A jubilant explosion rolls across time and space. It’s the new Mesarthim.
Now, Mesarthim has never been ‘trve kvlt’, and it’s been a long time since the Australian enigma has restrained itself to strictly mysterious and/or sorrowful melodies. In this sense, Arrival is more Harry Styles (Pt 3 is basically As It Was) than Ulver, more Sadness than Deadspace. Indeed, it’s very much a slightly nostalgic summer ode, whether by design or by coincidence. It’s Lustre with synths in space.
The prolific duo’s nearly two-year break has not led to much of a stylistic change, but likewise, it has allowed us listeners to forget a bit about the Space Aussies and rediscover their sound again. And, with good measure. There was a time around 2016-2017 and then again in 2020-2021 when Mesarthim used to release material so often, that it blended into each other, no matter how good or different it all was. And, to be honest, it wasn’t all that different, but it was certainly good.
Although Arrival is very much similar to previous Mesarthim releases, namely The Degenerate Era, it’s proggier and riffier, and the electronics are a lot less overwhelming – more supporting than centre-piece. Though, to be honest, it feels like Mesarthim have backed themselves into a corner. Arrival is the culmination of all of their past permutations, but where could they go from here?
And, does it really matter? Mesarthim doesn’t seem like one of those projects who constantly try to one up their previous releases, to stay relevant, to express, and to impress. They genuinely seem like they just do their own thing, be it niche or not, not caring much for interpretation. It only just so happens that their material is always so pleasant, so pleasing, that there is simply not much of a critique to be levelled at them.
Arrival follows a familiar structure. It starts off with an obligatory intro, followed by two fairly upbeat pieces. Then comes an interlude, after which the real fun commences. Pt 5 is a steady climb towards the top, but the heights reached in Pt 6 are what this album is all about. It has almost too much of everything: riffs, synths, blast beats, and even soaring vocals. Never before had I ever noticed how good Mesarthim’s vocals are – perhaps because they were never really showcased so distinctly.
The second interlude is one of the most beautiful I’d ever heard. If I were to make a compilation of best of intros, outros, and interludes, Pt 7 will be definitely on there, no doubt. The following concluding piece, Type IV, is something quite a bit different. The naming difference reflects onto the overall sound, which has an almost Mystras-esque flair to it. Although meant as a grand finale, I think by far this is the most conventionally “space black metal” part of the record. And, with a length of nearly 17 minutes it even has its own interlude, a space tango tune that leads to the concluding part of the piece, and, by extension, the album. And, what a good ending it is. If it was a singularity I’d gladly jump inside it. Dead or alive, floating in the nothingness for an eternity, I’d be forever happy listening to it.
(10/10 The Flâneur)
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