Band:	Lurker Of Chalice
Album:	Tellurian Slaked Furnace
Style:	Ambient black metal
Release date:	March 01, 2020
A review by:	Auntie Sahar

01. I
02. II
03. III
04. IV
05. V
06. VI
07. VII
08. VIII
09. IX
10. X
11. XI
12. XII

Is this a new Lurker Of Chalice album? No. But also yes.

Lurker Of Chalice, the cryptic and all around hallucinatory creation of Leviathan mastermind Wrest, is held pretty highly in underground black metal circles, widely respected and celebrated for its near universally acclaimed 2005 self titled debut. It's a very rare treat to hear any new material out of this project, much of it long guarded by Wrest under lock and key with the tantalizing claim that there are apparently four unreleased LOC full lengths. Nevertheless, for one reason or another, in 2020 Mr. Whitehead has chosen to grace us with Tellurian Slaked Furnace, a compilatory release featuring some old Lurker Of Chalice material and some previously unreleased material as well (more of the latter, thankfully), carefully selected and arranged to flow as if it were a regular studio album.

The key takeaway from this release is that it showcases a very different side of Lurker Of Chalice than what listeners may have become accustomed to. Whereas the legendary debut can pretty fairly be dubbed "ambient black metal," Tellurian Slaked Furnace is something closer to "blackened dark ambient." Far more drone-influenced and a lot more rhythmic than prior Lurker Of Chalice material, here it is all about the atmosphere. Dense clouds of ethereal smoke combine seamlessly with the trademark, forward marching bass the project is known for, creating a highly stimulating, enveloping listen that is propelled by a sense of resplendent, beautiful darkness. Some tracks, such as "VI" and "IX" especially, are surprisingly catchy as well, far more so than earlier Lurker Of Chalice material.

Another noticeable change is the significant lack of a vocal presence, as neither Wrest's piercing shrieks nor his haunting, clean howls make much of an appearance here, making Tellurian Slaked Furnace a largely instrumental album. In many ways this suits the atmosphere conjured by its music, reinforcing the meditative aura to the point that at many points throughout the listen the appearance of vocals would almost feel like something of an interruption to the ritual. With their absence, one can better appreciate the atmosphere and Wrest's unique sense of sound crafting.

Any new Lurker Of Chalice material is inevitably going to be judged by and compared to the project's debut. Positioning it against Lurker Of Chalice, Tellurian Slaked Furnace offers a very different listening experience, one that goes deeper into the hypnotizing atmospheres at the heart of Lurker Of Chalice and offers something of a more somber, pensive listen. Personally I find it very commendable that Wrest chose to showcase a different aspect of the project with this release, as it demonstrates that he is not at all interested in trying to match the legacy of the LOC debut and would rather offer listeners something they haven't heard before. I for one am quite impressed with the result, and Tellurian Slaked Furnace is very likely going to end up as one of my most replayed albums of 2020.

Eternal hails.