Chasma: Declarations of the Grand Artificer

Opening with tortured screams from the depths of a damp dungeon followed by a battering black metal blast, 'Daystar Angelwar' juxtaposes long and expansive ambient passages with dark and horrifying passages swathed in haunting and majestic melodies. The layering and combination of each atmosphere is disquieting and uncomfortable yet hypnotic and seductive. Strummed guitar chords, harsh trem-picked riffs, tortured vocals, and a doom-heavy tempo make this track a journey of an overwhelmingly grand scope. 'Shadowbend' plots an equally unpredictable arc, beginning with a slow and melodic intro, out of which the sounds of screams emerge. The pace lifts and the track becomes beautifully melancholic with fast riffs and droning guitars that are spellbinding in their relentlessness. Out of the empty darkness, 'Blue Jewel Destruction' materializes in supernatural sounds that last for about ninety seconds before a BM riff accompanied by a rapid cymbal pulse appears. And then black metal wrath in all its glory is unleashed before another slow passage of odious drone befalls. As with the other tracks, the mood changes throughout the song, each time augmenting the aesthetic, adding further depth to the darkness as the tortured vocals fill the void with such agony as to be almost a pleasure to listen to. Thirty three minutes of torture and suffering painted in agonising detail, Declarations of the Grand Artificer is not for the faint of heart. With three tracks between nine and twelve minutes long, some may find this an endurance test, but indulgence returns many rewards.

Track Listing:

1. Daystar Angelwar
2. Shadowbend
3. Blue Jewel Destruction

Added: October 27th 2011
Reviewer: Jason Guest
Score:
Related Link: Chasma on Facebook
Hits: 3613
Language: english

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