Esoteric - The Maniacal Vale review
| Band: | Esoteric |
| Album: | The Maniacal Vale |
| Style: | Funeral doom metal, Psychedelic doom metal |
| Release date: | June 2008 |
Disc I
01. Circle
02. Beneath This Face
03. Quickening
04. Caucus Of Mind
Disc II
01. Silence
02. The Order Of Destiny
03. Ignotum Per Ignotius
Who needs a soul anyway?
For the last 16 years or so and with every consecutive release, Esoteric get just a little bit closer to finally condemning us all to hell, and I personally respect any band with a disposition this sunny. The Maniacal Vale is not only another step in this tortured evolution - it is the band's ultimate masterpiece and an experience so overwhelming that it will completely blow the mind and shatter the senses. Yes, for all intents and purposes, this is a perfect album and one that will be remembered for a long time as a phenomenal achievement in every way.
Like all masterpieces, The Maniacal Vale easily transcends any arbitrary genre tags and classifications. Sure, the band still specializes in extremely slow tempos and unadulterated extremity; however, beneath this omnipresent maelstrom of insanity and chaos, there are currents of tranquility, beauty and elation. Thus, the record presents a gamut of emotions, made all the more appealing by the fact that one has to dig deep to gain access to them. Produced in a way that makes the performance sound as if resonating from behind a wall of hellfire, it is up to you, the listener, to take that step and cross the line. Once you take this plunge, that's it - you are sucked into the infernal spiral of this album's genius and as terrified as you might be, you begin to love it and yearn for the current to envelop you again.
Clocking in at over 1 hour and 40 minutes and consisting of pieces that are intended to bend reality, it is pointless to favor any one track over the others. Sure, "Beneath This Face" contains one of the most incredible build-ups ever, while "Silence" and "Ignotum Per Ignotius" emanate a mood of somber contemplation. Greg Chandler provides his maniacal growls and inhuman screams throughout, while the band gracefully meanders between noise, ambiance, claustrophobic doom and catatonic psychedelia. Nevertheless, The Maniacal Vale is an experience. Gaining access to this esoteric knowledge comes at a price that not everyone is willing to pay. Succumb at your own peril and discover some of the best music you are likely to hear in your life.
 | Written on 11.07.2008 by With Metal Storm since 2002, jupitreas has been subjecting the masses to his reviews for quite a while now. He lives in Warsaw, Poland, where he does his best to avoid prosecution for being so cool. |
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Comments: 40
Visited by: 422 users
| Lucas Mr. Noise elite Posts: 13427  |
The Maniacal Vale still has to unfold itself for me - or as you so nicely put it: "it is up to you, the listener, to take that step and cross the line." I ordered this album together with Subconscious... and I am afraid that this band will continue to drain a lot of hard-earned money. But hey, they are worth it.
---- SLUDGE. DOOM. DEATH. Wait, what?  "The reason I'm running for president is because I can't be Bruce Springsteen." - Barack Obama
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| Damnated Churchburner Posts: 4943  |
heard so many good things about this album, that in some way i lost interest. that's why i keep avoiding the first listen. i was also rather busy with my exams, and i never bothered to listen to something new: been spinning the same 5-10 albums in the last weeks.. nevertheless, i do want to hear this. once i'm back from seeing Kreator, perhaps i'll get around it.
---- Blessed is he that murders Christ in himself and in his fellow men.  Written by TheBigRossowski on 10.02.2009 at 16:01
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| Damnated Churchburner Posts: 4943 |
so i finally heard it, breaking my non funeral doom marathon. the album was great. i liked it from start to finish; the only turn down was it's length. not that i was bored, but this music really requires attention, and 2 hours is just a bit too much focus. so far, this is my favorite album from this year,
---- Blessed is he that murders Christ in himself and in his fellow men. Written by TheBigRossowski on 10.02.2009 at 16:01
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| BloodTears ANA-thema elite Posts: 11835  |
I actually heard a lot about this album. I'm curious and want to listen to it.
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| LethargyMan Posts: 336  |
Very engrossing. Though it's over two hours of funeral doom, it never really feels long because the songs are just so well constructed.
---- Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem.
By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty.
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| Sunioj Posts: 3894  |
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| Stuart MiseryKing Posts: 413  |
bought this album yesterday, just finished listening to it for the first time, sounds great, but I don't know where I'm going to find the time enjoy it on a regular basis.
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| Darkside Momo Retired elite Posts: 9087  |
Impressive. Surely won't be able to listen to it every day, but it's really... intense. One of the best 2008 releases thus far, for sure.
