Chapter VIII

At the heart of The Wailing Ossuary lies an ancient ritual summoning pentacle surrounded by laughing skulls. They challenge brave metalheads to lead five mighty musicians in an epic performance to try to conjure a monster of metal.

This week we’ve curated a magnificent Texan-Canadian (TexCan?) marriage of features inspired by our recommended Chorus band. If you’ve been enjoying our Chapters please remember to vote in the poll below and check out our referral program at the end of the newsletter. Both of them help us to continue shaping and producing the content you enjoy.

The Chorus

The Texas-based, Toronto-made founders of Tulip chose their name as an acronym of the five principles of Calvinism. The story of their escape from that strict past underscores much of their second album, The Perpetual Dream, and is brought to life with a unique symphonic sound punctuated by progressive and electronica elements. The syncopated duelling melodies on Ghost of Kyiv intertwine its layered lyrics. The groove of Gemini belies its musical complexity and contrasts perfectly with the haunted nursery-rhyme tone of Assassins. Both tracks are underlaid by progressive keys and guitar chops. Every track on the album is an important piece of a puzzle which, when finished, displays a stylish piece of metal art perfect for your ritual.

The Champion - IV

Sadly no longer with us but no less eligible for your ritual because of it, Vinnie Paul’s legend transcends his untimely death. The Texan-born bludgeoner, widely agreed to be one of the greatest metal drummers of all time, was the rhythmic engine behind metal giants Pantera which he formed together with his little brother. The pair went on to found Damageplan and later Vinnie even created his own record label before joining metal supergroup Hellyeah. His endless energy meant that he even found time to write and release a few side projects. In the Wailing Ossuary, death is no barrier and legends live forever and for maximum summoning synchronicity we suggest that you also consider drafting Vinnie’s brother into your second position.

The Curse

At first it appears to you that your ritual has failed as your summoning pentacle lies empty. However as your candles flicker you notice a shadow moving in unison, without there being anything there to cast it. You have unwittingly bound a Tariaksuq, an Inuit shadow-person who disappears whenever the living look directly at them. Unfortunately this is a pure curse; the bound abilities of the Tariaksuq hold no benefits for you (unless you like the sound of being half-reindeer). Your legions of fans won’t be able to see you live and so are restricted to watching your new form on recordings. This will invariably lead to accusations of deepfakes and miming which could irrevocably damage your supergroup’s reputation. Unless you can find a clever way to spin it into a popular gimmick?