Chances are,
Pale Chalice
's
Afflicting the Dichotomy of Trepid Creation
EP will have you -- or lose you -- at hello. That's because it literally bursts out of the speakers, mid-holocaust with buzzsaw guitars buzzing, blastbeast blasting (and beating), enraged howls howling...in short, all guns blazing. They say you only get one chance to make a first impression, and opening number "Transplant of Dimensional Recourse" certainly leaves no room for misinterpretation, but it's also misleading as to this San Francisco quintet's greater ambitions and musical scope. Within a few minutes, the same track has slackened the manic pace, eased off on the fury, and begun weaving nefarious melodies betwixt the chaos. Once
lock into a catchy trad-metal riff halfway through song two, "Command of the Formless," it almost feels like happy days are here again. And by the time one reaches the oddly sweet acoustic guitar coda capping formidable closing epic "Ascend the Idyllic Sphere," diversity has clearly won out over single-minded misanthropy. And, irony of all ironies, as suggested by their titles, all lyrics herein explore deeply intellectual philosophies and intra-dimensional gobbledygook, in direct contrast to the wanton sensory bludgeoning perpetrated by the music itself. Meaning that, one way or another, your brain will be leaking out your ears by the time
gets finished with you. Enjoy! ~ Eduardo Rivadavia