Originally published by L.S.Media. October 25th 2009.

If there is a band that has been under the music radar for too long then it has to be Birmingham based extreme metal band Esoteric. Having been around since the early days of 1992 it is interesting to hear the last album that was released by the band on the Seasons of Mist label.

The album goes under the title of The Maniacal Vale and reading between some of the notes and wonderfully doom laden vocals it could be read as Maniacal Veil, for they certainly have drawn one of the previous incarnations and albums to produce a record of absolute note.       There will be those that knock bands like Esoteric for the heavy vocals and style but with long standing member Greg Chandler on Vocals and guitars the album works above and beyond what they would expect.

From the very start the album comes across as professional and incredibly well delivered. The opening track comes in at a barn storming twenty minutes and forty five seconds and almost shakes you by the throat as the guitars deliver a fantastic beginning.      The album is also enhanced by Oliver Goyet on keyboards, who sadly since the album was released has left the band but surely must be pleased with his massive contribution to this piece of music.    Other tracks that stand out are the fantastic Order of Destiny and Quickening which are honest, classic extreme/doom metal music.

The album was mixed at the Priory Studios just outside of Sutton Coldfield and with that in mind it makes it easy to understand why the album sounds so good.  The Priory has a good recent history of producing records, notably with pop singer Tanya Cork and the superb The Hanging Dolls.    An album that proves once more that the much maligned genre deserves to be listened to and savoured.

Ian D. Hall