LUNAR CHALICE heralds from Germany. Not sure exactly where in Germany. Just Germany. A trio of Black Metal veterans, the band formed in 2019 and released a demo and two EPs over a two-year span. After some silence, they have returned with their debut full-length album, "Transcendentia: The Shadow Pilgrimage." Released via Iron Bonehead on June 1, 2022, it is well-refined, with equal portions of visceral discord and clean, though dark, harmonies. This is an album you'll want to listen to in the forefront-e.g., not in the background, but rather something present and corporeal to suffer and savor.

There's a lot of interesting things going on across these eight tracks. Each side opens with a short cinematic piece, the first side with "The Accusation" which casts a shroud of occult; the second with "The Saturn Rite" which intones a cosmic mysticism. And that propulsion is so cogent it bends the entire album like an event horizon. There are also a few acoustic and melodic flourishes that are intertangled with more dissonant threads, forming an uneasy alliance of akin to Folk Metal or Atmospheric Black-though more of the former than the latter. Another intriguing touch is the vocal performance, which ranges from harsh guttural to clear choral. Add to that the bass, which even someone with my shot hearing can discern, and the end result is a Black Metal artifact that leaves a weeping scar on your mind.

Personally, I think the album plays best straight through, with each side forming a distinct movement. With that said, I draw my standout list from both sides: I love the long ambient intro to "Descending Shadows" as well as the stripped-down breaks and the leaden-boot march that dominates the second half of the track. And I swear that was cowbell on the last chord. I also love "Flagelltionis Diaboilis" (trans: the scourging of the devil) with its Doom-inflected nastiness offset with tremolo assaults. And again, the sparring clean and harsh vocals add some nice contrast. The final track, "Nocturnalia," is also impressive for its contrasting elements: first its lush serenity-think "Sleeping Village" sans vocals-and second for its growling vocals and primitive percussion.

I'm hesitant to say the album has classic aspects because in the world of Black Metal that means something different. But it does have classical aspects, as in Wagnerian. I also appreciate the album's otherworldly theme as opposed to the cemeterial. I guess I like my darkness in a variety of flavors nowadays. The album cover is also a perfect reflection of the content. Altogether, "Transcendentia: The Shadow Pilgrimage" is an impressive album which draws the listener into immersion. Good stuff, this one. Highly recommended.