---- My Author's Blog (in French)  "You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you" "I've lost too many years now I'm stealing back my soul I am awake"
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| DoomedTillDeath Posts: 3  |
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| K✞ulu Seeker of Truth Posts: 2570  |
What a review! I guess I just have to check this out.
---- Savor what you feel and what you see Things that may not seem important now But may be tomorrow R.I.P. Chuck Schuldiner Satan was a Backstreet Boy
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| TheBigRossowski Posts: 1355  |
I'm going to have to check this album out and "experience" it. One hour and 40 minutes is a bit long, but I gotta hear this in the wake of my doom appreciation.
---- That rug really tied the room together, did it not? 
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| sraekman Posts: 7  |
A good album and you can feel it much more after 3rd or 4th time, eventhough is difficult due to very long time of songs.Strong & atmospheric, nice work guys
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| Paradox0 Unasuming Madnes Posts: 592 |
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| Dangerboner Lactation Cnslt Posts: 7262  |
Is it just me, or could this album be as good, if not better, if it was on one disc? It gets a little too drawn out.... I love the high screams, and my favorite tracks are the first and last song \m/
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino staff Posts: 18274  |
Written by Dangerboner on 29.07.2009 at 14:16 Agree... I would love to have one disc instead of two. But I don't think that 100 min can be in one cd 
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck elite Posts: 40071  |
Written by Dangerboner on 29.07.2009 at 14:16 This is the only album I play on my mp3 player cause then I have 100 minutes of continuous music and don;t have to change cd's
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| Darkside Momo Retired elite Posts: 9087 |
Written by Dangerboner on 29.07.2009 at 14:16 It is drawn out, but I don't think you could shorten it in any way, or else it would lack this oh-so-intense mesmerizing feel.
---- My Author's Blog (in French) "You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you" "I've lost too many years now I'm stealing back my soul I am awake"
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino staff Posts: 18274 |
Written by Darkside Momo on 30.07.2009 at 01:31 I think he means that all the 100 minutes should be in ONE cd. not that the songs should be shorter. 
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| InnerSelf proofread free Posts: 2641  |
It actually took me a whole year to grasp the meaning of this masterpiece  now I can't believe this inhuman genuicity truely exists every time I listen to this album my limbs shiver and it feels that I am drwan far away from the place I am in every thing from the divine production to the best performance ever to the brutal screams to the songwriting that surpassed any other Doom album ever made ,this is music at its best (but not many would understand) the solos are complexed as hell and are placed in the strangest yet best places , such as in the begining of "The Order of Destiny" in the same song when it is about the 6:20 the circus-like riff starts off and it is by far the strangest riff I have ever heard yet the most appropriate in that specific place of the song if I keep talking it will never end and I will have to write a reveiw but after the work jupitreas has done my words would sound silly anyway , a perfect reveiw to a prfect album
---- He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not bold enough to stare into it himself.
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| advent Posts: 268  |
Written by InnerSelf on 17.11.2009 at 13:25 i tried to listen it when i was studing late at night..man i swear that i never felt fear before till that night...i felt that i was no alone:shit:
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| Slayer666 Posts: 2466  |
I listened to this one a bit. Well, I can certanly tell it's got values, it's quite haunting and mesmorizing, but.... I didn't quite feel anything that special. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood, or something. I'll give it another try later. So, what is usually mentioned as Esoteric's best album? This one?
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| InnerSelf proofread free Posts: 2641 |
Written by Slayer666 on 10.01.2010 at 23:59 The Maniacal Vale is their best but Subconscious Dissolution Into The Continuum is just as amazing
---- He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not bold enough to stare into it himself.
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by InnerSelf on 11.01.2010 at 13:33 All of their albums are brilliant imo. But I prefer The Maniacal Vale slightly over the rest.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| InnerSelf proofread free Posts: 2641 |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 11.01.2010 at 13:34 I'm still caught up in the last two albums and I am glad that I still have their first two to "enjoy"
---- He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not bold enough to stare into it himself.
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by InnerSelf on 11.01.2010 at 13:40 So you're not goiong to check out album number three, Metamorphogenesis, which s only a one cd?
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| InnerSelf proofread free Posts: 2641 |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 11.01.2010 at 13:42 Me and my damn brain  I meant the ones before those two
---- He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not bold enough to stare into it himself.
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| Visioneerie Urban Monster Posts: 810  |
Ordered this album along with Ahab's new release. My first of extreme doom albums, I'm curious.
---- Any man can stand adversity, but to test his character give him power - A. Lincoln
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