ALBUM REVIEW: Mesker – Knowing the Ending

‘…a record that feels like an excellent first draft, but a first draft nonetheless…’

There is little information to be found on the internet about Mesker. A melodic hardcore band from Oxford, this enigmatic outfit have kept almost all of their online presence squarely focused on their musical releases, giving no peeks behind the curtain. In 2022, they released a debut EP entitled ‘Casual Freedoms’ which seemed to have garnered some underground attention, but even so, there remains a degree of mystery surrounding this outfit.

Three years on, and the band have returned to release their debut LP, ‘Knowing the Ending‘. Once more, there is little information to be discussed about this release that isn’t directly about the music. After a steady stream of pre-release singles, the album was dropped somewhat unceremoniously on the 12th of March, and in some ways, it makes for quite a refreshing album release. No TikTok trend chasing, no viral soundbites, no excessive pandering; Mesker are a band that are about the music, and all about the music.

At little over 23 minutes long, ‘Knowing the Ending‘ is a brisk listen that straddles the line between EP and LP. Despite the short run-time, however, the band have managed to pack this release with eight tracks, and some meaty slabs of melodic hardcore that fans of the genre are certain to get a kick out of. ‘Knowing the Ending‘ and ‘No Drive, No Worries‘ are punchy, driving numbers that barrel down upon the listener with deftly performed instrumentals and aggressive vocals.

‘Human Nature’ is punctured by vicious blast-beats and weighty, distorted guitar performances, leaning more heavily in the hardcore direction of the band’s sound. ‘When the Fabric Frays‘ is an older track from the band, but now polished and tightened up in ways that befit a debut LP track. ‘It Took Everything‘ makes for a pretty great closing statement for the album, with a real atmospheric nature that sees the band embrace a more cinematic sound; the melancholy that lies beneath the album’s overt aggression is allowed space to flourish, and it makes for a cathartic climax.

The central issue of this record, however, is the lack of variety. Vocals remain at roughly the same pitch, style, and inflexion across the entire album, which becomes ultimately a little predictable and, sadly, boring to listen to. They’re not poorly performed, but no single track is delivered in a manner that distinguishes it from the rest; it all remains at a single level of bleak anger, with zero nuance or flow.

Furthermore, the production and mastering is often too flat to make anything truly come to life. The vocals feel buried and muddy, whilst every instrument feel as though they attempt to occupy the same single sonic space. Granted, this does lend the track a gritty and claustrophobic feeling, but at the expense of anything sounding truly interesting; instead of the guitar solos soaring and the bass grabbing at your core, everything feels condensed and compressed into a fuzzy mush that gives nothing chance to shine.

It makes for a record that feels like an excellent first draft, but a first draft nonetheless. The vocals need to be pulled further forwards in the mix, more creative boundaries need to be pushed, and some of the shorter tracks either need more aggression or simply more material. The band simply do not offer enough, which is a real shame as you can sense that this isn’t for a lack of trying; it may well simply be a combination of creative missteps.

There is real potential here, however. Mesker are clearly a collective of talented musicians who know how to write solid melodic hardcore, and for those with a real taste for the genre, ‘Knowing the Ending’ is an album well worth listening to. In the moments when the band truly hit their stride, you cannot help but marvel at their immensity, as their sound pummels the listener with relentless aggression. It may not be a great debut, but there is far worse out there.

RATING: 63/100 – Decent

For Fans Of: Knives Chau Fan Club, Chat Pile, Incaseyouleave,

Follow the band on social media below:

Instagram // Spotify