Top Bar
Musique Machine Logo Home ButtonReviews ButtonArticles ButtonBand Specials ButtonAbout Us Button
SearchGo Down
Search for  
With search mode in section(s)
And sort the results by
show articles written by  
 Review archive:  # a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Go to the Esoteric website  Esoteric - Metamorphogenesis [Eibon Records - 1999]

A mystical, desolate journey into the depths of the darkest soul of man. That’s how I would describe this album. Esoteric’s forth album, is a tour de force of apocalyptic power and dynamics. Taking references from right across the spectrum from Swans, Neurosis, Old school industrial and the cream of the funeral doom scene. As soon as you press play it hits you with an impenetrable wall of sound, vast, epic riffs, and dissonant harmonics. Only three tracks but clocking in at over 45 minutes.

The album starts with Dissident. Quite a death metal influence is evident but it’s still centred within Esoteric’s swirling doomscapes and apocalyptic noise. This is the longest track at 17 minutes, it builds and crashes around seemingly disorganised structures, but listen closely and you can here the genius behind the confusion, the complex structures within these songs make them even less accessible than most other funeral doom.

The second track The Secret of The Secret is for me the best thing Esoteric have ever done. It is quite literally trance enduing. Screeching walls of feedback battle with sharp blasts of melody and trippy unbalanced riffs, both crushing and enchanting. The song breaks midpoint for a synth, feedback, slow motion drift workout that sent me into another world when I first heard it. This song really is amazing, I have never got bored of it. The songs climax when all the competing structures combine into one huge wall of force and melody with some magic solos lapping up against your ears The track ends like the first with more industrial noise feedback, before the final song Psychotropic Transgression breaks in.

This is more sedate than the first two tracks, with more of that Esoteric mysticism and otherworldly atmosphere, again some inspired riffs and textures. The vocals perfectly fit the mood of the songs, with the growls acting as another instrument mixing with the grinding riffs and synths adding to the vast apocalyptic feel. This is a extremely out there release from an even more out there band, but if you have an open mind and a fondness for extreme doom then get hold of this release, or listen to it on the bands website.

Rating: 5 out of 5Rating: 5 out of 5Rating: 5 out of 5Rating: 5 out of 5Rating: 5 out of 5

Duncan Simpson
Latest Reviews

Esoteric - Metamorphogenesis
A mystical, desolate journey into the depths of the darkest soul of man. That’s how I would describe this album. Esoteric’s forth album, is a tour de for...
161225   Daniel Szwed - Splinter
161225   Marmur - Elektroniczne Systemy
151225   Danheim - Heimferd
151225   Stärker - Spectral
131225   Rose Tang & Patrick Golden -...
121225   Uriah Heep - The Shadow And ...
121225   Howard Stelzer - Five Thousa...
121225   BITTER SPINSTER - Scat Punk
121225   Cro-Mags - Alpha Omega
121225   Cro-Mags - Near Death Experience
Latest Articles

The Spectral Sounds of The Projec...
As music obsessives know, what makes a label fascinating is not just the sounds they release. The most intriguing labels offer a conceptual framework and con...
041225   The Spectral Sounds of The Pr...
281025   Michael Hurst Interview - Unb...
071025   Xiphos - The Rise And Fall Of...
030925   Third Window Films - A Label ...
130825   HNW fest- Barcelona- 12th Apr...
250725   Raté interview - Walled-in F...
180625   Matthew Holmes - Of razor-sha...
280525   The Residents - Visits From T...
090525   Ennaytch - Of walls, abused ...
150425   Dead, Dead Swans interview - ...
Go Up
(c) Musique Machine 2001 -2025. Twenty four years of true independence!! Mail Us at questions=at=musiquemachine=dot=comBottom