THE ESOTERIC (not to be confused with the UK’s ESOTERIC) are hardly a young band having issued a handful of splits and EPs, but their Prosthetic Records debut, The Sureness of Sleepwalking, showcases an experienced band with a not-so-experienced knack for writing songs. The Sureness of Sleepwalking is a metallic hardcore collection of tunes littered with lazy, go-nowhere riffs as if written while, ahem, sleepwalking. Parallelling the music, screamer Steve Cruz has a bark very similar to CHIMAIRA’s Mark Hunter, but lacks the same bite. Ultimately, THE ESOTERIC sound like a young band, despite boasting ex-members of COALESCE, REGGIE AND THE FULL EFFECT, and TODAY IS THE DAY. The Sureness of Sleepwalking is mostly feeble and unconvincing; however, there certainly is promise as THE ESOTERIC are talented and focused. They shine on melodic passages (like the end passage of “Ram Faced”), but such parts are few and far between. Perhaps next go-around, THE ESOTERIC will possess a sureness of songwriting. (Prosthetic Records)
