GMD Poll: The Chasm's Discography Ranked

[The Ozzman]

I can't imagine sitting through every Soilwork album is as bad as sitting through even half of Saint Vitus' albums. What I've heard of Soilwork is solid.

 

[Dak]

I wouldn’t mind Insomnium that much but there’s no fucking we that I could sit through every Soilwork album and I really doubt I’m the only one.

Just put the one or three or whatever you wouldn't sit through at the bottom. #lifehack. Or skip it, like I'm skipping the Chasm.

 

[The Ozzman]

Or skip it, like I'm skipping the Chasm.

But u can't skip. Dey are literally best band evar! The in crowd wil shun uuuu

 

[CiG]

If you don't like Saint Vitus I can imagine how sitting through their entire discog would be fucked because they never drastically changed styles or anything, whereas my fucking god does Soilwork jump around with some legitimately plummeting quality. I remember digging their first couple of albums, especially the first, but much of their later material is quite awful.

 

[The Ozzman]

but much of their later material is quite awful.

Did you listen to the last two albums? There's some really good stuff on there. A Predator's Portrait through Stabbing the Drama is the best period though.

Bands I would like to see for polls:

Nile
Suffocation
Cannibal Corpse
Metal Church
Obituary
Anthrax
Malevolent Creation
Queensryche
Dream Theater
Immortal



Jungle Rot
Trivium
Killswitch Engage

 

[CiG]

A Predator's Portrait

Oof I remember that album being really really terrible.

Did you listen to the last two albums?

I did but only bits and bobs. I mostly remember that 2015 album and thinking it was terrible. Never been a fan of post-metallic hardcore era metalcore and groove metal is one of my least favourite genres in metal, so combined makes for a shitty experience.

This is the stuff I don't mind:

 

[The Ozzman]

Those are actually the two albums I still need to check out

 

[CiG]

Bands I would like to see for polls:

Nile
Suffocation
Cannibal Corpse
Metal Church
Obituary
Anthrax
Malevolent Creation
Queensryche
Dream Theater
Immortal
Jungle Rot
Trivium
Killswitch Engage

I'm down.

 

[Dak]

especially the first, but much of their later material is quite awful.

They had a drop in quality with Stabbing the Drama and Sworn to a Great Divide, but they turned it around since then imo. But it's probably not your style.

 

[CiG]

I wouldn't care that much if we did a Soilwork game though, as long as their albums are all available free somewhere I'd do it just for the kicks.

 

[The Ozzman]

I'm down.

Thought you only liked the first two Jungle Rot..?

 

[CiG]

Thought you only liked the first two Jungle Rot..?

Many people count the Skin the Living demo as an album because it got reissued later on and repackaged as an album, so if I count that I'd say I love their first 3 albums. Fueled by Hate was cool but a drop for me. Then I thought the following albums were kinda meh, not shit but not essential.

I recently checked out their new album though after seeing you post it a bunch of times and I loved it, so I guess for me they're relevant again. A discog game would give me an excuse to explore those middle period albums though.

 

[The Ozzman]

Many people count the Skin the Living demo as an album because it got reissued later on and repackaged as an album, so if I count that I'd say I love their first 3 albums. Fueled by Hate was cool but a drop for me. Then I thought the following albums were kinda meh, not shit but not essential.

I recently checked out their new album though after seeing you post it a bunch of times and I loved it, so I guess for me they're relevant again. A discog game would give me an excuse to explore those middle period albums though.

I consider Skin the Living an album so when I said 'first two', I meant that and Slaughter the Weak. Everything up through What Horrors Await is awesome imo. Out of the last four, the new album and Terror Regime absolutely crush.

@Dak is also digging the new Jungle Rot. It's definitely a nod to their old school shit.

 

[CiG]

I consider Skin the Living an album so when I said 'first two', I meant that and Slaughter the Weak.

Oh okay, well in the past when I said anything about their "first two" I was referring to Slaughter the Weak and Dead and Buried. Skin the Living is my absolute fave of their material though.

That new album definitely crushes.

 

[Onder]

Ok this is the ranking right now, I won't have any more time until sunday.

