Review by Dominik on November 8, 2024.

For decades, my best metal buddy and I have been on a mission: to sift through the (extreme) metal scene and uncover hidden gems. Back in the ’80s, this involved endless handwritten lists, cassette trades, and enough photocopied zines to deforest a small nation. If we fast forward to today, also our wrinkled metal minds are at the mercy of the endless digital cosmos. However, some treasures manage to evade our search algorithms. Though it feels like everything is out there, somewhere, occasionally we still stumble upon a masterpiece hidden in the shadows. That’s where I come in, your trusty (?) guide through the murk, here to pull gems like Lunar Chalice’s “Transcendentia: The Shadow Pilgrimage” out from under their veil of obscurity. But beware, this is an album that drags you into the dark only to leave you there, longing for light and wondering why you ever thought escape was an option.

Now, Lunar Chalice hasn’t exactly been hiding under a rock—more like under a very large, moss-covered slab of German black metal tradition. Active since 2019, with a demo, two EPs, and now this debut, they’ve made their pilgrimage through the shadows of the scene. And shadows, dear reader, are where they thrive. “Transcendentia: The Shadow Pilgrimage” is no mere album—it’s a masterclass in how to make eight songs feel like an endless descent into the void, even when three of those tracks are just there to help you catch your breath (or so you think).

The first thing you’ll notice when plunging into this sonic abyss is the atmosphere. It’s a thick, oppressive wall of sound. It is dense and suffocating, like having your face pressed against a wet graveyard wall while still letting you breathe—if just barely. The vocals alternate between deep-throat, guttural, blackened growling, and a more haunting, almost liturgical chant. This gives the album that much-needed variety that keeps it from getting lost in the black sea of forgettable blasts and riffs we’ve all heard before. It’s a rare trick and one that works brilliantly here. It’s a conjuring and threatening performance that grips you and refuses to let go.

Now, let´s move on to the album itself. Unfortunately, out of eight tracks, three are intro, interlude, and outro, which leaves us with just five full-fledged songs. But those five songs? Absolute blackened journeys. After the short intro, “Calix Cum Velum” kicks things off with a blistering pace, setting the tone for the entire album. The guitar work is relentless, the vocals cut through the chaos, and you’re immediately thrust into a realm of no mercy and no hope. The opener conveys a sense of foreboding that permeates everything to follow and makes it clear that this album is not here to save you from the abyss but rather to push you into the black void.

“Immortuae” continues right where the opener leaves off, and before you know it, you’re hooked. The riffs get under your skin and don’t let go. But don’t worry—there’s more punishment where that came from. “Descending Shadows” teases you with a quiet start, lulling you into a false sense of security before dragging you, once again, into the blackened depths. The bass here is particularly notable, not just keeping time but actively driving the descent into madness. This isn’t your typical “follow the guitars” type of bass; it’s a rogue force, working in tandem with the riffs to make sure your descent is as unpleasant as possible.

Another one of the standout moments is “Flagellationis Diaboli,” where the softer, almost spoken sung parts feel like a personal accusation. It’s as if the band’s telling you, directly, that you’re a weak, unworthy worm. And by the time the song ends, you’ll believe it. You’ll want to follow them on their hopeless pilgrimage to endless pain and the pleasures of hell, even though every fiber of your being is screaming at you to turn back.

Lunar Chalice doesn’t need an all-out blastfest to get their message across. The band can rely on its ability to weave slower parts into the intense performance that neither feels out of place nor diminish the sense that there is absolutely no escape from being deeply dragged into “Transcendentia: The Shadow Pilgrimage”. They don’t need to pummel you nonstop; they want you to feel the weight of every note, every moment of despair. It is something inevitable, as though the album is a black hole and you’re just a piece of space debris being pulled toward it. By the time the last notes of “Nocturnalia” fade out, you’ll be hitting play again, resigned to the fact that you’ve just become a disciple of Lunar Chalice’s dark universe, and there’s no leaving.

Now, if we’re picking at bones, “The Astral Stargate” feels slightly weaker than the rest of the material—it’s not bad by any stretch, just not as compelling as the other songs. And yes, the presence of three acoustic intro/interlude/outro means you’re only getting five true tracks, which leaves a slight itch for more. But hey, even Satan has his off days or maybe I’m just greedy.

Rating: 9/10 - because this album doesn’t just drag you into the darkness—it leaves you there, utterly mesmerized, hoping for a sequel to your descent.

Review by Tomek on May 2, 2019.

Spain’s Demonik I’ve listened to in 2013 is gone. Not the band of course, since I’m writing this review, but the musical hot mess they left in my memory. The changes they’ve implemented in the last couple of years are staggering, and with the multitude of new elements and brand-new personality presented here they’re creating a good stir in the metal community already. Their new album called Rise from Chaos is the best proof of the progress. The production on the album is powerful and attractively modern, making it easy to listen to - and with somewhere around 70 minutes of duration of this album, it is very important. Demonik released Rise From Chaos last October. Album was recorded and mixed in Sadman Studios, Madrid by Carlos Santos and then mastered by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios in Sweden. Professionally produced video for one of the tracks from the album called “Insomnia” was the highest viewed video premiere in their history with huge positive press that followed. The changes worked.

The simplest description of their sound and the music they’ve served on this disc would be to mark them ‘thrash’; but it wouldn’t do justice to what is going on this album since there is so many more pieces fused together on Rise from Chaos. Bay Area thrash is a solid base that carries this album throughout, but it’s the addition of the elements of melodic death, power/symphonic, groove some modern metal that bumps this album from interesting category to truly remarkable. Bands like Annihilator, Testament, Death Angel, Machine Head or Trivium come to mind at some moments, but it’s only in terms of blueprint of a fascination or soft shadow of influence - and mostly when melodies and harmonies come out to the front. If it comes to music that was offered on Raise From Chaos - it is a very tight and entertaining thrash-based album with outstanding rhythm section that brings this disc’s energy to another level. Great guitar work brings loads of aggression and groove when necessary but there’s also plenty of intriguing melody lines, wonderful harmonies and stand out soloing. Growls and shouts are used mostly here but there’s also clean vocal sections and even a female vocalist in one of the songs.

Most of the songs on the disc are arranged in typical manner and develop very much conventionally throughout the album, but there is a thing that makes this album different than most out there. Whilst number of the songs and the length of most of them seems pretty regular on the album, there are few of them that make this album stand out and show the band trying to push themselves and their art forward. “Voices From Hell’ is one of them and lasts more than 24 minutes, another one is “To Live” lasting a bit over 13, and there’s “Legion” closing the disc with its 8 minute span. Going for such lengthy songs even when you are a seasoned veteran could end in disaster but these guys are not known as such - which makes me appreciate how ambitious this was much more. All 3 songs are very well thought out and notably developed pieces and listening to all 3 is quite a treat which makes me give those guys mad respect.

Recording and releasing such album was a huge risk for those guys but I believe it will pay off. There are things to be worked on and reworked and polished but in the end, it will be a success I believe, and I am eager to find out what Demonik will do in the future. They’re a bunch of very inventive and courageous individuals and I wish them all the best. I’m very impressed with Rise From Chaos and I will gladly recommend this one to everyone, but I’m also waiting for more. Good job guys but don’t stop there.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10