Esoteric Formulae

'Esoteric Formulae', just like the majority of Bane's discography was mixed & mastered at Hellsound Studio in Czech Republic. Crystal clear, modern production is what this album is offering, yet with no drum triggers or sound replacement samples whatsoever. The guitars are aggressive and very well defined, tone-wise leaning more on the heavier Death Metal side of things rather than the thin, crispy Black Metal spectrum. This is actually one of the things which was such a massive step-up when comparing to the band's previous full-length 'The Acausal Fire' – the guitar tone is far more suitable for the band's style and sounds at least twice more powerful. The keyboards are present here and there, not interfering or over-powering the mix at any point - just adding subtle atmospheric parts when and where it's needed. The bass, however, is buried a bit (too much?) into the background, although in all fairness it's mostly just doubling/following the main guitar lines, so it was not a huge loss in the overall sound and mix.

One of the first things I noticed while listening to 'Esoteric Formulae' is how the instrumental performance has improved by far, in comparison to their previous album. Everything sounds much tighter, specially the drum work, which was masterfully executed by Honza Kapak (of Master's Hammer).

The songwriting does not really differ much from the band's previous style of writing and arranging tunes, as they kept a rather simplistic yet effective verse-chorus-verse formula throughout the majority of the album. One of the strongest qualities that 'Esoteric Formuale' offers are the extremely catchy and harmonically well-thought out hooks in the guitar riffs, melodies and vocal patterns in choruses, which the band delivers gracefully from one song to the next. Bane, at the very least, have gotten really good at arranging their tunes in a ''straight to the point'' manner, with no filler riffs or unnecessary repetition in any of the 8 songs (as per tradition, the first and last songs are symphonic instrumentals).

The vocals have also progressed, as they are more present than ever. Not ''louder'' mix-wise, but just better articulated growls and screams – crystal clear diction and with a lot of strength behind every word. There is also a segment of clean vocals in ''Beneath The Black Earth'' which is very refreshing, and a spectacular vocal guest appearance from Amduscias (Temple Of Baal) on the track ''Into Oblivion''. The lyrics of this album go very deep into Anti-Cosmic themes and are well-worth the read.

At times very melodic and mid-paced (''Reign In Chaos'', ''Bringer Of Pandimensional Disorder), other times very brutal, aggressive and borderline dissonant (''Into Oblivion'', ''Wretched Feast'' - which also contains an impressive guitar solo played by Giulio Moschini from Hour Of Penance), 'Esoteric Formulae' has all the needed elements to please fans of the Blackened Death Metal genre.

In conclusion:

On their third full-length album, Bane really displayed their true potential as a band, and the 6 years of wait in between this one and their previous full-length was definitely worth the wait. The band showcased maturity, passion and conviction on their new opus, and it's is safe to say that with this release under their belts, the band has definitely placed themselves as one of the leading bands in the Melodic Blackened Death Metal genre reminiscent of the mighty Dissection. While having acquired a strong Behemoth influence on this record in particular, this blend of musical influences sound rather unique, instead of falling into the category of plain copy cats. Bane is now closer than ever to having ''their own sound'', and I honestly believe that this will come within their next offering as 'Esoteric Formulae' is a clear, strong demonstration of what they are capable of and where they are headed.

Recommended for fans of: Dissection, Behemoth, Naglfar, etc.