Chalice (band)
Encyclopedia
Chalice was a Gothic-doom metal band from Adelaide, South Australia
. The group released three albums and was perhaps Australia's most notable Gothic metal
band for a number of years before splitting up in 2007.
The band was formed by singer
/keyboards player
Shiralee Morgan and drummer
Adrian Bickle in late 1996. The pair was at the time in a band called Jeneaha that released a demo before breaking up. Morgan and Bickle continued the project under the new name of Chalice. With guitar
ists Sean Graetz and Darren McLennan (from fellow Adelaide band Fury), bass
player Mark Bodossian and Russell providing violin
, the band recorded Chronicles of Dysphoria which won them the attention of Melbourne label Modern Invasion. In the meantime Justin Hartwig had replaced McLennan, who departed to continue with Fury and Alannah Probert also joined the band playing flute
in place of the violinist. Chronicles of Dysphoria was then re-recorded with updated arrangements and released through Modern Invasion in 2000. In October they then featured at the Metal for the Brain
festival in Canberra.
Chalice recorded their second album during 2001 and it was released in October to coincide with another appearance at Metal for the Brain, this on the main stage. Bodossian left the group after this and was replaced by Simon Henderson in time for a tour of the east coast in early 2002. Bodossian later joined the British doom
band Esoteric
.
During 2003 Chalice completed their third album, Augmented, featuring some cello
parts from Joel Baligod and Infernal Method
member Joss Separovic contributing Spanish guitar in the track "Child of the Matador". The band also supported Opeth
and Mayhem
during their Australian tours that year.
Adrian Bickle departed Chalice in 2005 and was replaced by Matt Enright. The group then did a tour of New Zealand
during the year. A new EP was completed by mid-2006. Featuring strings provided by the Zephyr Quartet, "The Calm That Was the Storm" was Probert's last release with the band as she left prior to its release. A video was made of the title track and was included on the resultant CD. After this, the band's activities seemed to freeze for almost a year. On 5 May 2007, Justin Hartwig posted to the group's internet forum that he and the rest of Chalice had split from Morgan, bringing the group to an end and announcing a forthcoming new band called Black Orchid. Morgan has since contended that she too will continue a separate musical avenue.
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. The group released three albums and was perhaps Australia's most notable Gothic metal
Gothic metal
Gothic metal or goth metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that combines the aggression of doom metal with the dark melancholy of gothic rock. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different styles of heavy metal music...
band for a number of years before splitting up in 2007.
The band was formed by singer
Voice
Voice may refer to:* Human voice* Voice control or voice activation* Writer's voice* Voice acting* Voice vote* Voice message-In film:* Voice , a 2005 South Korean film* The Voice , a 2010 Turkish horror film directed by Ümit Ünal...
/keyboards player
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
Shiralee Morgan and drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Adrian Bickle in late 1996. The pair was at the time in a band called Jeneaha that released a demo before breaking up. Morgan and Bickle continued the project under the new name of Chalice. With guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ists Sean Graetz and Darren McLennan (from fellow Adelaide band Fury), bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
player Mark Bodossian and Russell providing violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, the band recorded Chronicles of Dysphoria which won them the attention of Melbourne label Modern Invasion. In the meantime Justin Hartwig had replaced McLennan, who departed to continue with Fury and Alannah Probert also joined the band playing flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
in place of the violinist. Chronicles of Dysphoria was then re-recorded with updated arrangements and released through Modern Invasion in 2000. In October they then featured at the Metal for the Brain
Metal for the Brain
Metal for the Brain was Australia's largest heavy metal music festival. The event was held in Canberra annually, usually towards the end of the year, and featured Australian bands almost exclusively...
festival in Canberra.
Chalice recorded their second album during 2001 and it was released in October to coincide with another appearance at Metal for the Brain, this on the main stage. Bodossian left the group after this and was replaced by Simon Henderson in time for a tour of the east coast in early 2002. Bodossian later joined the British doom
Doom metal
Doom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...
band Esoteric
Esoteric (band)
Esoteric is a British extreme doom metal band from Birmingham founded in 1992 that incorporates highly acute, distorted vocals and samples over slow paced riffs and atmospheric melodies.-Biography:...
.
During 2003 Chalice completed their third album, Augmented, featuring some cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
parts from Joel Baligod and Infernal Method
Infernal Method (band)
Infernal Method was a melodic death metal band from Sydney, Australia. Despite the volatility of its line-up, the band was a dominant presence on Sydney's live metal music scene between early 2002 and late 2006 and notable for featuring an array of members who came from or later joined other bands...
member Joss Separovic contributing Spanish guitar in the track "Child of the Matador". The band also supported Opeth
Opeth
Opeth is a Swedish heavy metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990. Though the group has been through several personnel changes, singer, guitarist, and songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt has remained Opeth's driving force throughout the years...
and Mayhem
Mayhem (band)
Mayhem is a Norwegian black metal band formed in 1984 in Oslo, Norway and regarded as one of the pioneers of the influential Norwegian black metal scene...
during their Australian tours that year.
Adrian Bickle departed Chalice in 2005 and was replaced by Matt Enright. The group then did a tour of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
during the year. A new EP was completed by mid-2006. Featuring strings provided by the Zephyr Quartet, "The Calm That Was the Storm" was Probert's last release with the band as she left prior to its release. A video was made of the title track and was included on the resultant CD. After this, the band's activities seemed to freeze for almost a year. On 5 May 2007, Justin Hartwig posted to the group's internet forum that he and the rest of Chalice had split from Morgan, bringing the group to an end and announcing a forthcoming new band called Black Orchid. Morgan has since contended that she too will continue a separate musical avenue.