One of the better doom bands, at least to my jaded ears, is Esoteric from Birmingham, England. Esoteric has been around since July 1992; almost twenty years toiling in the pits of most righteous doom. These guys have definitely been at it for a while and most certainly deserve MUCH respect just for that. Paragon of Dissonance is their 6th album overall (not including a 1993 demo).

So what of this Paragon of Dissonance? Is it more obviously ‘metal’ sounding than the their last album 2008’s Maniacal Vale? Does it amaze with rippling down-tuneage like their 1997 classic Pernicious Enigma? Perhaps. Maybe it’s me, but Paragon of Dissonance sounds less crushing and psycho-doomy. My ears perceive a bit less of that glorious down-tuned, droning madness and a bit more of the ‘trad’ (say, maybe Electric Wizard, My Dying Bride or Swallow the Sun?), but the album as a whole is still damn good. Paragon of Dissonance is an album more worthy of your ever-decreasing disposable income than most anything the ‘metal’ media hypes this or any other week. On the other hand, this album somewhat pales in comparison to those by Dark Buddha Rising, Hyatari, or Moss….but then again none of those bands have had the longevity of Esoteric. Nevertheless, this is as good an album of doom metal as found anywhere by anyone, period.

But let’s face it, this is Esoteric and whatever small details have changed mean little more than some extra ice in the doom cocktail. Paragon of Dissonance does have mesmerizing moments manifesting within the vast doomscape. A fun panning effect at the beginning of “Abandonment” brings a (grimaced) smile and “Cipher” definitely starts out sounding more subtly drugged. “Aberration” is just fucking good; a sweet and droning trudge. “A Torrent of Ills” is without doubt my favorite track, swirling as it is with doom, gloom and aching despair (love the moaning guitar sounds towards the end). Elements which generally function as ‘atmospheric’ become gestural in that they add only emphasis or intro/outro the tracks on Paragon of Dissonance. Not surprisingly, these atmospherics and effects are less smoothly integrated throughout the overall sonic mix when compared with The Maniacal Vale. If anything, this new album sounds more ‘composed’. Solos? The solos definitely lean towards the more conventionally metal, but are not as clichéd as on so many, many other metal albums. Perhaps Esoteric have been listening to some Pink Floyd lately? Vocals? Very metally; growled and screamed. Greg Chandler is good, but nothing really grabbed me…..and I’m not really into vocals much anyway…..so if you like vocals, your mileage may vary. 

In the final analysis, I found Esoteric’s Paragon of Dissonance a very solid doom album that inspired me to revisit the genre all over again. It made doom vital AND interesting, worthy of my time and brain cells. What more could anyone want?