Review by Chris Pratl on March 27, 2018.

From the first notes of that familiar guitar tone (sans Euronymous' unearthly presence), you just know Mayhem is somewhere in your earshot. While I personally was reluctant, even fearful of hearing the latest record Esoteric Warfare I was 'emotionally' drawn to it. I go back with Mayhem's music over 20-years, and since I'm one of the few people that wasn't horrified and offended by the band's last effort, Ordo Ad Chao, I felt it was in the cards for me to at least be somewhat impressed with the latest one. At least that was my hope.

So how is this latest effort from Norway's once-feared sons? Well, it's a definite grower, and once sprouted you'll really love it if your mind is set to, that is. Citing the indelible notion that nothing on this planet or any other will ever surpass De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, it's reasonable to realize that the band that created that masterpiece is long gone and this new, revamped Mayhem is what's here to stay. By no means is this a detriment or a 'settle-for' entropy; the band is solid with Atilla back at the vocal helm, and his presence on the new release is welcome and as chaotic as I'd hoped. That familiar growling rasp in the single 'Psywar' is a definitive piece to the Mayhem puzzle that was sorely missing during Maniac's mundane return. Atilla took a lot of unwarranted guff for his vocals back in 1994, and to this day I'll never understand that because, in my humble opinion, that performance and the Silencer Death, Pierce Me effort are two of the most horrifying performances committed to metal tape. That said, Atilla's undeniable and irreplaceable presence here makes this music as violent and tempestuous as it should be.

This is a less evil and dark Mayhem, an observance sure to bother and confuse the latecomers and hangers on, but the satanic spirit gives way to a larger focus on the assault on the mind and the lack of control the individual has in such matters. For me, this is a much more accessible topic than the 'evil-church-burning- post-mortem-picture-taking, murdered' image that the band has cultivated, willingly or unwillingly, over the last two decades. Dare I say that this Mayhem is widely more cerebral? This album is a jaunt through the horrors of the mind, the lack of control within those chambers, and the total submission of personal will to the grand designers pulling the strings of the sheep. The lyrics, teamed with Atilla's up-and-down vocal shrieks and monotone whispering, are the perfect vehicle for setting the stage for this truly cerebral undertaking. I don't believe I'm overstating the notion that fringe players, kiddies and general folks not versed in Mayhem's players will never truly embrace this album. It taps into the recesses of the mind in such a way that its perfection lay nestled in its simplistic delivery and complicated arrangement. There is a paradox of emotions and ideas all over this collective, and upon a third listen I am totally engulfed in the greatness of it all. When you hear Atilla whisper or issue that trademark low summoning, I feel the agony of an exhaustive tug-of-war, only to be forced back into a mental skirmish when his screams and wailing set the stage for more irrational and frightening entanglements. When Mayhem went into this record attempting to jolt the listener into thinking outside the comfortable self-fashioned bubble of ignorance, they fashioned a provocative gem, dull and dusty with fear and weakness.

Guitarist Teloch does a great job living up to the ghosts that surely follow him, and while that cherished period of Mayhem is long lost to arrogance and the whim of a narcissist he need not apologize to anyone, living or dead. The band does its job perfectly, creating a spacious chasm of wonder wrapped neatly in a crevice of despair and self-degradation that is always part and parcel with individual servitude. Esoteric Warfare is the album your heart and stomach find a perfect stimuli for your musical needs, while the mind delves deeper to its core and sees the horror of your personal subjugation. It's more of a musical blueprint for all that is uneven and amiss in your head.

For those able to ingest such depressing and diseased pictures, this album will no doubt complete your personal visuals. You may never be the same, and you can relish this thought while wondering who and what you are in the world.

(Originally written for www.metalpsalter.com)

Review by Adam M on March 15, 2026.

This is as raw as the band has sounded with a good emphasis on creating groove and rhythm. The band is very open to a number of different new ideas and this makes this a pioneering album of the genre and one to certainly worship rightfully. There is a good deal of power and intensity created and the band is very heavy and flamboyant at the same time.

