A band that dares to challenge itself and its own medium is something that, fortunately, we’ve seen plenty instances of in recent times. Even so, it’s not always terribly often to bear witness to acts that are actually able to rise above and not just impress listeners but illuminate them to flavors and sounds rarely explored in other acts before. Chapel of Disease accomplished precisely that with their previous album that was released six years ago to raving reviews, and the question remained if the act would double down on the approach for a follow-up album. If anything, Chapel of Disease tripled down.

It was already with the grandeur of “…and As We Have Seen the Storm, We Have Embraced the Eye” that Chapel of Disease broke through a mold that very few people could have seen coming with the immense power of the progressive record still resonating even years later. Anticipations were high regarding whatever it was that Chapel of Disease would cook up next, and it’s with any of the six tracks found within “Echoes of Light” that any nervousness towards the German act failing should instantly dissipate. Diving even further into the progressive leanings that were already quite heavy in the last album, Chapel of Disease has put forth a forth of death metal that can’t be truly considered a pure form of the craft but, rather, an amalgamation that is not afraid whatsoever of knocking boundaries over, defying convention, and really exploring what can be done with a death metal base that’s made to stretch and twist to become something quite different than what many would understandably expect under normal circumstances. It’s an insanely dense creation that warrants multiple listens to even come close to understanding what Chapel of Disease has wrought within “Echoes of Light” only to finally come to the conclusion that for all which death metal has already thrown our way in 2024, this album deserves to be heralded as one of its best.

Tantalizing, bounding, and unforgiving in its adventurous nature, “Echoes of Light” is a trip to the other side of death metal we should all fall into. Where people scarcely tread and death metal is bold enough to explore more often than not, Chapel of Disease proves to be a name that defies expectations and raise the bar the moment those opportunities present themselves.

LISTEN to “Echoes of Light” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Chapel of Disease on Facebook here.