heavy-metal-darkness: Chalice |Divine Spear |Dying Victims Productions

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

Chalice |Divine Spear |Dying Victims Productions

Release Date February 27^th, 2026
Format CD/LP
Genre Heavy Metal
Country Finland

Hailing from the frozen streets of Helsinki, Chalice crawled out of the Finnish underground back in 2016. These guys aren't exactly rookies; they’ve put in time with heavy hitters like Ranger and Satan’s Fall, so they know their way around a denim-and-leather anthem. After dropping a demo and an EP that got the cultists talking, they delivered "Trembling Crown" in 2020. That record proved they weren't just another bunch of kids worshiping at the altar of the 80s, it had a certain dramatic flair that made it stand out from the endless pile of generic retro-metal releases.

Now they’ve returned with "Divine Spear," and let’s be real, this isn’t some upbeat party album for your weekend kegger. It’s got that cold, miserable Finnish vibe baked into the riffs. The songwriting is ambitious, pulling in some cinematic, progressive elements that make the tracks feel like more than just a collection of riffs. They’ve stepped away from the usual "new wave of traditional metal" tropes to create something that actually has some breathing room and atmosphere.

The guitars from Verneri Pouttu and Mikael Haavisto are the real stars here. They switch between electric attacks and acoustic moments without making it sound like a cheap gimmick. It’s a theatrical approach that actually works because they have the skills to back it up. Songs like "Dwell Of A Stellar Trance" and "The Pact" show off a band that spends more time thinking about melody and "narrative" than just trying to play as fast as possible.

The production is a major plus. It’s got a natural, warm sound that doesn’t feel like it was sucked through a computer. You can actually hear Joni Petander’s bass and Olli Törrönen’s percussion, which is a rarity in an era of over-compressed garbage. It’s an elegant, sometimes slow-moving beast of an album, but for those of us who appreciate a little darkness and "melancholy" in our metal, it’s a journey worth taking. It’s a step up from the debut, even if you have to be in the right headspace to fully absorb the drama.

Score: 7.5