Register Forgot login?

© 2002-2024
Encyclopaedia Metallum

Privacy Policy

Deathevokation > The Chalice of Ages > Reviews
Deathevokation - The Chalice of Ages

One of death metal's forgotten monuments. - 93%

JetMeestard, April 30th, 2022

The late 90s and early 2000s were a very difficult period for death metal. The old-school was rapidly losing ground to the rising wave of tech wank and brutal/slam death, solidifying what is arguably the genre’s nadir. While there are releases worth writing about, it was nothing like the pre-1995 era, where things were arguably at their best. Thankfully, the midpoint of the aughts graced us with what came to be known as the OSDM revival, leading to bands looking towards the old-school for inspiration. Among big hitters like Dead Congregation though, there were many equally interesting bands that regrettably got lost in the shuffle. One of them is the topic of today’s review, Deathevokation. The Californian quartet’s debut, The Chalice of Ages, is one of the best death metal albums of the 2000s, and one that was sadly forgotten by time.

Earlier, I mentioned how modern musicians were inspired by releases from the genre’s best years, and things are no different here. What makes Deathevokation really interesting though is what bands they drew influence from. Throughout this album, one can hear smatterings of Bolt Thrower and Dismember, and even some melodic death/doom, akin to that of Paradise Lost. At a first glance this might seem like me trying to play a game of “This band sounds like…”, but they manage to blend all these styles here so well that they end up creating a wholly unique sound, the likes of which I have never heard in my years of listening to death metal. What’s all the more fascinating is that they managed to combine all these elements in a very natural and creative way, resulting in a cohesive and powerful death metal monolith.

As for the compositions themselves, they slay, to put it bluntly. The band flexes their songwriting mastery through the album’s 8 (discounting the Antropomorphia cover) songs, creating death metal epics that actually live up to the term “epic”. There is no song here that goes below 4,5 minutes, and all of them absolutely make up for their lengths, even the tracks that are north of the 8 minute mark. The compositions are seemingly alive, filled with tons of nuance and subtleties, as one can tell from the subtle melodic lead lines sprinkled throughout tracks like “Rites of Desecration” and “Embers of a Dying World”. It’s an album that begs you to give it multiple listens, because catching all the details and appreciating all the care that went into creating this work is otherwise impossible.

No worries though, The Chalice of Ages isn’t just melodic leads without anything to back them up, even though this album is a case of melodicism being used effectively in a death metal framework. Guitarists Brian Shuff and Götz Vogelsang lay down some crushing riffs upon which the entire experience is built upon. From classic Bolt Thrower tank grooves like those found on “Acherontic Epitaph”, to Dismember-tinged rippers such as “Infinity Blights the Flesh”, these guys are experts at inducing whiplash, and they manage to do that for an hour straight. Drummer Scott Ellis is also helping them in this endeavour, with his pummelling double-bass being a powerful presence that helps propel these riffs into the stratosphere.

As for the Paradise Lost influence I brought up here, it manifests itself in the longer pieces here, which are expertly placed between the rippers and provide a welcome change of pace. Songs like the title track and “As My Soul Gazes Skywards” are brimming with melody and emotion, without sacrificing any energy. The former melds everything we’ve talked about up to this point in an even more flawless manner than the rest of the album, with crushing riffs giving way to powerful leads and vice versa, and the latter… Man, it was undoubtedly meant to be the closer. It is the only instance of acoustics showing up here, and they are absolutely warranted. The track maintains a doom-like crawl that is driven by emotionally resonant lead lines and solos that never devolve into saccharine redundancy, and that is further aided by Götz’s voice. While death metal vocals aren’t known for their ability to stir up emotions in the listener, his presence in here is invaluable, with his powerful growl delivering lyrics about the soul wishing for oblivion after death. It’s a monumental end to what was already a grand album, and it hits the spot every single time.

This album is excellent, no doubt, but it wouldn’t be me reviewing it had I not found something to complain about, that being the production. It feels a touch too crisp for my liking, and although that helps with appreciating the melodic aspects of this album to the fullest, it ever so slightly saps away the grime the riffs could have. The instruments themselves don’t sound bad mind you, the guitars are muscular, the drums thud along, and the bass is all but inaudible (modern production hello?). This cleanliness becomes evident on the cover of Antropomorphia’s “Chunks of Meat”. Playing-wise it’s every bit as good as the original, but it lacks that ghoulish quality of the 1993 original. Nevertheless, it’s a singular blemish in what is otherwise a perfect record, so I’m willing to let that slide.

