Review by Death8699 on May 25, 2019.

Follow up release from the album Dawnbringer, this album reflects that of Satanic rock and roll but is considered to fit into the genre of black metal. The lineup consists of Tim on vocals, Brett on guitars, Kyle on guitars, Jeremy on bass and James on drums. I wouldn't consider this band to be within the black metal genre at all except for the vocals sounding a little bit like Legion from Devian/Marduk. There is much to be said about this band that I will orchestrate.

Musically, they have distorted tone guitars with way heavy blues influence to their sound. All of the songs reflect this and aren't very fast paced at all. They have a distinctive groove to them featuring rhythm guitars with a crunch tone to them and heavy rock influence. If there's something to say about this band, it would be that they're highly skilled in achieving their album title as well as a very unique style of black metal that's finely played out.

Every song contains guitars that aren't highly difficult to play if you're a guitarist. They feature palm muted riffs galore mixed with distinctive rhythms that are noteworthy and highly innovative. The lead guitar bits are highly technical and played out with vigor. They suit the rhythms quite well and the vocals are raspy with occasional change ups, but not many. Tempos of the guitars for the most part are like I've mentioned, slow especially on the instrumental track. There's a clean tone guitar mixed with lead bits.

Even the faster tracks are still not that fast like blast beating. The song entitled "Overthrone" is more on the black metal end than the rest of the songs. This band doesn't play anything that's overtly heavy. The distortion on the guitars make them sound more thrash metal based. This is featured throughout the album. Some songs darker than others. Most of them dark though with a little kick to them.

I haven't heard their debut release, so I cannot compare this one to their debut. Something new is here with this album that I have yet to hear which black metal is played with a rock and roll style of guitar rhythms. I'm still perplexed by this. Not many bands that I've heard play like this, but the lyrical contents are mindless. It's not difficult to sing about Satanism. What is difficult is to hear a band play rock and roll style of guitar work with these lyrical concepts.

The mixing/production sound was a little bit flat sounding especially on the drums. But the vocals, guitars, bass, and drums are still in there pretty solid and well mixed together to compliment the album. The production could've been better, but for an underground band, the "raw" sound encompassed the album well to make it into a decent release. I suppose that they made this album with that kind of sound to fit into the overall darker fix to them.

Something's happened here that never does happen with a black metal band and again that's to be that of one who plays guitars with a rock base to them. This album isn't overtly heavy, but highly original and unique. I suppose that you could say Unholy Rock and Roll really fits with the sound of this album. If you're into rock, you may even take a liking to this release. I thought that it was highly unique and noteworthy. They really did a good job with achieving their goal of sounding highly original. Pick this up!

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Review by Faithless on October 11, 2020.

Vast and desolate cosmic landscapes that conjure darkness is what Mesarthim seem to be all about. This atmospheric black metal band is fuzzing harsh sounds with electronic/trance vibes in a primordial soup of existential cosmic concepts. I'm definitely out of my comfort zone here due to the contemplative and experimental approach (electro sounds). Mesarthim takes in their latest album called The Degenerate Era. I also have to say that this is my first time listening to this Australian band and it was a bittersweet experience indeed. What attracted me towards this album and band was the cover art that depicts a bucolic yet dark cosmic landscape; something a'la Lovecraft but more naturalistic. And that’s also the description of this band's music; mysterious and cryptic but at the same time accessible as well as experimental. I think these guys relied too much on the synths/keyboards and left behind the organic sound imprinted in black metal. It sounds watered-down and for most of the album plastic and boring.

The album starts with 'Laniakea' which is divided into Part 1 'The Great Attractor', Part 2 'The Zone of Avoidance' and Part 3 'Dark Energy'. This song transmits beautiful yet eerie atmospheres with surprisingly outstanding electronic sprinkles here and there. 'Laniakea' evokes melancholic existential desperation but contradictorily it sounds uplifting and kind of happy for an atmospheric black metal band. Then, by the end of the track, the vocals kick off with anti-human wrath and loath for all terrestrial beings. This is the longest track in the record and it didn't hook me; it rather made me doubt continuing with the listen. It was a little bit disappointing but I gave it a try to see if it got better. There are some contemplative evocations but there are also aggressive moments loyal to the core of the black metal style. Again, the driving force is the melodies created by the synths.

Then, you have the self-titled track, 'The Degenerate Era'. This song connects smoothly with the previous one and also starts building some eerie atmosphere mixed with doomy parts that makes this piece more interesting than 'Laniakea' in the way that it leads you to something more concrete and less abstract. I know that the whole idea of the record is to transport you into the vastness of space and make you float but I felt more down to earth during the execution of this song. The vocal parts were more generous as well but the best thing was the guitar solo by the end, melodic and well written. However, something that I hated through this song and the whole album was the drumming. I mean, those were awful sounding programmed as hell and fake drums.

After the two first songs, there was not much to say. Next, 'Time Domain' which mixes the electronic passages with atmospheric parts that summon a bodiless experience. Mesarthim's music is ethereal, cryptically beautiful, and cold as the depths of space. Nevertheless, it also sounded very plastic and inorganic, taking too many influences from music programming, and in my opinion that fact ruins the experience big time. The album seems to be connected with a common thread of invisible filaments that end up in a well-written piece of music, the production fits just right into the band's concepts and ideas but lacks the human touch in the rhythmic section. The driving force that moves the album is the keyboards with atmospheric dark melodies and that navigate towards the unknown horizons of vast cosmic seas. You can evidence it during the last two songs called 'Paradox' and '618'.

The lyrical concept of The Degenerate Era focuses on the fact that the destiny of the universe is to be reigned by darkness and emptiness, all stars and celestial bodies in the universe are the prospect to perish. So, the only remnants will be the cosmic corpses of black holes. The night sky we see today will no longer exist, instead replaced by one with fewer and markedly dimmer stars. This concept is quite interesting but also depressing, it caught my attention because the band stays away from occult and satanic esthetics that tend to be cliché in the sub-genre. Embracing instead a much darker and real theme, the destiny of our universe, which is obscure and fits like a glove with the cover art and music the band plays mostly. However, all the “complex” concept becomes just a gimmick if the music is not compelling and that’s the case here with The Degenerate Era.

Wrapping up, I have to confess that atmospheric/ambient black metal bands tend to be dull and boring and I stick more to the aggressive and traditional black metal standards. Although the album did not quite convince me or motivated me to continue digging into the rest of the band's discography, it wasn't as bad as I thought. This music tends to work for specific moods and tastes, so, if you are a fan of bands that are not afraid to experiment a little bit with electronic elements, go ahead. However, if you are a traditional headbanger the experience with Mesarthim's music will be awful because the drums and in general the rhythmic sections are overly produced and programmed. Concept wise it works for me but the music tends to be painfully boring because the band builds too much and ends up in nothing transcendental at all. At the end, it is as if a techno band likes atmospheric black metal not the opposite.

Rating: 4.5 out of 10