"The highlights of the album are to be found in the first four tracks-two of which were cleverly offered as singles prior to the release of the full-length-with the rest serving as a filler that will continue to impress the die-hard core of Mayhem's fan base, but which will bore the rest of us. Quite frankly, there is nothing on Esoteric Warfare which has not been conceived, done and reiterated by the likes of Anaal Nathrakh, Ephel Duath, Sigh and Deathspell Omega. Mayhem are clearly trying to push the envelope of their metal, but their efforts are rendered vain by the lack of derring-do which has sealed the fate of other fellow second-wave black metallers".