Empty Chalice - 

Emerging is Submerging - The Evil

Interesting how old acts and thoughts can be revived, as it is in the same case as Antonio Airoldi´s dark-ambient/drone project called Empty Chalice. The background and idea of this project started way back in 1993, as the artist himself was into the death/black-metal scene. First Empty Chalice release came out in 2015 on a Russian label, later on a digital release and now this cassette it out now on Industrial Ölocaust Recordings. Interesting label with a history aswell, established way back in 1989! So...What has Antonio been thinking about since 1993?

To start with the Bandcamp introduction:

´Empty Chalice is the project of the noisemaker A. Creator of Obscure music, artist and worshipper of the darkest and deepest profile of the human nature´

The recording is a spiritual achievement. From the first track you are already sensing an ethnic drone influence, not far away from the likes of Zoviet France. Just giving you a hint that there is more, to this black-industrial influenced act. The next track ´Muffled Scream´ keep you on your feet, still retaining  that ethnic church-like dark-ambient calm-before-the-storm effect. And then it hits you with a beautiful third track called ´Sidereal´. Sorrow filled and sacred melodies flood your mind, while occasional earth-like rumpling noises shakes the tension a bit. Fans of Raison D´être would LOVE this! ´Emerging is Submerging´ takes you away from the ruined church, and into a bad surreal trip. Strange radio hisses, clinical hospital´ish atmosphere, metallic clattering and white noise wash over you like waves... makes you feel like being operated but not thoroughly sedated! It all ends up with you waking up in a strange dream, bubbling and steel like sounds echoes through a long corridor. Making you relax! Sort of. The last track ´Stolen Breaths and Destroyed Hope´ continues through that long corridor towards the ending gateway. repeating drones, creepy insect-like whisperings, mumbling voices talking backwards (I think). Has that disturbing Twin Peaks (Black Lodge) feel to it. The tension gets higher when (What it sounds like) lots of warped string instruments stirring the mood up. Sounds like waking up from a bad dream, and then slowly realizing that you are in fact in hell (Or still in the dream). 

There´s a lot of meat on this bone, lots of opportunities for the listeners to immerse themselves. A lovely kind of post Cold Meat Industry kind of album, back to the days when it all sounded just right and dark. Requires lots of listening, as I said earlier... alot of meat on this bone. Give it a listen with your black candles on a dark night!

    

Bandcamp:

https://emptychalice.bandcamp.com/album/emerging-is-submerging-the-evil

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/empty.chalice/

Label:

https://www.facebook.com/iorecs/

http://cardinium.com/