 The musicianship here is solid with groovy guitars and a vocalist that mixes harsh and clean singing nicely. The entire affair is quite solid in terms of instruments with a solid performance by drummer Brann Dailor rounding things out. The whole affair is consistently enjoyable and one of the best examples of sludge metal there is.

The flaw to the album is that the band would become more interesting and progressive in the future and this can be seen as a somewhat raw release. There are very few things to dislike about the work though as it has a raw energy that was refreshing at the release time. This is an interesting and raw disc simultaneously.

In conclusion, I liked this album immensely and would recommend it to fans of the band’s other work and Baroness as well. There is a constant need to be fresh and new and this makes the album exciting. This is a well-performed beast of an album that is original and has a great take on what a groovy album should sound like.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Review by Allan on June 25, 2002.

Upon my first listen of Mastodon’s latest album, “Remission”, I was impressed not only by their performance, but also by the depth of the music. Between listens, the goal of these four band mates became more apparent. I could say Mastodon is just a band that is able to write some good riffs and has instrumental talent, but I’m afraid that it’s a bit deeper than that. “Remission” isn’t a piece of background music. It’s an emotional roller coaster that is atypically found in heavy rock. What they’ve accomplished here is something that I see as special, and “Remission” is certainly one of the finest albums I’ve had the pleasure of crossing paths with.

“Remission” is an album that is more than just heavy rock. Emotions are powerful things, and it’s not often that you find a band that can manifest those everyday emotions completely and thoroughly in the form of music. What it comes down to is that the emotions expressed by Mastodon are untainted. There is the wrath, there is the sorrow, and any other side of their music is conveyed without any unnecessary declarations. These songs are the band members who make up Mastodon.

Besides the fact that Mastodon’s music is heartfelt and pure, it does take more than emotion to write a great record. The band has that something else inside them that they take through on “Remission”. They aren’t afraid to go out on a limb. For Mastodon, there are no boundaries for their music and that’s the way it should be. The band will start off with their no nonsense style and go off into a frenzy, but then all of the sudden around the middle of the album they’ll drop into more melodic, calmer song. And you know what? That has just as much power as the others do. Without regard to the hesitant minds of some listeners, they will go into a piece of music that is technical as all hell, straightforward, and to the point without any frills.

The song ‘Trilobite’ is an excellent example for a mixture of many elements of which Mastodon successfully encompasses. It starts out with a calm guitar movement that is filled with an eerie tension that is not long accompanied by a second guitar that starts to build the song up. Bringing the song to life is the drummer who makes his grand entrance for not only himself, but also the singer who makes his presence fully known. Mastodon makes the way back into the dense dual-guitar harmony again before reminding you that the other band members are fully intact. Finally, it closes out into a melancholic chord progression that is delicately layered with subtle guitar notes between beats. The intricacies are endless. For example when 'Trilobite' makes its beautiful escape it is layered with two guitars that aren’t playing that exact same thing nor are they playing in the exact same time. For Mastodon the limits are endless and they show that with what they accomplished on “Remission”.

The chemistry between the band members is surely quite amazing. Guitarist Brent Hines blasts through ideas like an adrenaline junkie. He adds a substantial amount of harmony to the music to make everything twice as consuming with the addition of a hostile atmosphere. Making up for the lack of a second guitarist is bassist Troy Sanders. He accompanies Hines with excellent support and his discretion on “Remission” is often the times what make those repeated listens more interesting. More than just the frosting on the cake, the singer screams for his life with a passion. Whether or not he is the most brutal of all the singers out there or if he’s the downright nastiest vocalist of the scene is not an issue. What matters is his performance because it includes precision and honesty. The base of the operation is their drummer, a man who plays like he’s the only force against true evil. As if technicality wasn’t overrated, this guy is more than just a replica of a four-armed monster. He knows how to stay in tact with the band while terrorizing his drum kit, and amongst all this self-created chaos he is not sloppy and leaves enough room to be tasteful. This unit known only as Mastodon is one powerful beast and possesses one of the tightest line-ups I’ve come across in awhile.

Bottom Line: “Remission” is easily one of the best albums I’ve heard all year and should be listened to by everyone out there who likes heavy music that’s more than purely superficial.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9.5
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 10
Originality: 9
Overall: 9

Rating: 9.3 out of 10