Drowning blasts forth as the second single from Brisbane doom/sludge/post outfit CHASSM.
CHASSM are a forward thinking post-metal duo, who balance progressive compositions with bleak, creative riff work drawing from post-rock, sludge, doom, and black metal. At times, the crust-ridden tone draws similarities to Fall of Efrafa and His Hero Is Gone. Yet in the same breath, listeners are hurled into blasting segments in a style akin to a gruesome, sludgier version Deafheaven or Russian Circles. Some might even detect an echo of early Mastodon’s progressive murk.
Miserable, bludgeoning and intricate, Drowning blasts forth as the second single from Falling Forever. The song opens with a fuzzed flurry of licks and eviscerating snare drums, all the while trampling toward a miasma of uniquely forlorn guitarwork. The instrumental structure has the faintest tinge of early 00s screamo, yet the punishing drums, grimy tone and militant delivery encrusts it in both doom and filth.
“The lyrics for Drowning can be interpreted in a lot of ways,” says Lee. “I’m not specifically going to talk about it because it is personal, but this music should make you feel hopeless, depressed and a great deal of grief. Hopefully it brings up some memories or thoughts of current issues in your life that probably don’t want to think about at all. Sad song.”
In many ways, Falling Forever is a love-letter to some of the greatest metal of the past decade, scratching an itch that some might not have felt since picking up their first crust punk or black metal record many moons ago.
CHASSM successfully capture the fire and feeling of metal from the past three decades, adding a flicker of inventiveness which contemporary acts all too often fail to ignite. And others are taking note. Though the band is young, they’ve already supported a number of heavyweight international acts, including Sasquatch, Bongzilla, Yawning Man and Crowbar.
For us at Art As Catharsis, CHASSM represent nothing less than the most exciting heavy act to come out of the Australian underground in many years.
CHASSM’s second single, ‘Drowning’, is available for streaming now. Their debut LP, Falling Forever, releases on June 24 via Bandcamp.
