GMD Poll: The Chasm's Discography Ranked

[TechnicalBarbarity]

the mispelling of retrubition.

a misspell of mountaineous proportions.

and did you just mispel misspell?

 

[CiG]

DIS NIGGA IS FUCKIN UP!

 

[no country for old wainds]

i deliberately misspelled misspell in that post but unintentionally misspelled misspell in the post crimsonfloyd quoted.

 

[CiG]

 

[crimsonfloyd]

4) Conjuration of the Spectral Empire (2002)

Average points per vote: 5.1/8

Definitely check out Conjuration of the Spectral Empire. The production has improved CONSIDERABLY, and while it's less complex, so to speak, but I find that Deathcult is not much complex as it is overblown and a big chunk of it is a mess due to the atrocious production, which irritates me greatly. It seems like I need to work extra to get something good out of it, so it's a tiresome listen.

I prefer Conjuration Of The Spectral Empire over Deathcult For Eternity. The tone on the latter is slightly irritating to my ears, and the former is overal more enjoyable to me. I do believe it's slightly overrated, as I don't even consider it do be their best, but it's damn good, that's for sure.

The Chasm Conjuration Of The Spectral Empire could be the best Death Metal album ever made.

 

[crimsonfloyd]

3) Farseeing the Paranormal Abysm (2009)

Average points per vote: 5.7/8

First place votes: 2 (Ozzman, TechnicalBarbarity)

FARSEEING THE PARANORMAL ABYSM
I didn't always love this album but it has grown on me and I'm going to rank it fairly highly because it stands out in their discography for being a slight departure from their usual style without being below par for it. This is The Chasm at their most soundscapey, with every other song a gargantuan instrumental. It's the soundtrack to a long and sorrowful journey through a senseless world, and I guess that's what all of The Chasm is about really, but this might be the dreariest of all their albums, between the mournful, doomy epics like Vault to the Voyage and the closer, and the absence of those so-characteristic euphoric climaxes, you know the ones. Maybe it's not their tightest release, but I can forgive this journey a few detours because the final destination is one of the most monumental fucking closing tracks in all of metal.

4. Farseeing the Paranormal Abysm

Like Pompey said, this is The Chasm at their most soundscapey and calculated, but shit, what a sound it is. The production is a big factor in why I like this so much, everything sounds so massive and it lends it a unique atmosphere. "Fiery Rebirth" is unfortunately a weak and unengaging track, but everything else ranges from good to great. The closing track is the "Det Som Engang Var" of death metal - an absolutely torturous and despair-ridden but incredibly vivid and beautiful journey.

Killing tracks: "Callous Spectre/Vehement Opposition", "Structure of the Séance", "Vault to the Voyage", "The Mission/Arrival to Hopeless Shores" 9.25/10

Oh God. Farseeing the Paranormal Abysm is like, one of the best death metal albums since like, idk dude.

NO KARL! NO PROBLEM!

 

[crimsonfloyd]

2) Procession to the Infraworld (2000)

Average points per vote: 6.2/8

First place votes: 4 (Slayed Necros, CiG, Onder, HamburgerBoy)

Procession is a sluggish work that falls in line far moreso with regular death metal.

Procession to the Infraworld is a perfect album and my favorite by the band. I like that it's well-written but not long-winded like most of their albums. Not that I mind that either but I feel like they're able to achieve much more focus in the album's 40 minute length.

2. Procession to the Infraworld

To quote a previous post of mine: I prefer to call it a step to the side, while being perhaps just a miniscule step down (from Deathcult). A rare case of a band streamlining their sound without losing much of anything. While being more aggressive and compact in its compositions, it still fundamentally channels everything that makes Deathcult so amazing. The atmosphere, melancholy and labyrinthine compositions are still there but just reigned in. Possibly Corchado's finest vocal outing as well, even if they are slightly less passionate than those on Deathcult.

Killing tracks: All, but especially "Spectral Sons of the Mictlan", "The Scars of my Journey", "Cosmic Landscapes of Sorrow", "Storm of Revelations" 10/10

 

[crimsonfloyd]

1) Deathcult for Eternity: The Triumph (1998)

Average points per vote: 6.4/8

First place votes: 7 (Krow, Mort Divine, Anom@nder Rake, challenge_everything, Phylactery, no country for old wainds, crimsonfloyd)

It took me a few listens before I liked The Chasm, then one night I listened to Deathcult for Eternity laying down in the dark and now they are my favorite death metal band.

This album would be good - it has some ruling riffs - if it weren't for the fact that it's:

1 - Out of tune.

2 - Filled with 80's-porn-glam-rock-cheese-solos-of-skidding-forward-on-your-knees-death

3 - Amongst the most pretentious things in the history of recorded music. Funnier because it's out of tune pretention.

4 - They do the Status-Quo guitar shaking thing in unison when they play live.

See, even if you are composing Beethoven-neoclassical-Mozart-Nationalist-Mahler-core, it helps to be in tune.

For all the cool riffs, how is the Chasm not filled with cheese?
How can you talk something up as if it's a Classical masterpiece when it isn't even recorded in tune?

On a different note, I am overplaying The Chasm - Deathcult for Eternity, but I am not getting sick of it, even though I listen to it all the time. Is that a sign that it is a truly great CD? Also, for some reason I tend to tire of black metal CDs quicker than death metal CDs.

Deathcult... has been my most listened to CD over the past year by far, and it's still not lost any of its magic.

 

[Phylactery]

Deathcult and Procession one and two, great result!

 

[crimsonfloyd]

I’m also interested in seeing Crimson’s list as Deathcult is the only one that’s made any of his yearly lists iirc.

If I was doing them today, Farseeing the Paranormal Abysm would probably make the bottom half of my 2009 list. It has definitely grown on me. Procreation of the Inner Temple is a great record and would make my list in most years, but 94 is stacked.

 

[TechnicalBarbarity]

awww shit i just realized that Deathcult isnt on my list. #6 for me. Anyway we can fix this? Shouldn't be that big of a deal since the rest of my rankings don't change.

 

[crimsonfloyd]

awww shit i just realized that Deathcult isnt on my list. #6 for me. Anyway we can fix this? Shouldn't be that big of a deal since the rest of my rankings don't change.

Fixed. Dropped Deathcult from a 6.8 average to a 6.4 average. Procession stays at 6.2.

 

[TechnicalBarbarity]

Gracias compa!

yeah if i was trying to skew the ratings i would have bumped Procession up to the #1 spot. But no way i would rank it above Farseeing ... which i think is far and away their best.

 

[challenge_everything]

Love the quote about 80s porn glam rock cheese solos

As much as I love Deathcult, it's not entirely misplaced

 

[Onder]

I'll blast Deathcult to celebrate its victory. (y)

Also, let this thread never die.

Let's order their individual riffs based on how thrashy they are or something.