond the boundaries of the so-called “new wave of traditional metal” movement. Of especial note are the poignant shifts into cleaner, quieter territory, truly heightening the drama that so earmarked their debut album; CHALICE are nothing if not master craftsmen in this regard, utilizing their prodigious chops in the service of literally awe-inspiring songwriting and beckoning listeners to lose themselves in their narrative flow.