Oakland-born, now Portland (USA)-based post-goth/doomgaze outfit Esses returns with their third full-length, Pain At The Altar Of Jest—their most expansive and intentional work to date. The album will be out on 26 September via Seeing Red Records. So far, the band has unveiled two singles, "Low" and "Mirage Artist".
Pain At The Altar Of Jest is a hauntingly atmospheric masterpiece that holds you by the throat. Imagine the feral, gothic undercurrents of Esben & The Witch - tribal drum-pounding and cavernous guitars that feel simultaneously primordial and modern; match that with the spellbinding trance-energy of Chelsea Wolfe's stormy atmospheres and haunted melodies, where doom, brooding cinematic and sometimes industrial textures collide in hypnotic layers. Like Marriages, Esses harness emotional weight and melodic precision, balancing vulnerability with sheer sonic power. This is not just an album—it's a spell, a sonic rite that reshapes grief and fury into something transcendent.
The track "Mirage Artist" was born out of ritual and warnings, combining the driving rhythms with a foreboding ceremony woven by Kel and featured artist SoRIAH.
Vocalist/guitarist Kelly Correll comments: "It was an incredible honor to collaborate with SoRIAH on this track and we can't wait to perform it live with SoRIAH at our record release party at the Star Theater in Portland. Beware your broken things. Beware the tender leaves. Beware the Fae as you walk in the trees under the moon." Link
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"We're really into oxymorons and that sort of thing. Years and years ago, we came up with this idea—well, we didn't invent it, but we called it "happy sad"." - Matt James
"I'm quite obsessive, and when I work on music, I can overwork and get myself in trouble. I always had a breakdown when I finished an album, because I drove myself to the brink." - Mick Moss
"When I make a song, I know I could do it better, but I'm happy with it. It doesn't have to be perfect, and I like it when it's not. That's why I can make it that way." - Rapha Hell
"I don't tend to judge people, but I do judge them if they're too lazy to engage in independent thought or if they're simply careless and don't consider the consequences..." - Sven Friedrich
