Esoteric warfare

"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".

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"Esoteric Warfare feels like an attempt to balance experimental impasses with sustained belligerence, low tempos with unchecked speed. Where there once might have been a twist, there is now silence or a return to order. This is a less audacious Mayhem, then, but perhaps a more distinct and sustainable one, too. After 30 years, Esoteric Warfare is a Mayhem album worth talking about more for its sounds than its associated baggage".

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