Review by Ben for Chasm, The - The Scars of a Lost Reflective Shadow (2022)

The Chasm are one of those bands that I've checked out many times, but have never been grabbed by their work the way the constant praise they receive suggests I should be. This latest offering seemed like a perfect opportunity to really dive into one of their releases and hopefully find the treasures that have been avoiding me to date. Sadly, that hasn't turned out to be the case. While this is a very solid album, with consistently decent riffs and a few 4 star tracks, it lacks anything particularly impressive that would explain the fandom. I reckon I've listened to the album about 10 times, and I still find it difficult to call anything a real highlight. The riffs are the obvious strength, and every track has at least one that makes you pay attention, but both the vocals and drums are generally lacking in power and effectiveness. Antonio León's drumming in particular can only be described as pedestrian, getting bogged down in a simple one - two beat for much of the album. If there had been more creativity and variety in that department, then some of these songs may have forced their way beyond mildly enjoyable and into the realm of must listen. As things are though, well, I'm still keen to hear more of what the band has to offer, but I can't say I'm particularly excited to keep The Scars of a Lost Reflective Shadow on my playlist.