ITP V.011 REVIEW: ESOTERIC: PARAGON OF DISSONANCE

BAND: ESOTERIC (UK, BIRMINGHAM) GENRE:FUNERAL DOOM/DEATH/DOOM RECORD LABEL:SEASON OF MIST RELEASE DATE: 11/11/2011

PREVIOUS RELEASES (CATALOG): THE MANIACAL VALE (2008-Season Of Mist), SUBCONSCIOUS DISSOLUTION INTO THE CONTINUUM (2004-Season Of Mist),METAMORPHOGENESIS (1999-EIBON RECORDS),THE PERNICIOUS ENIGMA (1997-Aesthetic Death Records),EPISTEMOLOGICAL DESPONDENCY (1994 Aesthetic Death Records), THE DEATH OF IGNORANCE: ESOTERIC EMOTIONS (DEMO-1993)

BEST RELEASE (s): SUBCONSCIOUS DISSOLUTION INTO THE CONTINUUM (2004), METAMORPHOGENESIS (1999), THE MANIACAL VALE (2008), THE PERNICIOUS ENIGMA (1997)

ESOTERIC: PARAGON OF DISSONANCE TRACKLISTING:
CD 1:
1. Abandonment
2. Loss of Will
3. Cipher
4. Non Being

CD 2:
1. Aberration
2. Disconsolate
3. Torrent of Ills



ITP RATING: ****
PRODUCTION: **** 1/2
SONGWRITING: *** 1/2
PERFORMANCE: ****

Founded in 1992, ESOTERIC are a Birmingham, England funeral doom ensemble whom have been writing Earth shattering desolate tones for over 20 years.

ESOTERIC are an unsettling and beautiful psychedelic sound scape for dark introspection as the band examine the human psyche in their bleak, pathological reflection of human despondency and decay.

ESOTERIC Combine brutal funeral doom, ambient drone/noise, beautiful wandering guitar solos, reverb effects and DENSE production. ESOTERIC vocalist/rhythm guitarist GREG CHANDLER employs acute growled and screamed vocals as the band experiment with ungodly sound textures to create a mesmerizing and SUFFOCATING wall of sound that would devastate even the most seasoned, brutal extreme metal listeners.

Here, we at ITP V.011 have ESOTERIC's latest release "Paragon Of Dissonance" a double disc release.

ESOTERIC's "PARAGON OF DISSONANCE" kicks off with the track "Abandonment", chugging until the floor drops on an echoed soaked reverb riff (:58) drowning into the most unholy funeral doom. ESOTERIC guitarist Jim Nolan and Greg Chandler trade mesmerizing solos sprinkled throughout "Abandonment" as the band carry the coffin from funeral doom into post metal. ESOTERIC's "Abandonment" (8:01) slows down for a progressive metal soft interlude, and it is wondrous, enlightened in its repetition, mesmerizing. ESOTERIC "Abandonment" makes a wonderful transition from the soft to loud dynamic as Chandlers vocals emote intensity. \m/ \m/

ESOTERIC's "Loss of Will" evokes a beautiful piano chord backed by quality military/snare drumming (Joe Fletcher) as the composition crawls into a snails pace of funeral doom. ESOTERIC's "Loss of Will" features an epic vocal performance via Greg Chandler.

ESOTERIC's "Cipher" evokes mid pace progressive rock with a quality rhythm section as the song morphs into a post funeral doom classic (1:24).. ESOTERIC's "Cipher" (2:22) expands the guitar solo/riff with a beautiful piano riff off into an apacalyptic post/funeral doom epic, ORGASMIC!

ESOTERIC's "Non Being" evokes an ambient/new age synth,instramental intro, plucked chords segue in as the song stretches with long, winding, guitar solos. The floor drops as (5:20) "Non Being" crawls out of the shadows into a funeral doom epic.
ESOTERIC's "Non Being" changes shape (8:20) into an ambient jazzy, atmosphere, (reminiscent of THE DOORS) into a brutal funeral doom segue complete with slow, plodding Black Sabbath riffs.

The second CD of ESOTERIC's double disc "Paragon Of Dissonance" opens with "Aberration" as the song crawls in mid pace with acoustic guitars. ESOTERIC's "Aberration", segues into a prog/post doom jam out technical, shifting fast and slow paces and prog doom (yes I said it "prog funeral doom").. ESOTERIC's "Aberration" plods along for another seven minutes, slow, droning funeral doom, not mutch in riff changes or songwriting variety until a sedate ending.

ESOTERIC's "Disconsolate" enters in synth ambiance and instrumental soaked reverb. ESOTERIC's "Disconsolate" picks up steam (3:20) into familiar post/doom/metal territory as Greg Chandler's vocals sound as convincing as ever.
ESOTERIC's "Disconsolate" evokes some tight as hell funeral doom with a quality rhythm section (6:07) as the guitar chugging picks up pace from some progressive riff structures, into tight thrash. ESOTERIC's "Disconsolate" evokes some technical riffs consolidated well within a funeral doom mid pace, digging out of the grave. Greg Chandler evokes some UNHOLY death and screamed vocals, as ESOTERIC's "Disconsolate"
dips into a softer, melodic dynamic complete with quality guitar soloing for a truly EPIC ESOTERIC composition, one for your despondency. \m/ \m/

ESOTERIC's "Paragon Of Dissonance" closes with the 17:20 composition "Torrent of Ills" crawling from the apocalypse. "Torrent of Ills" twists into ambient softer atmospheres with tribal drumming (5:15), to a louder dynamic into some "brutalifully" melodic post/funeral doom. ESOTERIC's "Torrent of Ills" ends with a droning, atmospheric, ambient trip out, as would the psychic torment of the pain of being human.

ESOTERIC's "Paragon Of Dissonance" features 7 tracks, 50:33 on two discs as the band have tightened up their rhythm section (Joe Fletcher-drums) and guitarist/keyboardist Jim Nolan is free to shred around the thick atmosphere, painting soft and heavy textures.

While many have expected ESOTERIC to cross over to post/metal evidenced on their own terms regarding the bands 2008 release "THE MANIACAL VALE", these legends have not forgotten their funeral doom roots. ESOTERIC's "Paragon Of Dissonance" features enough funeral doom, repetitive riffs and desolate atmospheres to bury a platoon as that could be a slightly alienating factor for some.

Older ESOTERIC releases evoked enough psychedelic atmospheres to provoke panic attacks or suicides, while also adding a variety of tasteful riff changes with good songwriting as the long compositions felt cohesive.

While ESOTERIC's music is a "commitment", some of these compositions lag not for the composition length, simply because of the lack of variety and repetitive riffs ("Non Being","Aberration")..

However, ESOTERIC prove that progressive song structures combined with desolate/psychedelic atmospheres are worth the risk ("Abandonment", "Loss of Will", "Cipher","Disconsolate"). ESOTERIC's swirling riffs, apocalyptic production and exquisite musicianship can shift powerful emotions, a music therapy for the bleak, a sonic neuro transmitter for despondency.

ESOTERIC are a mirror, a bleak reflection of the human condition, the darker recesses of the human psyche..

Both terrifying and liberating ESOTERIC are a brilliant band I can not live without.

ITP RATING: ****
PRODUCTION: **** 1/2
SONGWRITING: *** 1/2
PERFORMANCE: ****



Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l-