Pale Chalice

San Francisco's Pale Chalice enjoy their black metal as raw and violent as possible -- a fact made evident by 2011's Afflicting the Dichotomy of Trepid Creation EP. Clearly, colorfully be-monikered bandmembers Ephemeral Domignostika (vocals), Baneist Nonrutin (guitar), Oram Evad (guitar), Grobahn Huv (bass), and Masthantric Nodrab (drums) look to the usual Norwegian second wavers (Gorgoroth, Darkthrone, et al.) and American third wavers (if you can call them that: Xasthur, Leviathan, etc.) for musical inspiration, while discussing esoteric philosophical concepts in their lyrics to boot. But little else is known about those involved or this outfit's dark intentions.