Ivan Tibos.

Hold hands and take a journey into loneliness and despair. We have all been there, we just put the soundtrack together to your terror. Welcome to a place of warmth and tears.

[a review on a re-release, so I’ll keep it brief and concise]

My first acquaintance with Esoteric – and I guess it might count for the better part of us; at least those who were born almost a century ago – was almost three decades ago under the working title Epistemological Despondency. At that moment, I already was ‘into’ the more extreme areas of Mater Terra’s sonic dimensions, yet I still remember what I felt when listening to this debut: confusion, discomfort, as well as awe and respect.

I recently posted a review for the debut of Swiss act Aspaarn, Ancestral Genocides. That album - and the same goes for both demonstrational mini-albums that have been released in the meantime - brings the bare essence of universal Black Metal in its purest form.

First this: I would never try to conquer my passion for fleshly lusts (my wife would never forgive me, haha…)…

Location: Sweden

Members: Marcus Lönebrink

Guest: Pär Boström (on Sanctum)

Mastering: Frederic Arbour

Artwork: Viktor Kvant

Type: 6-panel digipack compact-disc (300 copies)

Duration: 48:51 minutes

Genre: esoteric, mystic & ritual Dark Drone Ambient

Location: Kansas City, Missouri (U.S.A.)

Members: Allen Gingerich (strings [and drum-programming?]) & Skyler Nohrenberg (vocals & lyrics)

Mix & mastering: Allen Gingerich

Artwork: no idea who created it, yet the cover painting is just stunning!!!

Type: digipack-CD

Duration: 32:32

Genre: Brutal Technical Death Metal

Location: Poland

Members: Mister Sadox

Artwork: stunning

Type: digital only

Duration: 44:00

Genre: Harsh Ambient Noise Wall

Introduction: Another creation by the ultra-productive one-spirit entity Sado Rituals for this guy’s prolific label Gates Of Hypnos…

[a short review (once again), yet dealing with another unique recording]

Country (for what it’s worth): Spain

Members: David Muñoz (everything; also known as keyboardist for Sun Of The Dying Sun and Arwen)

Type: jewel-case compact-disc

Duration: 46:21

Genre: Dark / Gothic / Doom-Death Metal

Country (for what it’s worth): Pakistan

Members: Faiq Ahmed (guitars), Daniyal Buksh Soomro (bass & vocals), Omair Soomro (live drums)

Recording: ShockStudio

Duration: 27:34

Genre: Thrash Metal

Country (for what it’s worth): Finland

Members: Janne Tuikkala (all instruments & song-writing) & Janne Partanen (vocals & lyrics)

Mix & mastering: Janne Tuikkala (at j.sound home-studio)

Artwork: Awinita Alm (link below)

Type: digital-only

Duration: 37:53

Genre: atmospheric & epic Melodic Black Metal