It's interesting how opinions change on albums over time. I used to think that this was Mephorash's best work and was a pinnacle of religious black metal. After letting it marinate for a few years the record just doesn't have the same weight as it used to.
Mephorash play a meditative style of black metal that has the same structure and flow as a Christian hymn. There is repetition to the point where it bores itself into your brain, there is an atmosphere so thick that a ceremonial knife couldn't cut it, and there is a keen sense of when to be silent and when to let the monstrous swell of the music take over.
As goes as this all sounds, the band doesn't have that "it" factor that allows for a repetitive sound to turn into a meditative state. There are so many moments on the album that sound good to start but after a few minutes of weaving in and out they overstay their welcome. There are exceptions of course, but for the most part this is the experience with Shem Ha Mephorash.
One such exception is the closing track, the epic title track. Its 15 minutes long and goes through many modes and riffs throughout its extensive playtime. Where it really excels though is in the atmosphere. The entire song sounds like a prayer, and not just a generic one you would hear at a mass... this is a desperate plea to any divine being that would listen.
I truly wish that the band had explored more of the sound on the title track than messing around with so many other experiments on the other tracks. That said, I know the band can do better. The album before this 1557, was an absolute killer of an album. I'm still looking forward to what the band has to offer despite this misstep.
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