In a classic revolver, you have six chambers to fill with bullets. If you are a certain Nashville, Tennessee metalcore act, you have a debut album loaded with ten bullets in one very powerful Chamber. Cost of Sacrifice, due out October 23 via Pure Noise, is about as powerful an opening statement as any in recent memory. Specializing in a ferocious style of chaotic metalcore (think Botch or Converge with some hints of Gojira and Godflesh), Chamber’s potent musical weaponry is impressively dynamic, shapeshifting as the record plays on. This is all killer, no filler or fluff.
Chamber carry the sound of a group who know each other’s strengths and play to those very well. It’s especially impressive given how dense and furious these songs are, while being very clear in their vision.
“We all played in bands together before Chamber,” drummer Taylor Carpenter states. “So, I think that is why we are adept at playing with each other and reading each other years later. We also all look up to most of the same bands and figures in music to gain inspiration from. During the writing and recording processes for Cost of Sacrifice, our main goal was to push ourselves creatively and musically. We will always sound like Chamber, but with each release we want there to be an obvious sense of growth and reform.”
Chamber have really honed-in on a brand of metallic hardcore that pulls no punches but isn’t afraid to play around with other styles (metal, industrial, prog). So, what did they want to do with this first full length?
“We all love so many different types of music,” Carpenter answers. “So, the genre mold has never really been our comfort zone when writing. As stated above, our main goal was to push ourselves as individuals and as a unit with this record. Cost of Sacrifice is our first LP, so we did not want there to be a single dull moment on it. Instead of focusing on if our songs fit a certain subgenre that people associate us with, we wanted to make a paradox record that we could be entirely confident in.”
Cost of Sacrifice was the result of intense struggle. Chamber found solace in this record and let it become a literal sounding board. That comes across beautifully in the chaotic and venomous songs, but there’s almost a triumphant feeling to the songs. So, did this sacrifice bring the band closer?
“It definitely has,” Carpenter concurs. “We were touring so much before and after recording that most of us did not have a home at the beginning of the year and crashed with friends or family. We have given up on relationships, jobs, and other opportunities to stay focused and committed to moving forward in a direction that we see fit. This year has been an intense period of trial for us, as well as an insane year for everyone obviously. Three of us live together now, and we are in a secure place that we are very comfortable in and excited about, so I am happy to hear there is a sense of triumph in the songs.”
The record’s themes of frustration and empowerment seem even more meaningful now than when they were written (art has a way of being especially meaningful during times of darkness and tragedy, doesn’t it?). So, what did the band want to talk about with this record?
“[The album] ties into the concept of a ‘self’, and how easy it is to forget who you really are,” Carpenter explains. “Everyone has their own identity, and that is more empowering than people realize. That concept has stuck with all of us this year through our tribulation. We hope that the record will resonate with anyone who feels lost as a result of this tragic year.”
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Photo Credit: Josh Vega
