Masterminded by vocalist Wade Black (Crimson Glory, Seven Witches, Leatherwolf), CHALICE OF SIN is a new heavy metal powerhouse. The band are veterans to the metal scene, with Martin dabbling in doom, blues rock and melodic metal in Anchorite, Blindside and Meridian, Mirkko currently drumming for prog rock outfit The Flower King, and Alessandro having quite the catalogue of bands under his belt, including Sunstorm, Voodoo Circle and Jorn Lande, to name but a few. With this abundant talent, CHALICE OF SIN channels its sound into the symphonic, combined with landscapes of 80's heavy metal flavours. Imagine an amalgamation of Stratovarius meets Gamma Ray, coupled with Priest meets Accept; it's a potent formula, a highly infectious one at that, and it bloody works.

CHALICE OF SIN's self-titled debut album is deep and heavy, anthemic and bombastic, yet there's plenty of light in its darkness. The tortuous journey of agonic pain and triumphant reckoning are delivered in eleven simplistically structured, mostly mid-tempo compositions, with nuances across the sonic spectrum. Opening track, "Chalice of Sin" serves up a grandiose orchestral intro, layered with symphonic flavours throughout, giving way to an overall epic power feel. With "Great Escape" offering an anthemic Priest-feeling cut, in a deluge of drums, striking chords and a bass line that simply shrouds, with a perfect balance of well-placed keys. The powerful moments that CHALICE OF SIN create enhance Wade's strident, soaring vocals, conveying emotive aspects effortlessly, especially with the catchy chorus; a definite highlight of the album and not to be missed.

Harking back to those heady 80's heavy metal vibes, "Whisky" is a track that Accept would be proud to call their own, although there's an almost Ralf Scheepers feel to Wade's vocals, too. This hybrid works incredibly well, with the great tempo and moments to grind to the lascivious beat compensating for the sporadically corny moments in the track. Contrastingly, cuts such as "Miracle" bring the darkness of the LP to the forefront, conveying one of the heavier tracks of "Chalice of Sin", with "Sacred Shrine" following with a lighter approach, although still bringing plenty of tempo with delicious double-kick drums, equally with well-thought temporal changes.

CHALICE OF SIN subtly inject timbres from more power focused aspects, with "Ashes of the Black Rose" merging a Nightwish meets Helloween stance with plenty of thunderous moments, dialling it down significantly with the tender ballad-esque "Through the Eyes of a Child", pulling a more heart-rendering introspective piece. This track certainly showcases the band's ability to construct an emotive composition and their strength is placed on well-timed, purposeful and moving guitar solos, which CHALICE OF SIN's ballad certainly showcases masterfully.

Switching from the slow, steady and wrenching, to the marching, battle-like and driven seems second nature to CHALICE OF SIN. No sooner have our heartstrings been seriously tugged and pulled at are we hit with the burly and robust "I Stand". Vocally, there's plenty of meat to the bone, with Wade's well-controlled yet boisterous delivery, the steady, unnerving drums driving through and the mesh of unsettling bass line and intoxicating riffs. The LP then morphs to the high-octane, speed-fueled "The Show", which displays some possessed hummingbird double-kick drums that really dig and those sensational guitar solos that have become so synonymous with CHALICE OF SIN. The last couple of tracks bookend the album perfectly, with "The Fight" bringing an interesting Mercyful Fate flavour to Wade's vocals in places and "Nightmare" pushing heady, heavy sexiness with its pulsating tempo, grinding guitars and searing vocals. An apt and pleasurable end to an enjoyable listen.

CHALICE OF SIN deliver flamboyance and flair and perfect sonic sultriness with plenty of heavy moments to savour. The band's self-titled debut LP is well worth a listen and will be particularly relished by those who love the meaty and melodic, straddled with plenty of substance.