Since its first steps into the underground, Chasmdweller has been a name that I’ve kept a sharp eye on and I cannot express to you how happy I am to have been a witness to this band’s journey from virtually day one. Their rise and evolution are all but undeniable as they now deservedly have their own cult following that is as devout as such an act could ask for with their constant and consistent assaults over the last four years offering us new testaments of what it means to really hone your sound to a deadly degree even as you branch out to discover new avenues. As time has gone on, Chasmdweller has become more integrated into the realm of death metal with their latest creation one that sees them feeling more at home than ever with their prolific power on full display without so much as a moment of hesitation within these seven tracks.

When we’re dealing with a band that has become as voracious and all-consuming as Chasmdweller has in recent years, it can be difficult to pin them down or even really guess where exactly they’re headed to next even if we’re dealing with an act like this that manages to put out at least one new piece of material every year. Such a constant rate of releases can lead to a diminished quality or an unfulfilling sound, but Chasmdweller has proven many times over by now that they’re far from any sort of act that leaves anything on the table be it quality, power, or straight ferocity. In no record is that clearer than their most recent assault upon all things in this world, “Blood Vortex”. Whereas previous iterations of Chasmdweller had some sort of doom metal element to their sound that added a certain flavor to the already-caustic mix, we see Chasmdweller follow its recent trend of falling ever further into the realms of death metal as this well-accomplished duo continues to push deeper into those fiery depths where naught but the licking of those red flames provide the light the likes of which fans of the duo’s sibling act, Malgoth, will surely be enthusiastic about. Still wielding more than enough pummeling riffage throughout the seven tracks to keep you hooked in place lest Chasmdweller carves off more of your flesh, Chasmdweller’s slow descent into the most forsaken levels of depravity as their ascent through the underground hasn’t been anything to ignore for years now, but it has got to be like “Blood Vortex” that the truth has become all but obvious: this is a name that demands the attention of anyone who considers themselves any sort of proper underground connoisseur.

Even as the rolling of time continues forth, we are lucky enough to be treated to a few constants in our world of metal even as the underground proceeds to do whatever it may from one day to the next. It’s humbling to know that Chasmdweller is one constant that we’ve been able to rely on for years now with their output always something worthy of stopping for a real investigation, and that proves to be no different in any form with all that went into “Blood Vortex”. Nothing can stop Chasmdweller now, and one can only dare fathom what will be summoned forth on the band’s next assault upon the living.

LISTEN to “Blood Vortex” on Bandcamp here.

FOLLOW Chasmdweller on Instagram here.