Chasma – Declarations of the Grand Artificer (2011)

Featuring members of Nanda Devil, today we have the American band called Chasma and their experimental Black Metal sounds. With a very experimental European sound, it is nice to hear that some bands in the USA are not getting stuck with the typical USBM approach to things and are crafting some very interesting releases with foreign influences.

With three monolithic tracks each clocking on average around 10 minutes, the band creates very emotionally charged music that flows from instrumental sections to harsh-scream filled passages that will rattle your ears and soul. Mixing some Doom Metal influences with Black Metal, the band creates a less pretentious ‘Depressive Black Metal’ sound that only a handful of European bands can achieve.

In the opener “Daystar Angelwar”, the band goes from slower passages to full-on blast-beats sections that nicely contrast with each other. The guitar riffing is very elaborate and nicely mixed so it does not drown the rest of the instruments. The whispers and clean vocals are a nice touch here and there, giving the music a bit of a more dramatic and mysterious edge. Next up we have “Shadowbend” and it’s very efficient near Post-Rock opening section. This track creates the atmosphere in a different way than the first song thanks to a pounding bass guitar line before fully exploding into Black Metal mode but with more emotive screams.

After nearly 20 minutes of brilliant musicianship, the band closes this release with the powerful “Blue Jewel Destruction”. In this track the pace is set a bit slower in the beginning, and the raw production gives it a very kvlt feeling while still maintaining some of the experimental elements of the band. Going in and out of atmospheric passages, the band delivers a high powered emotional rollercoaster ride with this very rich and entertaining song.

If you are looking something like Wolves in the Throne Room and similar bands that push the boundaries of Black Metal with instrumental passages and experimental sounds, Chasma is a band you need to be paying attention to. The band delivers over 30 minutes of excellently crafted music that while brutal in nature it features heaps of excellently crafted and placed melodic sections. Be sure to run out and get “Declarations of the Grand Artificer” once this album goes on sale in November.

Release: November 22nd, 2011

Country: USA