The Chalice of Ages is a hidden gem. It’s not a term I like using often, but this is one of the few times I consider it to be absolutely warranted. It’s a shame that such a magnificent album was forgotten by the underground, and the fact that it only has 2 reviews on the Metal Archives is an absolute travesty. According to the website the band is active to this day, though they haven’t put anything out since 2009. Part of me prays for the band to come back and bestow upon us a new release, but what they left us with is more than satisfactory, and I suppose the concept of not ruining one’s legacy rings true here.

Highlights: Rites of Desecration, The Chalice of Ages, Infinity Blights the Flesh, As My Soul Gazes Skywards

Scattering Ash Over All That Once Was - 100%

Thumbman, May 18th, 2013

This colossal monolith of death metal seemingly came out of nowhere - this is coming from a band who had only previously released a demo and a split. This remains the only full length from Deathevokation the world will ever know and perhaps that's a good thing. There just is no way in hell that they could have topped this. Severing the band's lifespan prematurely, however unfortunate, preserves this bands unwavering excellence, as they become designated to the one great album and they're gone club. In an age where death metal is sounding increasingly modern and quite often sterile, Deathevokation keep their sound classic - this could have easily been recorded in Sweden in the 1990s. Although they provide little in terms of innovating new techniques or pushing the bounds of what can be present in the vast pantheon of death metal, this was never the goal. Good songwriting and execution will trump meandering experimentation for the sake of experimentation every time.

The band was born when Götz Vogelsang, disillusioned with the goregrind band he was playing with, decided to realize a vision of his own, enlisting help from a few friends. This is about as far away from goregrind as you can get within boundaries of death metal without roaming into watered down sugary melodeath territory. While being interviewed, Götz stressed the importance of having a band where a few buddies and himself could have a good time messing around with while having a few beers. Despite this not in the least being a lighthearted affair, it really is something you want to bang your head to while enjoying a nice brew. I'm listening to the album while I review it and beer is certainly my writing companion.

Deathevokation, who are named after a song recorded when Carnage and Dismember where merged as one entity, espouse a very balanced sound – it walks the perfect line between raw and polished, they certainty aren't by-the-book death metal, but they don't drift to far into the realm of experimentation. They give off a vibe of slow burning menace, yet are relatively melodic; they have atmosphere and devastating ass-kicking riffs. They never fall victim to the trap of showmanship – when solos do appear they certainly aren't wankery but are definitely more involved than your standard melodic fare. Everyone exceeds at what they do, but know when to hold back.

I don't mean to oversimplify, but much of this album feels like classic Swedish death metal channelled through mid-era Bolt Thrower with hints of early death/doom. The tempo is often mid-paced, with the occasional divergence in speed. The band does feature a fair bit of melody, but in a subtle manner that builds suspense. You'll never hear a saccharine lead on this record. This is by no means a technical engagement, a complicated riff will never find itself protruding out of the background. It's pretty much what you'd expect from death metal – lots of chugging, power chords and recurring sustained tremolo sections.This is a blessing for the album, as while every riff is to the point, every riff is likewise absolutely top tier. The best riffs are absolutely godly, making the other riffs on the album – which no doubt would be the absolute highlight of your next above average death metal album – look only merely good.

The brooding leads almost give off a Victorian romantic vibe similar to the early work of the Peaceville Three. This adds atmosphere and depth to even out the infectious assault of the riffing. The band takes an economical approach to solos – they are infrequent and only appear when needed. This allows for only the best material to be used. The solos walk the line between being frenzied and melodic – just like the band's approach to riffing (and to some extent songwriting) they might draw somewhat of a parallel to the mighty Bolt Thrower.

The vocals show another example of walking the line between two extremes – while they are not unintelligible and lyrics can be made out if one is paying attention, they are simultaneously deep and full of passion. Sometimes taking the middle approach works out for the better in the end. The songwriting is high with this one – just as damn catchy as the riffs. Make no mistake, this still feels authentic and aggressive, but they sure know how to write the hell out of a song. It isn't quite the same kind of catchy you'd find in a run-of-the-mill melodic death metal track, not existing on ithati high of a level of accessibility, but it's still something that is relatively easy to make out and could successfully be stripped down to a more basic thrash metal song without much hindrance. With their cover of Antropomorphia's fantastic “Chunks Of Meat” they bring the songwriting to the forefront, add a bit of atmosphere, and as much as I love the original, I have to say this is one of those rare cases where the covering band beats the original artist at their own game.

