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International death/funeral doom metal act Mesmur have returned to release their fourth album, entitled Chthonic. The album will be released on 14 April via the collaboration between Solitude Productions and Aesthetic Death. The title is based on the Greek word for "underworld", and where the band's previous albums have explored themes of cosmic entropy and earthly apocalypse, Chthonic looks to the spirit world for its inspiration. Formed as a collection of paranormal horror tales, it speaks of fabled entities making contact through the veil of sleep, summoning prey to subterranean depths, or haunting a post-apocalyptic landscape.
Musically, the album continues the trajectory that Mesmur have established through previous works. Featuring viola and cello performances from Brianne Vieira and guest organ from Kostas Panagiotou of UK funeral doom act Pantheist (for whom Jeremy and John of Mesmur recently contributed guitars and drums on their 2021 record Closer To God), Chthonic strikes a careful balance between melody and dissonance as it displays its haunted imagery. Crushing doom riffs are overlain with ethereal synths and cavernous vocals to build a dark and vivid atmosphere. The intricate compositions utilize a narrative approach influenced as much by 70s progressive rock as by extreme doom metal. Like the band's previous two releases, the album features beautifully eerie and vibrant cover art from Ukrainian painter Vladislav Cadaversky.
Initially started in 2013 as a side project of Jeremy Lewis and John Devos (of progressive black metal act Dalla Nebbia), Mesmur is an international collection of musicians with a shared artistic goal to create immersive and unpredictable death/funeral doom metal. Dense, with a vivid atmosphere that carries a constant sense of foreboding and unease, and with riffs and melodies that straddle the line between accessibility and obscurity, Mesmur's music draws inspiration from a diverse set of influences ranging from Esoteric and Ea to King Crimson and Univers Zero. Tracklist and cover artwork of the new album are unveiled and available below. Link
Chthonic tracklist:
01. Chthonic (Prelude)
02. Refraction
03. Petroglyph
04. Passage
05. Chthonic (Coda)
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