Review CHAPEL OF DISEASE ‘Echoes of Light’

Chapel Of Disease started in 2008 in Cologne, Germany and found with the band an outlet for their passion for death metal. ‘Summoning Black Gods’ was the title of the debut, and it was the sophomore release ‘The Mysterious Ways of Repetitive Art’ which added the band to the radar screen of a wider group of metalheads.

It was in 2018, when the band launched with ‘…and as We Have Seen the Storm, We Have Embraced the Eye’ their third longplayer and there was a bit of a radio since afterwards. Now, six years later, Chapel Of Disease is back with a record called ‘Echoes of Light’ which shows a continuation of their musical development.

Already the previous album showed a wider range of sounds and ‘Echoes of Light’ picks it up where the guys left off with ‘…and as We Have Seen the Storm, We Have Embraced the Eye’. The length of songs indicates that nothing on this album is just wild and short.

The title track is also the opener of the album and clocks in at more than eight minutes. Putting such an epic in pole position of the album is as brave as it also acts as a show model for what to expect from the album. Hereby the harsh vocals of Laurent Teubi create a contrast to the calmer and melodic lines of the track. On the one hand harsh und boisterous, on the other hand melodic and partly even fragile, that is what creates the special sound of this album.

A wilder ride with a similar approach to length is the following ‘A Death Though No Loss’. More connected to the earlier death metal roots the song unfolds a lot of energy and comes with a morbid vibe. To keep the level of tension high throughout the entire tune, Chapel Of Disease add a calmer middle section with a melancholic swing, showing some progressive structures. With such a great, the song in its entirety becomes a versatile and entertaining musical adventure that also showcases the creativity of bandleader Laurent Teubi.

Sadness and grief are what ‘Shallow Nights’ rolls out in almost eight minutes. It is another epic moment on the album with the atmospheric element being the main piece of attraction. The ties to death metal are cut off here and what blows out of the speakers are cinematic soundscapes, adding another puzzle piece to the brilliance of the album.

To break the pattern, ‘Selenophile’ is track with some rocking moments and is more straight to the point. The hoarse vocals add some evil to a song that is rather melodic and spot-on. What you experience with ‘Echoes of Light’ is a great flow of songs. Following the snappy ‘Selenophile’ is ‘Gold/Dust’ which brings back melancholy and clean vocals before ‘An Ode the Conqueror’ heralds the end of this release. It is another thrilling moment with mighty riffs blending with atmospheric moments that remind me of bands like Dire Straits.

It is this unique fusion that makes ‘Echoes of Light’ to a very exciting and diversified album. There is a common musical approach that connects each of the songs on this longplayer and yet there is enough space for each of the tunes to unfold a unique flavor. Definitely a very cool album and another milestone in Chapel Of Disease musical journey.