Empty Chalice - This Way is Called Black

Empty Chalice is made up of the same gents behind GOPOTA, whose album I reviewed back in late January with a not-so-warming reception. And, well, to be blunt I do not have much good to say about this project either. On January 30th, Empty Chalice released This Way Is Called Black, a seven track album attempting to appeal to dark ambient, death industrial, and noise fans. As much as I enjoy all three genres, blending them altogether is a tough, tough process. The sound will be extremely rigid, but it also needs to be enjoyable without being painful to listen to. I'm afraid Empty Chalice creates music that is not only not enjoyable to listen to, but is also harmful to your ears. 

The start of the album with 'This Way is Called Black (Evil Seeker)' is actually pretty wicked. For the first minute and twenty-six seconds, we are delivered sample laden, creepy atmospheric glitchy noise. It's as if you're walking through a haunted house with a bunch of TVs - all of which show depictions of equal horror - surrounding yourself. However, as soon as that minute and twenty six seconds is over, there is a cut between what I'm guessing was supposed to be the intro and the next song. It is clear that these two tracks were not supposed to flow into one another, and the mixing is either bad or was just forgot about. 

That being said, the rest of the four minutes and thirty-three seconds within the song is real static noise with a slight rhythm underneath it all. Again, nothing like we haven't heard before from other noise acts. The rest of the album is made up of songs that have way too painful sounds to even be heard on a volume of 20 out of 100 on my headphones, or just boring, bland, and uninspired sounds. 

Some may say that I just don't understand noise, but that must be fucking false considering I've found noise that I've praised in the past before. However, this I cannot praise. I do not know what Empty Chalice was attempting to do, but whatever they were trying to do failed. This Way is Called Black is not an album that is worth or even can be listened to, and I advise all to avoid it. 
Mar 20 2016