ESOTERIC

Journey through the mind

-Is there, I mean in the style of music you play still a place for musicians to develop?
There is always a place for musicians to develop, from any style or genre of music. It is the unique bands that I remember, those that transcend genres with their own sound, rather than the generic bands that rely too heavily on staying within generic boundaries. Musically speaking, we are lucky that each member of the band is a musician, not just someone that plays in a band for a hobby.

-Ok, so where are your limits in writing weird and experimental music?
Well, we try not to set ourselves any limitations. The main deciding factor is whether we like what we create.

-OK, go more into details concerning your newest effort. What is the meaning behind the album title? Could you also tell me some more about the lyrical content of the album, maybe run down on some examples?
The album title was something that I thought over for quite some time before settling on “The Maniacal Vale”. It was not easy to find something that could be fitting as an overall and general meaning. The word “Maniacal” was chosen because it suits the feeling that is quite often present within the music and lyrics – a maniacal intensity that lies within. And “vale” is taken from a middle-English word that is used to mean “a long depression in surface of the land”, which I took for it’s metaphorical value. Its modern meaning is “a valley” or “the world, or mortal or earthly life”. Combining the two words gives a few possible interpretations, all of which are relevant to the album. When writing lyrics, it is always a case of trying to express what is within the mind in a way that evokes the senses. Whether it is to convey thoughts, philosophies, past and present experiences, emotions, depression, madness, or whatever levels of consciousness the mind can posses. Some of the lyrics deal with the self, with introspection, with the essence of life, of death and all that inspires the mind to create. They also include observations on humanity, of the macrocosm, a will to knowledge, and everything that can make up the psyche. For example, „Circle” is about the Circle of life, the circle of depression and the levels of consciousness and intense journeys experienced along the way.

-As a band that seems to support the drug-hallucinogenic aesthetics it would be quite interesting to know, what's your opinion on the relationship between drugs and music. What do you think is so special about mixing the two? What are some of your best experiences?
Drug use has always been present in moderation. Drugs for us, personally, are a tool to heighten sensory perception and inspire the imagination, reaching alternative levels of consciousness. For me personally, it is something I do that extends that ability to become completely engulfed in the music. Psychotropics have some role in the creation of the music. For some people hallucinogens can offer an introverted journey through the mind that is perceived from a different perspective. Every experience is different, and once you have the experiences you do not have to be in that state to recall what is gained. The enhancement in perception of colour and sound usually associated with certain drugs is a useful tool in sculpting music. It is in this sense that they are used to further explore and translate the minds’ content into music and sound. The experiences of them are also something that is expressed in the music, where the music becomes a medium for the thoughts, visions and emotions within the mind at various points in time, either whilst having taken drugs or otherwise. The music is a mixture of both. I am not always under the influence of drugs when writing music, and the music deals with many states of mind, not solely drug-induced. But it is inherent, in the sense that it is a part of what we do. It is not a case that we support the use of drugs, it is just something that we choose to do on a personal level, because it works for us. Every person and mind is different. The best experiences are those have the most impact on my life. Those that spur me on to take better direction in life and in what I create.

-Doom scene from the UK has always been pretty extensive and influential. Bands like MY DYING BRIDE, PARADISE LOST, ANATHEMA managed to establish themselves as the leading and most significant acts on the worldwide doom metal scene. At the same time a lot of excellent bands were overlooked during their time. What do you think are some of the overlooked from the British scene? And what is the most overrated band from the UK, in your opinion?
Some good doom bands from the UK are PANTHEIST, INDESINENCE, IMINDAIN and THE PROPHECY, etc. I tend not to concern myself with remembering bands that are overrated. If I don’t like a band I don’t listen to them.

-Also ESOTERIC has never got a recognition as it deserved for. It probably comes from the fact, your music has always been too much extreme, deep and quite unpredictable for an ordinary metal fan. Can you agree with that?
Certainly our music is not easy to listen to, and requires a lot of concentration and repeated listening for the average person to be able to hear what it involves. So, the nature and extremity of the music will put off a lot of those expecting to judge the music in a matter of minutes alone. The music is quite experimental, so that puts off anyone with a narrow mind straight away.

-What would you say has been your greatest accomplishment as a band, a highlight of your career to date?
It is hard to say. I think the greatest thing for us is always the music and what we draw from that on a personal level. 16 years of existence, with many more to come. That is an accomplishment of some degree, the length of time. The highlights are always when we are progressing well as a band, playing good shows and writing good music, with a stable line up.

-What record from so called doom funeral/ dark ambient genre recently has really surprised you with its quality?
Recently, I have not heard anything that has made me really that amazed. Some very good bands, but nothing I can think of recently that has been released. The best album for me is Unholy „The Second Ring of Power”, though that is usually called „black doom” I guess.

-How are you looking towards the future? What are your main goals and ambitions with the release of „The Maniacal Vale” album?
Well, we just want to be able to play some gigs, visiting and playing in different countries and parts of the world. Otherwise, we have no real ambitions or goals. The music is reward enough. Everything else is a bonus.

-Thank you very much for the interview and once again, thanx for the new album. Can't stop to listen to that shit since I've got the promo. Am I addicted to „The Maniacal Vale”? Damn, who knows...
Haha. Thank you for this interview! Your support is much appreciated!

www.esotericuk.net

Line Up:
Greg Chandler - vocals, guitar
Gordon Bicknell - guitar
Kris Clayton - guitar
Mark Bodossian - bass
Olivier Goyet - keyboards
Joe Fletcher - drums

Discography:
Epistemological Despondency (1994)
The Pernicious Enigma (1997)
Metamorphogenesis (1999)
Subconscious Dissolution into the Continuum (2004)
The Maniacal Vale (2008)