Esoteric
Subconscious Dissolution into the Continuum

Be kind, this is my first review.    

The welcome return of the British Esoteric after the hallucinatory Metamorphogenesis from a few years ago (it was 1999). With this fourth album released under the Season of Mist, the band's doom, almost a cosmic doom due to its rarefied atmospheres, becomes increasingly visionary and uncompromising. The platter lasts less than the standards the band has accustomed us to in the past (only "50 minutes"!!... anyone who knows Epistemological Despondency and The Pernicious Enigma knows what I'm talking about!) and consists of 3 long tracks (around a quarter of an hour each) plus a noise outro, almost bordering on noise and not too far from the "Cold Meat Industry" sound ("Arcane Dissolution"). Minimal and claustrophobic sound characterizes Esoteric, occasionally comparable to the funeral doom of Thergothon and Skepticism, which, however, often takes on mystical and melancholic tones and could, therefore, appeal not only to the most die-hard doomsters but also to all fans of gothic, death, or dark ambient.

But let's proceed in order: "Morphia" sets the stage with its 15+ minutes, catapulting us into a dark and oppressive dimension. Remember Edvard Munch's famous Scream?... good!... this track, with its slow and repetitive pace, makes tangible the anguishing and depressive feeling emanating from the painting, interrupted occasionally by synthetic echoes that make everything heavier and more unhealthy. Greg's vocals, raw and unhealthy, further emphasize the negativity of this composition. Glimpses of light appear with the next piece "The Blood of the Eyes" introduced by an arpeggio and a melody reminiscent of Anathema (period "Pentecost III"). The vocals, as extreme as ever, do not clash at all, recreating a particular, dreamlike atmosphere, decidedly expansive. But it's only a fleeting impression... the clouds gather again in the sky, and we are once more hurled into an infernal circle made of monolithic riffs and harrowing screams. "Grey Day" is the third track, and as the title suggests, it is another tribute to suffering and annihilation. Over a rhythm obsessive and repetitive to the point of exhaustion, a series of surreal sounds, harmonics, suspended piano notes hover... immobile... giving the track a sense of having lived, of the ancestral, of the remote. Thus the piece continues its litany until it softens its tones into the noise outro "Arcane Dissolution", a brilliant conclusion that gives the work its completeness, its circularity. The nightmare ends, and we can slowly open our eyes, even though a subtle unease remains, which the silence of our room seems to fuel.     

It's quite a strong album from Esoteric, inevitably challenging on the first listen but extraordinarily rich in emotions. Not a product for everyone, therefore, especially for those who have an easy approach to music. Fully appreciating a work like this requires a considerable degree of perseverance, but once assimilated, it rewards the listener amply. Try it to believe.