ESOTERIC — Paragon of Dissonance (review)

ESOTERIC — Paragon of Dissonance album cover

Album · 2011 · Funeral Doom Metal

3/5 · 2011-12-26
Phonebook Eater

6/10

“Paragon Of Dissonance” with it’s masterful sound and gorgeous production, brings some of the Doomiest music of the year.

Esoteric are one of the most famous bands of one of the darkest genres of music, Funeral Doom Metal. “Paragon Of Dissonance” is already their seventh studio album, their first one being released all the way back in 1993. Whether the album you like it or not, it features some of the most interesting FDM moments in quite a while, and is essential for any fan of the genre.

Whoever is not familiar with Funeral Doom Metal ( as I was), it is an even slower, monotonous, version of Doom Metal and growls are practically always used concerning vocals. The atmosphere is extremely dreary and sinister, reminiscent of Black Metal soundscapes at times, even because of frequent rough production. “Paragon Of Dissonance” does have most of these qualities, however it is not monotonous, it is as matter of fact one of the most complex Metal albums of the year: more than an hour and a half long, these seven tracks are changing hooks constantly, making it almost a progressive listen. The atmosphere the sound creates is so dense and precise, it ends up being the best thing the album has: the heavy guitars, the slow rhythms, are all veiled with an amazing production that gives the album a more elegant side. Everything is surprisingly crystal clear, and the details are always abundant from the first second of music. This is one of the most ambitious and adventurous albums of the year, and it’s quality is undeniable. However, some of the hooks are not as memorable as they should, and they become easily forgettable. Fortunately this applies to only a small chunk of the album. But also, the fact that it is more than 90 minutes long becomes a little too much for this kind of music, although it gives a more epic feeling to the album.

“Paragon Of Dissonance” with it’s masterful sound and gorgeous production, brings some of the Doomiest music of the year, no question. The extreme density of the music, the billions of layers over layers that can be heard are extremely overwhelming and a treat to listen to. The music though is almost nightmarish, and pleasant is not exactly the first adjective to come to mind. Brutally pessimistic, it is almost scary how it actually sounds so eloquent.

“Abandonment” is probably the most well structured song off the album: thirteen well distributed minutes with great hooks and very efficient atmosphere. Some of the most brutally desperate moments can be found in “Loss Of Will” or the surreal “Non Being”, where Ambient influences are acknowledgeable. Songs like “Disconsolate” or “Cipher” have great hooks, with interesting flows and moods, but don’t compare to the intensity of the already mentioned tracks. Although it’s extremely long, “Torrent Of Ills” has one of the most curious and interesting atmospheres, relying on many guitar effects giving a nod to Shoegaze.

An album of highest quality for it’s genre, a different and essential experience for whoever is a fan of this genre, as it is one of the bravest albums of FDM in the last years.