Eso-Charis
Fort Smith, Arkansas11 reviews across 2 releases
Eso-Charis was a hardcore band from Fort Smith, Arkansas, formed in 1995 under the name Elliot and renamed in 1997. The original four-piece included singer and guitarist Cory Putman, whose high, harsh scream was balanced by clean or spoken passages. The 1998 debut Eso-Charis combined heavy songwriting with split-guitar parts, abrupt musical climaxes and trippy interludes sometimes compared to lounge music. Bruce Fitzhugh of Living Sacrifice produced the record, and the band toured with Living Sacrifice and Embodyment. By Setting Roots for the Winter in 2000, the sound had become lower-tuned and more chaotic, with extended two-song structures, brutal vocals, tribal percussion and sudden returns to quieter guitar passages.
Arthur Green and Matthew Putman left as the band expanded its lineup, later joining Living Sacrifice. Eso-Charis continued with Jayson Holmes sharing vocal duties and with additional players, but ended in 2002. The self-titled record was reissued by Solid State during this period, bringing a 1997 recording to a wider audience while reviews disagreed over its songwriting and resemblance to Living Sacrifice. Holmes went on to form The Handshake Murders, while Cory Putman later became the vocalist of Norma Jean. Matthew Putman continued working as a drummer and producer, and Arthur Green returned to Living Sacrifice. Jayson Holmes died in 2022.
2 releases reviewed
Setting Roots for the Winter