The man behind the kit pulls no punches – no obscure tribal rhythms, no weird time signatures, no left field experimentation – he takes a no bullshit to-the-point approach and fucking delivers. The man knows when it is appropriate to hold back and when to go full out and acts accordingly. His playing is tight, and completely devoid of filler. The drum tone is as great as the playing. Featuring a nice natural tone, it find's itself in the middle ground between polished and raw production values. As for the bass, it supports the sound instead of being an immediately apparent entitiy. The dude obviously knows what he is doing, but his instrument never really treads into the foreground. However, in some ways it is the glue holding everything together, the album would no doubt feel thin and lacking power if it had a weaker tone or was all but inaudible.

Götz says that one thing that really bothered him about being in a goregrind band is that the members took no pride in their lyrics, using the first gore-based lines that popped into their heads that they found humorous. Götz's own lyrics no doubt take a more calculated and though out approach. While they do feature familiar themes such as death, end time scenarios, the decay of civilization and madness, they do so in a highly proficient and evocative manner. The man obviously has a strong knack for aphotic imagery:

"As algid Winds blow across the Land, scattering Ash over all that once was
As Civilization is torn to Ruins, Mankind is masked by a Shroud of Dust
A terminal Quietude has set in as Man's last Strongholds have begun to fall
We feed on the Arrogance of Man, We dethrone the Lords of Creation

While creation cries out in Pain, Hope loses all Importance
Nothingness awaits while Man bathes in the Blood of Earth
As Mankind sings It's last Requiem as an Ode to It's own Annihilation
The Peace long spoken of, It has come at Last
The Destruction of Mankind, because We are the Carrion"

Kicking off with a sample of creepy ambiance from Shinjuku Thief's “The Witch Hammer”, little ambient passages are scattered throughout the album, bolstering the atmosphere while allowing room to breathe. These pieces are dark and add to the brooding atmosphere. Beautiful little acoustic guitar sections are also interspersed throughout the album's endurance, increasing the prominence of the romantic early death/doom flavourings. In “Carrion” a solemn melody is introduced by the acoustic guitar and carried over into a catchy riff by the electric.

Götz said that an early Paradise Lost demo was the catalyst for him getting into death metal, and in no section is this variety of influences more apparent than album closer “As My Soul Gazes Skyword”. Starting off with mournful Old World chanting giving way to absolutely majestic classical-inspired acoustic guitar, this ten minute behemoth is the best ending to the album that one could hope for. This could easily fit in on a death/doom album. Featuring many melodic slow-burning riffs and emotive leads as well as a vast, open song structure, this has a very epic air about it. In the middle of the track there is a creepy piano break accompanied by dark, dramatic spoken word. The metal feels even heavier when it comes back in, with a riff playing off the continuing piano line. This song encompasses a vibe that took more of a supporting role throughout the rest of the record.

This release's success lies in the successful balance of many elements. It rests in the middle ground between old school vigour and melody, rawness and a more polished approach, badassery and atmosphere – there is just a perfect amount of all this album needs to be successful. It simultaneously contains tenfold the amount of ass-kicking intensity in it's riffs and emotional depth and atmosphere than your average competent death metal outfit. It's unfortunate they called it quits after a single album, but on the bright side, they'll never fall off the pedestal this album firmly places them on. Stuff like this doesn't come around very often, this goes above and beyond in all respects.

Fucking Death Metal - 91%

AnInsidiousMind, January 7th, 2008

This is a brilliant slab of old school death metal. This sounds like it could be placed in 1992 along all of those other old school death metal bands. Is this just a tribute to the old school death metal sound though? Hell no, this is a band with superior riffing and song writing unlike anything that came out in the 90s. It’s almost like this album has been fermenting and maturing over the years. This album clocks in at just over an hour long, and usually a death metal album that is this long ends with tedium or just loads of riffs that go nowhere, but they make it work. Chalice of Ages doesn’t contain the sweeping melodies of the early Swedes, but it does contain tons of melodies that are made from leads and chunky death metal riffing. There is a cover of Antropomorphia (who the fuck are they?) in the album, yet unless you know the song, you’d think it was another Deathevokation track. Similar to Hail’s cover of Varathron, it compliments the album perfectly.

This has so many brilliant ideas and riffing put together in an atmosphere similar to Fleshcrawl – Descend Into the Absurd. The album slower parts with the atmospheric leads on top of it. The album creates an atmosphere of desolation and death through insanity. The leads in the album add to the desolation with the slight reverb, and make it all come together.

If you’re a fan of old school death metal that is heavily atmospheric yet riffy as fuck, this is the perfect album for you. This is where new death metal should be going.

91/100