Is this record mixed in LCR (every element is either panned left, centre or panned right?) I love how much space the drums leave for the guitars while still being punchy and present. Incredible album.
We typically don’t hard-pan, because each guitar part is fairly different, and can make the mix sound lopsided if there’s too much width. The drums are 100% mono on Emberdawn though. We only had 4 inputs at the time, so there wasn’t enough for stereo overheads, or individual tom tracks that could be panned. We barely knew what we were doing lol, and we were working with a lot of limitations, so it’s a miracle the album turned out the way it did. Thanks for the sharing your thoughts, glad you enjoy our debut. -P.
After listening to both Mefitis albums for a few years, I think I prefer Emberdawn just by hair. This one is still utterly incredible, though. I just prefer the infectious evil howling craziness of Emberdawn. That album is like the cry of an utterly otherworldly evil entering our dimension, while Offscourings is much more introspective and feels more like a journey, perhaps through raging cosmic storms, or a lengthy hibernation period dealing with abstract problems, ponderings and mazes, like the scrambled notes of a wizard hermit. Eitherways the songwriting and riffcraft here is so immense and probably trumps that of Emberdawn. Both records feel like two sides of the same monster and stand out among the most impressive achievements ever in metal. Now the question is, CAN THEY MAKE A THIRD????? tho even with just 2 records Mefitis have carved themselves an impressive legacy. That's more than most bands achieve.
Really appreciate the thoughtful comment and high praise. I’m honored our music could make that kind of impression on you, and that you’re still listening it. Candidly, when I revisit those albums, I “feel” Emberdawn more than Offscourings. While the sophomore is cerebral and more musically ambitious, the debut really captured the way we felt and overall outlook at the time. I’m proud of both though, along with our upcoming release. Will be curious to hear your thoughts on it-we took some stylistic risks, but it’s still Mefitic (perhaps even moreso). Btw, did you hear the Fabricant album, “Drudge to the Thicket”? It’s a very different appeal, but I think it’ll be apparent that the band shares some members! Cheers, -P.
This is exactly the type of album that I wanted to more of after I first discovered Psychostasia as a 19 year old. It's wonderful that someone is finally taking up the mantle of developing that underexplored sound.
I really do not know how this album got past me. It’s a masterpiece and if I would’ve heard it sooner, it would’ve definitely been in the top 3 aoty discussion for 2021. You guys should really get an Instagram or something just to make it easier to spread the word. I can understand not wanting social media though.
Thanks man, and yea we probably should make an IG. I do believe that the right people find it eventually though, as you’ve shown. Curious, where’d you hear about this album?
@@seedmurda666 Oh, cool man. Good to know they dig us-and there’s definitely some comparisons to be made between Mef and VoidC. We’ll have to hit those dudes up if we’re ever down in SoCal-and you too if you also live there. Cheers.
Oh we’re American, but also painfully aware of the fact that USBM almost unanimously misses the subtleties and overall spirit of the genre. I appreciate the comment.
Thank you EskrimaKali. While our goal is not to sound like (early) At the Gates, they inspired us at a young age to try to have each guitar part working independently from the other. So say you come up with an excellent riff-there’s always a way to explore that idea a bit deeper. The “yet you guys still have your own sound” portion of your comment does not go unnoticed. Cheers. -P.
Not the first one to say that. ;) We put a few different artworks in the layout, to give people the choice to associate one they feel fits better, because they all represent the world we are trying to portray. Thanks for commenting Bharles.
Good to hear, and always an honor to see someone who takes notice of the details. As time passes, there are things I could imagine having done better, but alas, such hindsights are the perennial struggle for any musician. Thank you. -P.
What a fun clash of imagination I had when confronting visions of what music sounded like, with lyrics and video. Testament to how we're still deceived by memetic themes. Thanks for the enjoyable video :) Offscourings on vinyl any time soon? Cheers guys, you are the best
The shot where the flare falls reminds me of Alien3, I don't know if that was conscious or not, but this was brilliant, I would have been satisfied with a simple band playing an abandoned building.
It could've been so easy to get overboard with this, but you found a perfect balance between style-merging, atmosphere, technical ability, creativity, and masterful composition to create something of your own, that immediately becomes a classic without copy-pasting from the past but it's firmly rooted in old-school sensibilities a lot of us keep looking for. I'll be forever grateful to Grizzly Butts for introducing me to Mefitis after checking one of his best of the month lists. My favorite album released in 2021, and I don't see it topped any time soon. BTW, is it OK if I think the song Offscourings is freaking beautiful and it's not even a ballad??
Hey Jesus, I don’t know why I took so long to respond, but I really enjoyed reading your thoughts. High effort comments like these mean quite a lot. Thank you. And yes, we are glad you think that about the title track. It’s good when metal manages to capture some beauty. Our label guy called it our ballad when we first showed him, ha-ha. Best, -P.
@@mefitis1859 Hey Pendath, No problem, I figured you guys were busy writing the next masterpiece, doing live gigs where possible, or simply busy. I think it has to do with the melancholic vibe it begins with and how the melody develops further. Even if it gets a bit faster, it retains the melancholic vibe and it's then reaffirmed later in the song, bringing it all back home for a well-rounded conclusion. Also loved the (I guess intentional) use of certain words In some sections like all-crafter, steadfast deterioration, and dark, where some consonants are emphasized, as if some form of terror is lurking inside, trying to escape or break this kind of dark-beauty. It brings Edgar A.P. into my mind. Already long comment. Still "spinning" this album regularly. Saludos
@@jesusalmarza8515 Again, late response, and my apologies… I don’t know if Vatha has read this comment. He puts incredible effort into his lyrics and vocal performances, and I’m lucky to work with him. I will forward this what you wrote to him.
It's July, and this album hasn't been topped for me when it comes to best of 2021. To me it's instant classic and slowly is becoming one of my favourites of all time.
“one of my favourites of all time” Quite a statement, thank you. Given my lengthy response time, perhaps it has been superseded by now. Ha-ha. Cheers, -P.
@@warmetalpacifist Good to hear from you. Amidst the barrage of new metal releases every day, I’m pleased to see that Offscourings has made a lasting impression on you. As we work on new music, we look forward to how supporters like yourself may respond. Best regards, -P.
Thank you Lumen. I am hoping time will treat this album well. For the meantime, we will continue writing music we find compelling, without concern for any current trends.
Thanks man, we hold those bands close to our hearts, among others. I saw your review and cannot express enough appreciation. Your way of writing really focuses on the big picture rather than the nitty gritty, which is refreshing.
Unintentional. We certainly admire that album, and after I finished the portrait drawings the connection became quite apparent (especially after adding the border). Can't complain about that comparison though.
@@mefitis1859 What a coincidence. The first riff in Wandering the Tideland, which I though was quite a bold move, has this transposing thing going on very much like the opening riff in Red.
