The Chasm - Farseeing the Paranormal Abysm

Solo el Muerte es Puro. Despite willing characterizations as purely a Death Metal band The Chasm’s output cannot be easily captured by reference to one genre alone. Mastering speed and slow tempos alike, performing complexly timed instrumentals or covering Italian speed-bangers Bulldozer, the trio’s metal-as-fuck determination has pushed them to cover nearly every inch of the spectrum, defying standards and limitations for over 20 years.

Unique among contemporaries for embracing Aztec spirituality in their music, while simultaneously refusing to become another novelty act, since moving stateside the Mexican juggernaut has only grown more unorthodox. The band’s obvious proficiency does not mask mood and feeling when the feeling is frequently all there is to grasp, entwined in lyrics-as-scripture, revealing the writ esoteric allayed in what may as well be hieroglyphics eliciting hair pulling translations back to coherent English.

The Chasm are just as well preceded by reputation as “that band with the super illogical record titles,” but fluency – as any interview would show – isn’t the issue. Meaning is not coded as keywords in your index or guidebook, but connected by obsessions of destiny, the unknown, and anxiety to reach the other side. Death is the basis for which The Chasm once again attempts to capture or recreate its essence, interpreting this as lucid flight across oceans of space and time.
The Chasm’s first release from guitarist/vocalist Daniel Corchado’s Lux Inframundis label, Farseeing the Paranormal Abysm displays a similar conceptual bent as previous works, executed with the kind of freedom that well-established labels still tend to discourage. Whether or not it gains wider acclaim, the album has set a new benchmark for independent Metal releases, not just for the sound and incredibly strong production, but the scope and possibility of what can be accomplished. Suffice to say the final work proves more challenging than even the title lets on.

Over half the album is instrumental – not interludes, but fully-evolved tracks up to 11 minutes long, marking transitional chapters between realms and dimensions where human speech is silenced. A voyage of change and rebirth as the story flows, stops, and moves on to the next page. The pattern rendered alternately through delicate introductions and hell-bent Death Metal, tones from the temple opening into an arena of blood and battles begging reflection with guitar style bridging the gulf between progressive "fusion," melodic echoes of Swedish Black Metal band Dissection, and seemingly far afield influences like Eddie Van Halen (1:02 into “Entering A Superior Dominion”).

Corchado’s vocals are similarly restrained, and better for it. Voiced as spectral groans and whispers part and parcel to the music’s movement and rhythm, they appear to dance within its grasp, narrating visions for which words can only futilely suggest in fragmentary glances of ravens, funerals, an icy wilderness, volcanic explosions, and other “necromorphing” creatures.

Short of a genuine Oaxacan hongo this’ll do just fine and unless you’re the type to put a year-end stamp on new releases, this is certainly one to revisit well into the future.

[Todd DePalma]

type: reviews    keywords: death metal, death, lhp031, mushrooms, mexico, dictionary,   

• 32 comments

  

  Invisible Oranges

  12:50 PM on Oct 06, 2009 // reply »
  
  I just saw these guys play, and while their live show didn't do much for me, I'm kind of kicking myself for not picking up this CD there.

 

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