01. Vire’s Arc
02. In Halfsight, The Dustplanes
03. The Untwined One
04. Watcher Over His Own
05. ...And The Mason Wept
06. Wanthriven
07. In Gloom's Gorge
08. The Greyleer

The Skorian // The Greyleer is a two-way split, the concept of which is just as compelling as it is complex.

Mefitis are a death metal duo masterminded by Pendath and Vatha. The band was established back in 2007, but had quite a turbulent start to their career which even led to a brief hiatus between 2010 and 2014. In fact, it wouldn't be until 12 years after their formation that the band would eventually release their full-length debut Emberdawn. Having established themselves in a prominent position on the extreme end of the metal spectrum, the band went on to release their sophomore Offscourings in 2021. Now, they return 3 years later to present their third full-length offering, The Skorian // The Greyleer. If you judge an album by a gorgeous cover art such as this, then you might expect something epic and melodic, and that this album can be at times, but there's also a lot more going on beyond that.

The dual title of The Skorian // The Greyleer indicates two split halves that were recorded at separate times in different studio locations. However, both parts reflect each other and can be appreciated conceptually as a whole. Mefitis self-describe their music as dark metal that's dedicated to venturing the shadowy depths and desolate expanses of musical expression. Once again, in this parallel world out of time itself, the band manages to push the boundaries of extreme metal even further than before. Here, the duo take their ambitious songwriting approach to staggering new heights, where the fusion of metal genres such as symphonic, black, death, progressive, and thrash is constantly within their grasp. The duo have certainly worked out a way to craft multiple genres and musical styles at once without overstepping the mark, which is quite some achievement, I'd say.

The duo present a fine display of instrumentation here, from marvellous guitar solos to incredible bass solos, plus drumming that's often complex, sometimes stylish, and that's before the furious blast beats emerge. Riffs vary from dissonant blackened tremolos to classic OSDM slamming, and also from rapid, ultra-technical thrash to melodic heaviness. The vocals are as equally diverse as the instrumentation, varying from harsh blackened howls and shrieks to monstrous death growls and powerful wailing cleans, with some additional symphonic backing chants. There are very few repetitive moments throughout the album, and you'll find no song here sounds the same; in fact, you can easily get lost within this labyrinth of structural chaos. There are twists and turns every which way possible, and with each listen you'll unlock new doors and discover new hidden paths, and so the cycle will begin all over again.

The Skorian // The Greyleer is indeed a split record, but you really wouldn't think of it that way, as it simply flows as one. It's not the easiest album to digest by any means though, which is expected, and many of the great hooks are hidden within, but you simply can't deny how very well thought through and composed the songwriting is, and that can also be said for the impeccable and masterfully arranged production. Saying that, I believe Mefitis may well have outdone themselves here. Their ambition and creativity is something to behold, but I'm really not sure if they'll be able to match this level of creativity they've achieved here again. Perhaps they'll surprise us again in the future, but for now, let's stop and focus on what treasures they've hidden under the surface of this beast.

Performance:	8
Songwriting:	7
Originality:	9
Production:	8