Esoteric
The Pernicious Enigma
[Aesthetic Death]
This is 115 fucking minutes of sheer bludgeoning impact that will manifest your consciousness into disfigured terror and crush your mind under an unparalleled wall of despair. Absolutely nothing I say about this abstract double masterpiece of depression will do it any justice. Throw out your Skepticism and Thergothon CDs and get sucked through a black hole into an uncompromising universe of revered and barbaric hatred.
This is the second full release from England's most pummeling and innovative doom metal outfit, following the incredible debut Epistemological Despondency and "demo" (82 minutes) The Death of Ignorance. Tracks average about 14 minutes with the exception of one and consist largely of subdued and dissonant guitars, incredibly slow drums, and sinister and sifting keyboards. The vocals are extraordinarily influenced by studio effects and integrate perfectly with the dissecting atmosphere. This is unbridled and incomprehensible brilliance.
The first disc opens with "Creation (Through Destruction)" and begins to uplift the listener with what Esoteric has to offer. The oppression begins to build in conjunction with a strong lead guitar, flowing at an ostensibly sluggish pace. This is only the beginning, however. Esoteric continues to encompass until the wallowing desolation is no longer perceptible. The following two tracks proceed in a similar fashion, occasionally incorporating movie dialogue passages (Scent of a Woman, Taxi Driver, Apocalypse Now) into the raw environment and growing in significant elegance.
The fourth song is a 13-minute improvisational called "NOXBC9701040 (Illusion of Iniquitous Turpitude and Resonance of Lascivious Malevolence)" that sounds as if it was rehearsed about ninety-three times. The band moves farther out of the "traditional" path (if you can in any way call it that) and converts to sonic spatial extremity. End of side one.
One of the only flaws I can see with this recording is trying to decide which disc I like better. Trudging along into the second half one stumbles into "Sinistrous", a track which will probably reenact memories of Epistemological to those who are following the band. The vocals sink to a comparatively harsher depth in coalition with a thicker rhythm. "At War with the Race" clocks in around 3 minutes and is essentially faster than the others, breaching a different type of plateau altogether and demonstrating Esoteric's versatility.
The band begins to draw the curtains to the magnum opus with "A Worthless Dream," progressing back into the leisurely leagues and setting up "Stygian Narcosis," the tour de force of stoner doom. "Passing through Matter" is the closing 20-minute epic to this consummate release and leaves the listener with a few surprises before the ethereal world returns.
Absolutely the most fucking vital raw doom release ever produced.
© 2000 hando
This is the second full release from England's most pummeling and innovative doom metal outfit, following the incredible debut Epistemological Despondency and "demo" (82 minutes) The Death of Ignorance. Tracks average about 14 minutes with the exception of one and consist largely of subdued and dissonant guitars, incredibly slow drums, and sinister and sifting keyboards. The vocals are extraordinarily influenced by studio effects and integrate perfectly with the dissecting atmosphere. This is unbridled and incomprehensible brilliance.
The first disc opens with "Creation (Through Destruction)" and begins to uplift the listener with what Esoteric has to offer. The oppression begins to build in conjunction with a strong lead guitar, flowing at an ostensibly sluggish pace. This is only the beginning, however. Esoteric continues to encompass until the wallowing desolation is no longer perceptible. The following two tracks proceed in a similar fashion, occasionally incorporating movie dialogue passages (Scent of a Woman, Taxi Driver, Apocalypse Now) into the raw environment and growing in significant elegance.
The fourth song is a 13-minute improvisational called "NOXBC9701040 (Illusion of Iniquitous Turpitude and Resonance of Lascivious Malevolence)" that sounds as if it was rehearsed about ninety-three times. The band moves farther out of the "traditional" path (if you can in any way call it that) and converts to sonic spatial extremity. End of side one.
One of the only flaws I can see with this recording is trying to decide which disc I like better. Trudging along into the second half one stumbles into "Sinistrous", a track which will probably reenact memories of Epistemological to those who are following the band. The vocals sink to a comparatively harsher depth in coalition with a thicker rhythm. "At War with the Race" clocks in around 3 minutes and is essentially faster than the others, breaching a different type of plateau altogether and demonstrating Esoteric's versatility.
The band begins to draw the curtains to the magnum opus with "A Worthless Dream," progressing back into the leisurely leagues and setting up "Stygian Narcosis," the tour de force of stoner doom. "Passing through Matter" is the closing 20-minute epic to this consummate release and leaves the listener with a few surprises before the ethereal world returns.
Absolutely the most fucking vital raw doom release ever produced.
© 2000 hando