OK, the package is gorgeous and all, but the musical material is not too appealing, especially for the Esoteric standard which is rather high if to judge from their latter material. Does anyone else share the opinion it is probably Esoteric's weakest moment?

I'm pretty sure the overall consensus is that it is worse than any of the albums. Who says different?

The thing is, I was super surprised to acknowledge the fact that it is actually a very poor-man's music, not even scratching the surface of the Esoteric gold standard, which I adore. In simple words, the music is pretty bad, not very interesting and lacks any uniqueness what so ever. The fact I could say it in relation to an Esoteric album, is in itself surprising, at least for me...

It isn't an album, the band doesn't consider it such. It is just a demo, only released previously in small numbers. It was only re-released as one of the most common requests the band got was to reissue it. They held off for many years because they know it is not an accurate reflection of the band.

I've always thought it was poor, I guess the difference is that I heard it years ago, not just now for the first time, so I never expected anything.

My review might have warned you http://doom-metal.com/reviews.php?album=3229

Well, not sure as to how I'd place it amongst the band's discography, but I surely listen to it more often than some of their other albums. And I really like it.

"Eyes Of Darkness" is a masterpiece, and "Scarred" is not so much behind quality-wise.

The main appeal for me it that it's different from their later albums. I do not view it as an inferior version of later releases but quite the opposite - there are elements that can be found only here, a side of the band that is preserved only here - it's wonderfully raw and stripped down and the guitars are almost always amazing.

There are quite a bit fast parts, but I just ignore them as usual.

Still, way better and more mature than many other bands and I'd place it above average as a doom album=)

Masterpiece it is definitely not. It sounds to me a sub-par doom/death of the most stripped down kind, the likes of which I've heard countless times, and countless of albums that did it better (Sorrow's 'Hatred and Disgust' anyone?). This is nowhere near the Esoteric standard of psychedelic, mind-fucking, mind-numbing funeral-like death metal of latter releases. Metamorphogenesis, now, that's a masterpiece.

it's torture to me... well, mostly. There some brilliant parts, and it's obviously ground-breaking having been released in 1993, but I can't listen to it. Mainly because of the production. And I get it it's a demo! ;)

wyrd, I disagree with you=)

While it's perfectly ok to dislike it, your post concerns the merits of this album. Therefore, its release date should be taken into account (an argument I usually dislike) and the fact that you've heard it countless times does not matter at all. It would be the same to claim that bands like Septic Mind make the later Esoteric albums less good just because in retrospect they are not as unique.

As for the album itself - I still find it unique in the doom scene - I do not know of that many albums that have such swirling guitars throughout as a basis. This album (or at least a sufficient part of it) is not straightforward doom/death for sure. Sorrow's cool and innovative for its time, but its quite straightforward from my current point of view.

So if there are that many albums sounding like "Eyes Of Darkness" and "Scarred", I'd like to hear them all (but Sorrow's "Hatred and Disgust" is not one of them=)

I love it. It's not their best but it's a great album. Paragon of Dissonance is their worst album.

I do not know if Paragon of Dissonance is their worst album, but it's a bloody bliss to listen to it, a marvellous album from start to finish imo=)

I really hope the new one won't be too long, they say it'll be out next year, hopefully early on...

I was fortunate enough to see them when they came through the US a few years ago. They were really nice guys and they played an intense set.

Sorry about my english, but i think the question here is what's so bad about this release. The death of ignorance itself, or this specially presented reissue and maybe remastered one. I mean, either it's a question about the original stuff or about a later, changed version... I don't follow all these new kinds of releases but I think The death of ignorance was a milestone, maybe a masterpiece on their way and somehow i feel glad, people who buy printy reissue things are disappointed. In the end.



Indeed. I almost couldn't identify it as Esoteric.

Paragon of Dissonance is 100% Esoteric, from the vocals, through the swirling guitars, to the psychedelic effects=)

There are new elements, like the shredding or the accessible soloes thrown here and there, but let's not forget that Esoteric makes quite major sound changes every two albums, so it's nothing extraordinary=)

Indeed its not like other Esoteric releases, but I think its a decent release in general. I think my main complain that the sound quality is poor, but that is understandable, maybe if it was better, it will be a different case. Eye of Darkness is indeed the highlight of the Demo for me.

In general, this demo with Epistemological Despondency are my least favorite.

I think Paragon of Dissonance is my favorite

I love that record