ALBUM REVIEW: Krystl-Ah – Mephorash
Over the course of the last decade, Sweden’s MEPHORASH have come to be one of the most celebrated purveyors of atmospheric and experimental black metal, standing alongside bands like SCHAMMASCH and CULT OF FIRE at the forefront of the more avant-garde and grandiose corners of the genre. Although the band has been active since 2010, it wasn’t until the release of their third album, 1557- Rites Of Nullification, in 2015 that they finally hit their stride musically, bringing together sharp, melodic black metal with a bombastic, almost orchestral musical backdrop to lend the Uppsala-based five piece a powerful sound that is quite unlike any other band within the genre. Their latest, fifth album, Krystl-Ah, takes the excellent sound of 1557 and 2019’s Shem Ham Mephorash and develops it even further, subtly shifting away from the darker and more sinister aspects of their sound in the process.
Krystl-Ah, with its ominous, ritualistic percussion and hypnotic vocals, kicks things off in grandiose and immersive fashion, slowly introducing the black metal elements as it progresses and creating a powerful and ponderous sound which sees the coarse vocals clash with the slick melodicism of the guitars for a beguiling but belligerent start that blends aggression and aura with ease. Gnosis utilises cleaner guitar tones and angelic backing vocals to develop a lighter sound that sees the darker components – notably the throaty, growling vocals – begin to creep into the music later on. The soaring, confident swagger of the riffs adds a catchier edge to the mix, amplifying the bombastic nature of the song’s core atmosphere, an element that remains even when the more energetic and visceral second half of the track finally hits full gear, and once again making for a varied and progressive slab of black metal.
Catoptrophilia, a relatively short and punchy effort in comparison to what preceded it, picks up seamlessly where the previous track left off, with the repetitive chants accompanied by minimalistic, droning guitars and searing vocals. It’s peppered with majestic licks and authoritative drumming, accentuating the underlying grandness whilst still having one foot firmly planted within black metal. Soma Yoni, with its cinematic, spartan sound, draws upon this same well of dark ambience to craft a murky, shroud-like backdrop to what turns out to be an incredibly bellicose and driven track, with thunderous, intricate drums and animated vocal performances alongside denser and adventurous guitar work. It transforms what has until this point been a fairly reserved and cavernous record into a fierce one, finally shedding the vast majority of the sanguine passages in favour of something sinister.
Chrysallís begins with a haunting piano motif, but quickly reverts to the sonorous chants, polished hooks and arid vocals, serving as a continuation of the cacophonous and weightier sound that was present on the previous offering, whilst leaving plenty of room for spacey and eerie keyboard flourishes which play a fairly central role. I Am follows in a similar vein to the last song, with the keyboards veering between gargantuan sections and gothic pomp as the blackened side of the music matches the expansive and dramatic twist that the keys provide. The vocals especially are eclectic, ranging from bestial snarls through to booming baritones, and they act as a caustic anchor around which the lighter, avant-garde touches at play within this song are interwoven.
The album’s final track, Mephoriam, pushes the bombastic elements of MEPHORASH‘s sound to the forefront, and it is another slow-burning, hypnotic affair that manages to remain fairly engrossing even though it’s close to 20 minutes long. It gradually introduces the heavier and more rabid parts of the music as it progresses, not fully leaning into the faster and vicious elements as much as it could have and ebbing and flowing between meatier moments and ambience-drenched interludes to create an air of suspense that is never fully delivered upon.
Krystl-Ah builds upon the many strengths of Shem Ham Mephorash, whilst pushing the band’s sound into new territories. Much of the heaviness that was present on the preceding album has been stripped back, allowing the cinematic and grandiose sound that underpins MEPHORASH‘s more recent musical output to come more prominently to the fore and suggesting a slight shift away from the core black metal elements that are still present in their sound. With each album, MEPHORASH only seem to go from strength to strength, and if this record is anything to go by, their sound is not only being perfected, it’s gradually shifting towards something even more epic and immersive.
Rating: 8/10
Krystl-Ah is out now via Shadow Records/Regain Records.
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