Devilpriest Where I Am the Chalice, Be Thou the Blood Review
Devilpriest
Where I Am the Chalice, Be Thou the Blood
Nuclear Winter Records
2025
Having JUST released this merely days ago, (June 27th to be exact) it’s hard not to see the name Devilpriest and the album title and not automatically wonder about this being some dark and evil death metal. Lucky for me, I was right on the money. Admittedly, I am unfamiliar with Devilpriest, but these Polish scene veterans got their start in 2015 and began under the guiding light of all things early 90’s DM and their lyrical concepts are firmly based on the occult and ritual. Dark and evil indeed, but I digress…
Devilpriest 's strengths are on full display on the seven songs found on Where I Am the Chalice, Be Thou the Blood. Those strengths are resounding tempo shifts, technical riffing and barbarity that often comes on at the drop of a very decayed hat. Album opener “He Is In Me” starts off with some foreboding clean guitar juxtaposed with an eerie spoken word intro then dives headlong into a blast beat riddled cacophony before going into mid-tempo breakdown sections throughout. The sound here (which has a punchy, bottom heavy and clear production) is also reminiscent of those black metal-esque picked dissonant chords that have been hallmarks of that genre as well for 30 years on. Elsewhere, the lead single “Unwavering in the Left Hand Path” is an exercise in a crushing, slow intro morphing into Vital Remains-like, speed. Lyrically it is exactly what it sounds like. Conformity be damned, do what thou wilt and stay the course even when others fall away into the “normal” sets of society. This is surely a standout cut and has catchy memorable guitar machinations throughout, with plenty pinch harmonics to drive the point home.
Devilpriest aren't doing anything too groundbreaking or innovative here, but quality old school death metal like this is hard to come by. If you find yourself longing for a band that melds early Morbid Angel, Azareth, Angelcorpse and Vital Remains into a cohesive hate fueled EP that is equal parts cold atmosphere, technical proficiency and knuckle dragging brutality, then grab a healthy sip from their chalice and become one with their brand of worship.
-TB