ALBUM OF THE WEEK

Lurker of Chalice 's/t' LP 2005, Southern Lord Recordings

Back on the rip this week, of course we got something wicked. This one is long overdue too, through the years I've ripped this masterpiece like a million times and it destroys every time. It has gotten better with age and fucking shreds, I promise. I suppose I have hesitated writing about it on here because it is just so ill that I don't think of it as something that would win the review for the week, instead it rules so proper that it could be the Album of the Week every week and shit. Lurker of Chalice is Wrest, otherwise known as the dude behind US Black Metal powerhouse Leviathan. Lurker is the slower, heavier and psychedelic/ambient side of his music and its always been a toss up for me as to which I prefer. They both shred, and are two sides of the same coin kind of since it is the same guy. This is how it is supposed to be done. This shit slays the beast, it is the mindwrecker. Once you hear it right, it rules away lots of the other records that you could be listening to because that shit is hypnotic. So wicked that it makes you feel super weird and then will want to seek its negativity many more times; this is a by yourself album, it takes you there and shit. This self titled joint is not the first release of his, theres some other demos and very obscure stuff out but this is the one to hear. Anyways one week last year I reviewed Massive Conspiracy Against All Life, released as a Leviathan record but intended by Wrest during his making of it to be the second Lurker of Chalice LP. Shit got fucked up and then it came out as a Leviathan LP, Leviathan being way more popular among the average Black Metal listeners (who most often are mindless jerks/nerds) because it sounds like fierce, 'evil' US black metal. And it is, it is the cream of the crop, that shit slays it all. But it does so in a ghost way because of this record here, the Lurker of Chalice LP. My enthusiasm for this record has much more to do with my habits and mind-driftings than what I feel like feeling like when I listen to Leviathan. This is a symphony from start to finish, the production enhances that shit greatly, it is foggy and creepy but at the same time heavy as fuck and on some total darkness shit. To be more specific, I think my left speaker just blew for real which is very fucked up. This one is unfortunately going to be hard to find if you aren't willing to spend a bill or so, but seriously worth every red cent in its own glorious, crushing way. And beautiful, either on black/blue marble or black/green marble. I ask, "Do you believe in anything at all?"