Chapel Perilous - The Tower of Silence
Chapel Perilous was initially the passion project of bass player and songwriter Will Haines (Droid, Eaten by Rats). Will began constructing what would come of The Tower of Silence in 2018, but he eventually shelved it due to time constraints with his other bands. After purchasing some new drum software, Will decided to revisit the tracks, and in doing so, it breathed life back into the project. Will brought in Droid guitarist and mate Tim Wooltorton, Tony Forde on vocals, (who plays in King) and Brianna Cox on keyboards, and eventually, they recruited the skills of a session drummer out of Russia named Vladimir (not Putin me thinks) to appear on the eventual record.
"Angra Mainyu" opens with a spiteful Black Metal roar, mid paced tremolos coupled nicely with an extra layer of slightly off kilter guitar. Chapel Perilous set the scene with patience, and it’s not the only time they do so on The Tower of Silence. The suspense builds on "Angra Mainyu" until the 50 second mark and then true fury is displayed. What is eye catching (or ear catching) about Chapel Perilous is that they write songs that keep you on your toes, and within a very short time span they can knock you off your axis. This does not occur in a wanky progressive way with no sensibility or regards to transitions, but in a meaningful way that brings life to the tracks. Around the halfway mark of "Angra Mainyu," things transgress into doom like territory with layered black and death metals vocals, a fleeting cleaner croon appears and a touch of psychedelia with some pedal and electronic effects. The constant shifts and turns are clever; take for instance the Mellotron that appears here courtesy of George Carpenter; it’s this approach that keeps the tracks engaging right throughout the album’s 32-minute duration.
"Race with Death" opens with an oddball circus like key section that wouldn’t sound out of place in one of those weird sequences in David Lynch’s Twin Peaks. It’s early on here that you witness the skills of Vladimir on the skins. He certainly has some chops and was given creative license to essentially do what he wanted at times, and he has done a very good job. Vladimir can hit the kicks fast, and blast with the best, but he has range and subtlety that he weaves in and out of some of the more atmospheric and melodic parts across the album. The track lengths are noteworthy for Black Metal, only the closing track "Holy Fire" reaches the 5-minute mark, and this was a deliberate choice by the band to avoid the pitfalls of 5-minute tremolo sections, lengthy blast beats or atmospheric outros.
What is noticeable is the cover art, created by Jesse Peper; it is not your typical Black Metal artwork. The logo is necro enough, but the use of colour and imagery is unique and intriguing. There is an undertone of spiritualty and death that runs through the album and is reflected in the artwork. The Tower of Silence refers to the structures (dakhma) where a sky burial takes place. The circular drawings on the sides of the album cover are diagrams of the dakhma, and the vulture hovering above will eventually feed on the human remains (Skeletal Remains). Furthermore, the Angra Mainyu is the destructive spirit in Zoroastrianism and Bareshnum refers to the purification rite before death.
"Purification" is a great example of the slow build that morphs into and atmospheric tremolo section and then erupts into a section that would make Emperor proud. "Bareshnum" also opens with a cleaner section; but this one doesn’t last as long before all hell breaks loose - I hear a lot of Aussie legends Lord Kaos on this track. "Nights End" opens in frenetic fashion, and here you really get a sense of the band’s ability to weave in gothic undertones. This is of course due to Brianna Cox’s abilities on the keys, and she does a brilliant job throughout this album. The atmosphere that Brianna creates adds depth to the tracks, but it does not sound tacked on as an afterthought. Brianna has taken great care to weave her parts into the fabric that is The Tower of Silence. Tony Forde has one hell of a voice, and it really echoes with intense power on Susceptible, a track with a definite Norwegian feel to it. Final track "Holy Fire" has a quality of irrevocability about it – perhaps the soul on fire – a tangible sense of finality as the fire is summoned. Ihsahn vibes permeate again but more so vocally here - I love the short pause/space used before Forde unleashes “of fire.” This is a perfect example of a band taking care with the track listing.
Not a weak moment throughout The Tower of Silence, maybe it is 5 minutes too short, but a small gripe and Chapel Perilous keep you wanting more, which is better than the contrary. The Tower of Silence is Black Metal with the perfect balance of melody, atmosphere, colour and shade. The songwriting and performances are killer, and I can’t wait to see where Chapel Perilous can take this on their follow up. Hopefully we see them on the road playing this live as well.
Slotting into the Rolling Top 10 of 2024 with relative ease at present.