E.S.A. - Themes Of Carnal Empowerment Pt. 3: Penance

E.S.A. has become well known in the rhythmic noise/harsh industrial scene for his previous two dynamic entries in the "Themes" trilogy. Both Themes of Carnal Empowerment Pt. 2: Deceit and Themes Of Carnal Empowerment Pt. I : Lust received accolades and praise internationally, garnering the solo project of Jamie Blacker quite a cult following. Finally coming to a close, however, Blacker has put out what he considers the most definitive work of E.S.A. to date with "Themes of Carnal Empowerment Pt. 3: Penance". 

Starting with 'Men Will Only Break Themselves', "Penance" moves through all the beats you can expect from E.S.A. but with improved and much more refined techniques and solid writing. Pounding rhythms will aurally destroy your ears and get you moving your feet, electronic warfare will make your eyes gush red, and Blacker's voice will sing you an anthem of pain and prosperity. It's quite lovely to get through this album from start to finish. 

The seamless weaving that blends track to track is a high point on the album; this is not an album meant to be listened to in shuffle format. These songs should not be listened to individually. Each track has been put in careful order to flow beautifully from one sound to the next; if you don't listen to this as a full experience, you are living life wrong. 

If there is any one track that deserves more attention than the rest, I would absolutely point you towards the title track 'Penance', which features Magenta S. Her delicate yet satiable vocals stand up to the emotional beats that Blacker put together. This track sldo starts a separate section on the album; while most of the other tracks focused on stomping noise, 'Penance', and even the track before 'Threnody For You', begin a placid journey towards the end of the album.

The trilogy that began in 2012 has finally come to an end. Blacker has put out such lovely work and a powerful representation of what he can do as an artist moving forward. Constantly tackling new sounds, ever invoking spiritual passages, and always ready to blow away the dance floor with one new tune to the next, I am excited more than ever to see where Blacker will take E.S.A. next. 
Nov 01 2015