1 2000 Procession to the Infraworld Full-length
2 1998 Deathcult for Eternity: The Triumph Full-length
3 1994 Procreation of the Inner Temple Full-length
4 2017 A Conscious Creation from the Isolated Domain - Phase I Full-length
5 2009 Farseeing the Paranormal Abysm Full-length
6 1995 From the Lost Years... Full-length
7 2004 The Spell of Retribution Full-length
8 2002 Conjuration of the Spectral Empire Full-length

 

[The Ozzman]

Going to espada's sister's wedding, I see

 

[HamburgerBoy]

In case I don't get around to the last two albums and forget:

1. Procession to the Infraworld - 7/10, consistent and high quality
2. Conjuration of the Spectral Empire - 6/10, not so consistent but still a strong attempt
3. Procreation of the Inner Temple - 5/10, messy and all over the place but the highs are close to their other albums, and two of the weakest songs are apparently demo tracks pinned on anyways
4. Deathcult for Eternity: The Triumph - 4/10, if they cut out all the Emperor shit and tightened up this could have been at least on par with the top 2
5. The Spell of Retribution - 4/10, thrash does not work for them, comes off as repetitious
6. From the Lost Years... - 3/10, borderline incompetent and very wimpy, almost reminds me more of Macrocosmic Emotions than anything anyone should take seriously

 

[no country for old wainds]

you should at least check out farseeing, i’m kind of curious whether you’d like or hate it tbh. it’s not quite like anything else they did, for good or ill.

 

[TechnicalBarbarity]

"thrash does not work for them" and puts their thrashiest album at the #2 spot

 

[Phylactery]

1. Deathcult for Eternity: The Triumph

Hard to put into words how I feel about this album and the effect it has on me. Such an arcane, mystical and otherworldly atmosphere. This is their most consistently amazing album where every single song has at least one incredible section that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand. There's a distinct lack of any death metal conventions here, instead The Chasm take their influences and create something totally unique. The songs are relatively short, but The Chasm's mastery of dynamics and building and exploiting of climaxes give them an epic quality. A dark and haunting but incredibly vivid trip into the cosmos and depths of despair. The best death metal album I've ever heard, and I've heard hundreds if not thousands.

Killing tracks: Every single one of them, but especially "Revenge Rises/Drowned in the Mournful Blood", "A Portal to Nowhere", "Possessed by Past Tragedies", "Apocalypse", "In Superior Torment". 10/10

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

3. Conjuration of the Spectral Empire

I love this album title and this has always sounded almost regal to me. This is much more standard than anything they previously did, and it somewhat lacks in the emotional quality of the previous two that make them so special to me, instead focusing on going for the jugular with its riffing. There is some excess fat that could be trimmed here, but the two instrumentals are monstrous and the epic middle tracks peak so high that it ensures this is towards the top of my rankings.

Killing tracks: "Deathcult Arrival", "Dark Cloud", "Brand the Mournful Liberation", "Travelling Through Chaos", "Procession to the Infraworld" 9.25/10

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

5. From the Lost Years

Wild and all over the place, but I love the atmosphere on this and the first one that I can forgive them for the few missteps they make. This is The Chasm at their most inaccessible with songs being torturous and impenetrable, but it reveals its quality after several listens. This sounds fucking ancient and arcane, like some long lost relic that's been unearthed after centuries.

Killing tracks: "The Gravefiields", "I, the Pastfinder", "Our Time Will Come", "My Tideless Seas" 9/10

6. Procreation of the Inner Temple

Unlistenable?! Fuck that, this is still really good. Even more wild, rough and bizarre than From the Lost Years but not as consistently good.

Killing tracks: "Conqueror of the Morningstar", "Confessions and a Strange Anxiety", "The Day of Liberation" 8/10

7. The Spell of Retribution

Conjuration part 2 except this is more bloated and in need of more fat trimming. In fact, I honesty think this could have a good 20 minutes chopped of it and it would be better for it. I feel bad ranking it this low as it does feature incredibly high peaks, but there's just too much directionless and almost techy riffing in its weaker tracks that I find unengaging. "The Eclipse: Monument to the Empire" is one of the best tracks they ever wrote.

Killing tracks: "From the Curse, a Scourge/ The Omnipotent Codex", "Retribution of the Lost Years", "The Eclipse: Monument to the Empire" 8/10

8. A Conscious Creation From the Isolated Domain

A directionless riff fest that still manages to be entertaining on the strength of its riffs. Instead of building to a climax or releasing the tension its building, this just layers riffs on top of more riffs without really going anywhere. None of the songs here are as good as the instrumentals from previous albums.
7.5/10

I had written more but when I tried to post it, it logged me out and I lost it. Oh well.

I'll also add that this is the best discography that I know, reaching peaks that put most better known metal bands to shame. Daniel Corchado is also one of my favourite death metal vocalists ever, full of character, dynamics and passion. Definitely stands out in the sea of generic, passionless grunters that permeate this genre.

you should at least check out farseeing, i’m kind of curious whether you’d like or hate it tbh. it’s not quite like anything else they did, for good or ill.

I was going to say the same. I think it will either end up towards the top of his rankings, or near the bottom and I am honestly not sure which!