Rather than pick up where they left off, Grails take the sky-high riff-based heaviness of their earlier albums and distill it into a nuanced, widescreen opus. The perennial influences of mid-20th century Western film scores, obscure library music, and psychedelic krautrock are indelibly imprinted, but Chalice Hymnalexudes an eerie patience in unfurling the many layers of its subtle details. Produced by the band over the past five years, Chalice Hymnal bears some of the European psych and experimental hip-hop production techniques of founding members Alex Hall and Emil Amos’ other group, Lilacs & Champagne. Amos’ meditative metal band, Om, and longtime singer-songwriter project, Holy Sons, also naturally find their way into the Chalice cauldron. Rounding out their line-up, cofounder Zak Riles (also of experimental kraut-psych trio, Watter) layers synths and programming into an electronic-prog hybrid that pushes Grailsfurther into the deep end, displaying a profound resonance, both musically and emotionally. No one else sounds like Grails, and on Chalice Hymnal they sound more like themselves than ever before.
SOMA is a group of multi instrumentalists who play a blend of meditative soundscapes woven together with traditional Indian kirtan music and inspired folk songs. The result is a Sonic psychedelic tapestry of Esoteric mantras, Dynamic rhythms and Devotional prayers. SOMA’s live performances are as eclectic as their recordings, landing them in Temples, Churches, Concert Halls, Bars and even Cremation Grounds. Without exception each song, vibration,and drone are treated with reverence, attentiveness and respect which acknowledges SOMA’s link in an unbroken chain to the ancient sounds. In March of 2024 Soma will be releasing their 2nd full length album ‘Burning is Learning’ on Centripetal Force Records.
