MesmuR are an international act, consisting of experienced (I mean that these musicians participate in different -often well-known- bands as well) members from Italy, the U.S. and Australia (and in the past, also from Norway). They did three albums in the past: the self-titled debut in 2014 (Code666), S in 2017 (via Solitude Prod.), and Terrene in 2019 (also via Solitude Prod.). Then things went silent for a long period, but drummer John, bass player Michele, guitarist / keyboardist / song-writer / lyricist Jeremy and singer Chris did record a fourth epos under the working title Chthonic.
When the better part was recorded, Jeremy took care of the mix. The whole got eventually mastered by Evgeny Semenov at the fine Slow Burn Studio. For the third time, the band signed to Solitude Prod. for the physical release; this time, however, that physical (and digital) release comes in a partnership with Aesthetic Death. The result is a three-folded (or six-panel) digipack, coming with really intriguing cover artwork by, once again, Vladislav ‘Cadaversky’: a futuristic and ominous drawing in fifty shades of green.
Chthonic consists of three very lengthy epics (in between about eleven and nineteen minutes), and an intro and outro. These two tracks, the intro Chthonic (Prelude) and the outro Chthonic (Coda), come with guest assistance of Kostas Panagiotou of Pantheïst / Towards Atlantis Lights / ex-Aphonic Threnody fame (performing the organ in both pieces). John and Jeremy, for your information, are part of the new Pantheïst line-up, so it somehow makes sense, does it not?!
Father, answer me / Why do we dwell in such misery / Absolve our sins / We don’t belong here / Why… father, are we here? With Chthonic, MesmuR explore the dimensions of spirituality and even introspection in a symbolic, horror-laden sense, rather than supernatural and cosmic questions, and all this through their characteristic wall of oppressive, bleak, mystic and nostalgic Funeral Doom. Still veiled within a cavernous sound and injected by some psychedelic, then again esoteric elements, this album captivates and intoxicates.
The album starts with the short introduction Chthonic (Prelude), being an instrumental piece (with Kostas performing organ, as mentioned in the former paragraph) that clocks (only) two minutes. It’s an opener in the best tradition of timeless Funeral Doom / Atmospheric Doom-Death Metal, like a confident teaser for much more yet to follow. And indeed, as from Refraction, all bright colors get absorbed by an abyssal darkness. A colossal amalgam of four- and six-stringed guitars and a devastating scala on thunderous drums and pounding percussions open a portal to a gloomy dimension of unfathomable bleakness. Many changes in structure and tempo appear and reappear, organically and well-balanced. Soon the voices join: first some whispered ones, yet the essence of the vocal part is based on an ultimately ghastly throat. Also the use of keyboards, especially atmospheric and mesmeric, sometimes even unworldly (including hints of spacy analgesia), adds that transcendental level of profound finesse. Also remarkable is the variation behind the drum-work: most of the time it assists and supports through rumbling beats, yet sometimes things seem to burst into a blasting avalanche, then again it’s like a progressive play. That rather weird, progressive approach gets translated as well through certain riffs, like the opening sequence of Petroplyph (which somehow reminds me of Abstract Spirit). This song also comes with another excellent element, i.e. the cello (performed by some Brianne Vieira), giving the whole a slight hint of My Dying Bride on a few excerpts. The psychedelic intermezzo at about seven minutes is another unique detail (it’s actually more than just ‘a detail’, but you get the point, I guess); hypnotic semi-acoustic strings, haunting synths, droning riffs, eccentric drum patterns, and adjuring growls, canalized into a fragment of opiating twists. Passage (18:55 minutes!) is like the magnum opus, delving deep into those lightless pits where early Ahab or Mournful Congregation float around. It starts harmoniously yet oppressive, with a claustrophobic attitude. Here too, the injection of ethereal and mesmerizing synth, the grandiose variation in drum patterns (with some sudden discordant outbursts), and the multi-faceted guitar-levels typify an insightful craftsmanship. Amazing more than once, are the low-pitched vocals, once in a while with an echoing effect, as well as the acoustic intermezzi (including violin / viola; sometimes creating a soothing, calming effect, yet maintaining a sense of prog-ambient-like mental coil). Then everything seems to fade away into an endless emptiness, a bottomless pit of isolationism and nostalgia, through the instrumental symphony Chthonic (Coda). It’s a warming yet still desolate outro, based on synth and organ, with a hint of fairylike beauty, eventually joined by ethereal melodious guitar leads and subtle percussions. Ah, it makes you dream of getting rid of gravity, floating through endless spaces beyond mortality’s restrictions…
For fans of: Mournful Congregation, Colosseum, Abstract Spirit, Ahab, Esoteric, Evoken, Profetus and the likes…
https://aestheticdeath.bandcamp.com/album/chthonic-2
https://www.aestheticdeath.com/releases.php?mode=singleitem&albumid=5799
https://solitudeproductions.bandcamp.com/album/chthonic
https://solitude-prod.com/releases/solitude-productions/mesmur-chthonic/
https://mesmur.bandcamp.com/album/chthonic
https://www.concreteweb.be/reviews/panthe%C3%AFst
https://www.instagram.com/vladcadaversky/