
Is there a chance to rewind our fate?
-- Hexa Mera --
17/03/2023
Stijn Daneels

Album genres:
■ | Melodic death metal |
■ | Groove metal |
Album artists:
■ | Yannick Schmit | Vocals |
■ | Jan Huygens | Guitar |
■ | Mathias Vergaelen | Guitar |
■ | Niels Van Roy | Bass |
■ | Vassili Golfidis | Drums |
Review
written by Stijn “Metal Shredder” Daneels.
[METAL SHREDDER REPORTING]
Hexa Mera
is a band I’ve been following closely since 2017 with me and guitarist Jan
corresponding with each other on a frequent basis. Their 2017 album
“Enlightenment” was one hell of a ride and while I didn’t review that album, I
did review their 2021 standalone single “Consecration” which was another great
tune from the band (read my review here: https://www.belgianmetalshredder.be/reviews/315).
And now Jan
and the guys asked me to check out their new full-length called “Methuselarity
Pt. 1.” Does it hold up to its predecessors? Well, let’s shred our way through this
one and find out!
[SHREDDING BASICS]
Hexa Mera’s
“Methuselarity Pt. 1” is the band’s third album and is released independently.
The album
opens up with the energetic riffs of “Schizophobic” with Yannick’s usual gravely
growls roaring slightly in the background. It’s quite a catchy tune overall and
a more than solid opener to this album. Then comes “Crownless” and this track
features some sudden but well-timed tempo changes wherein catchy guitars tag
team with galloping sections.
Next up is “Mauersturm”
a song that didn’t differ much from the previous two songs except for that
sweet guitar solo in the middle part. Same goes for the follow-up “Mnemosyne,”
a song that features hard-hitting drums as its main attraction but other than
that nothing that really stands out for me.
The sweet
Hexa Mera catchiness returns with “Goliath,” with the latter part in particular
being a sweet marriage of fast beats, harsh vocals and beautiful melodies. And
the album’s final track, “Lilith” further builds on that for an excellent ending
to an overall very nice full-length.
What I've always
loved about Hexa Mera is that underneath the frantic riffs and growling vocals
there’s a deep philosophical message and a lot of melody and structure and this
is, once more, certainly the case in “Methuselarity Pt. 1." One difference I did
notice between “Methuselarity Pt. 1” and its predecessor “Enlightenment” is
this new album has a slightly slower pace and puts more emphasis on the melodic
guitar play and the philosophical lyrics. There are, however, still parts
wherein Hexa Mera puts on some speed (like certain parts of tracks like
“Crownless” and “Goliath”).
While I enjoy
this direction Hexa Mera is going for, I do still slightly prefer the more
frantic and aggressive feel of “Enlightenment.” In this new album I miss a
throat ripper like “Dare To Know,” an vicious anthem like “Union” or the
catchiness of “The Andromorphic Principle.” In addition, while I’ve found the
production to be as crisp and clear as ever, it did miss a certain punch and
beefiness compared to the “Enlightenment” album.
[SHREDDING VISION]
First and
foremost, for those don’t know what the hell methuselarity is (like I did until
I looked it up), the term is a blend of Methuselah (a biblical figure who,
according to legend, had lived for over 900 years) and singularity. Basically, methuselarity
refers to possible point in time wherein mankind will no longer have to die
from age-related or other natural causes thanks to various scientific and medical
innovations. Instead, humanity could only die from unnatural causes like
homicide or a severe accident.
And of
course, Hexa Mera asks themselves (and, indirectly, us as well) whether
humanity should have the means to achieve what’s basically immortality. Sure, it’s
a dream mankind has been striving for since time immemorial just as we once
desired to fly or go to the moon. And like Jeff Goldblum famously said in the first
Jurassic Park movie, it’s not a matter of whether we could, but rather whether
we should. The answer to that question remains to be seen and Hexa Mera neither
supports or condemns this philosophy, leaving it all up to you, the listener,
to make up your own conclusions.
The artwork
of “Methuselarity Pt. 1” features a bearded man performing some alchemic experiment/religious
rite in a room that looks either like a lab or an altar. Once again it’s Hexa
Mera artwork that leaves a lot for self-interpretation, but the main element is
still here. A human being in the middle and since Hexa Mera’s songs all deal
with humanity and all its aspects, it’s obvious that a homo sapiens should grace
the center of the album.

[SHARPEST SHREDS & BLUNTEST BLADES]
My favorites
for me are the album’s opening track “Schizophobic” and ending track “Lilith.” For
me, starting strong and ending strong(er) are two of the most important
elements that decide whether I just like an album or truly enjoy it. And in
both songs Hexa Mera balances their raw inner beast with their melodic inner beauty
to deliver two catchy tunes.
And for me,
the tracks “Mauersturm” and “Mnemosyne” are the weakest on the album. Unlike
the other songs on this release they didn’t got stuck into my head unlike Hexa
Mera songs usually do. Don’t get me wrong, both songs got a couple of shining
moments but in the grand scheme of things, they simply lagged behind the rest
of the bunch. But Hexa Mera made the smart decision to put both tracks in the middle
of the album and putting forth their best in the beginning and end and that’s
where it counts the most in my opinion. So while “Methuselarity Pt. 1” isn’t
quite Hexa Mera’s greatest achievement (that honor remains for the “Enlightenment”
album for the time being) I do believe this album deserves…
[SHREDDER’S SCORECARD]
8 immortals
out of 10. While I still prefer the band’s previous “Enlightenment” album over
this new one, Hexa Mera has once again unleashed a very entertaining
full-length album that, for the most part, successfully mixes speed and
aggression with melody and philosophy to provide, what I prefer to call, thinking
man’s death metal.