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26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Garden of Dread, November 13, 2006
I was introduced to Isis with their last proper album, Panopticon. My appreciation of the prog- and post-metal practiced by the band and their colleagues is growing, though I found Panopticon to be high on atmosphere and very low on personality or humanity. That's an issue with these bands who choose to remain semi-anonymous, while concentrating on the power of the music, not to mention their own technical chops. But with this new album, Isis has eliminated that problem by adding more variety and dynamics to their sound, while keeping the sonic grandeur and creeping metallic dread that has made them the masters of their field. The basic Isis method remains the same - carefully constructing slow-burn atmospheres that then erupt into dramatic climaxes of heaviness, with very long songs passing through many different movements in the creation of stirring sonic power. Best of all, these strong and skillful metal musicians build true heaviness by insistently building layer upon layer of drama and dynamics.
A weakness for Isis is the tone-deaf and incomprehensible moaning of Aaron Turner, though this album does add some more variety in the vocal department, especially in "1,000 Shards" and "Holy Tears," and in any case the music is mostly instrumental, with the vocals only adding atmosphere at strategic moments. Speaking of atmosphere, the only misstep on this album is the short interlude "All Out of Time, All Into Space" which is nothing but a poorly-defined reset between larger compositions. But otherwise, with this album Isis have perfected their sonic architecture, with "Not in Rivers, But in Drops," "Dulcinea," and "Over Root and Thorn," in particular, slowly reaching mindblowing heights of power and grandeur. This sonically stirring and compelling album places Isis at the top of the post-metal heap. [~doomsdayer520~]
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another Genre Defining Epic , March 16, 2007
Enough of the Tool comparisons. Enough of the unfounded and under-explained reviews. Isis's new record is outstanding. If you are interested in Isis, this is the best place to start as the quiet parts are catchy and the heavy parts are crunchy and powerful. As for the fans, weather you like Panopticon or their older stuff, their is something here for you. Lots of it. Every instrument is represented equally and everything from their dynamics to their style has improved. Let's not forget that these have to be the coolest song titles to grace an album.
1. Wrists of Kings- Starts quietly and perfectly with a single note with a slight crescendo and then come the drums. Right from the start we can tell Harris has improved his drumming as he is all over the place with an interesting beat. From then on this slow build up happens for about two minutes and then, just when you think the distortion is coming, it cools down and we're left with a quiet guitar and big bass, both with great tone. Turner comes in with some of his new found quieter and melodic vocals. The song continues in this vein until the distortion and the long awaited and exciting climax kicks in. 9.5/10
2. Not in Rivers, but in Drops- This song doesn't waste any time. It starts with a sweet bass effect and a vicious drum beat and doesn't let up. Vocals here are in between quiet and intense, adding to the dynamics to the song. For a long time this intensity continues, adding layers of guitars and keys until the song's awesome bridge with a soaring and catchy guitar part. This song ends perfectly with a quiet and ambient outro which leads in to the next song perfectly. 9/10
3. Dulcinea- is the most accessible thing here, starting with a great bass hook (Jeff Caxide, to me, is the most interesting member as his bass parts are often the main attention and he has tasteful use of effects)and quiet and again melodic vocals. The layers and fills and effects in this song are all perfect and the structure is surprisingly good as well. After the quiet, almost verse-chorus type intro, the song goes into a short and heavy part before going into the first ambient part, the perfect guitar notes backed up by a tribal beat that works great. This is probably one of the best moments on the CD and the only thing bad about this song is the climax which could be a little more interesting but satisfies nonetheless with its heavy and melodic riffs. 10/10
4. Over Root and Thorn- Quieting down from the climax of Dulcinea, this song begins with quiet ambience and mysterious effects, quite like track one but without the relentless drums. This song creates great flow to this album even though it does take awhile to get going. Some weird bass notes that sound very strange start about 3 or 4 minutes in and carries the rest of the song until the heavy distortion suddenly kicks in. After this louder part, the song goes into a pretty bridge and slowly crescendos until the perfect transition into 1000 Shards. While not much on its own, it nevertheless helps great with album flow and experience. 8/10
5. 1000 Shards- This song begins with an awesome flourish of notes that perfectly blends with the last track. Everything about this song is enchantingly interesting and the riffage is extremely cool. From the bass effects to the awesome use of guitar layering and motifs, this song never gets old. Turner experiments with a bit of vocal effects here and they are very interesting. Two highlights here include the interlude with the wah sounding bass effect and the guitar/piano interlude soon after that sounds like wind and sets the mood for the climax of the song. It ends with a great transition into the only filler track here. 9.5/10
6. All out of Time, All into Space- Even the filler on this CD is extremely interesting. Upon careful listening, one can here the bustling of a subway and a flock of birds flying away that picks up after the muttered intro and then later a spacecraft launch. Filler 0/0
7. Holy Tears- Perfectly picks up from the three minute journey that was track 6 with a heavy and distorted intro. This pummeling intro slowly goes into a quiet and spoken part and then we are flung into the beginning riff, now with harsh vocals. After about a minute of this, we are flung into a perfect ambient part that lasts a majority of the rest of the song. The guitar layering here is absolutely spectacular and the bass here is perfect as well, always with perfect tone. The bridge from the ambient part to the climax has some of the most soaring and catchy distorted guitar work the band has and the rest of the song finishes with a pummeling of chords. Probably the second most accessible song here and one of the best. 10/10
8. Furdous E Bareen- Begins with muted drums that is experimental and extremely interesting. The song sounds very electronic and experimental. They even use an acoustic guitar on this song and about halfway through a giant bass line comes in and carries the rest of the song. Guitar layering in this song again is amazing and the drums are always intriguing. I believe this song title is something like a different language for Hassan-I-Sabbah who provides the quote in this album's booklet, "Nothing is True, Everything is Permitted." 9/10
9. Garden of Light- This final epic begins with the riff from Maritime on Oceanic, but in a different key and time signature (I think). This song is nothing short of amazing from the layering of the guitar to the drum beat. Even the heavy parts in the beginning of the song add to the experience. Tension builds steadily until a little more than halfway through until things quiet down and the only thing left are the drums which form a steady beat and foundation for the final 3 minutes, the best minutes of the album. The guitar motif here is perfect, always being added upon and backed by two other guitars and a big bass line. The climax climbs and climbs and one could truly lose their selves in the majesty of it. After the final wailing of the climax, a quiet outro ensues and the song ends in the best and most perfect way possible. This is truly the best finish to any album I have heard. 10/10
Everything about this CD is amazing. From the quiet and perfect build of Wrists of Kings to the perfect ending of Garden of Light, from the pummeling interludes and climaxes of Not in Rivers but in Drops, Dulcinea and Holy Tears to the quiet glue and beauty of Over Root and Thorn and All out of Time, All into Space which holds the album together and the experimental tracks like 1000 Shards and Furdous E Bareen, this CD is one for the ages.
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
In the Absence of Pithiness, December 8, 2006
Isis is a mysterioso group that usually needs at least seven minutes to put a song on "slow boil." This makes them a challenge to describe to someone who's never heard the group before; saying they're a bit like Opeth or Tool is only semi-accurate and not really helpful. And they're certainly not the kind of band that you can play a song from and then say, "See?"
Isis is an original and intense group. It may take repeated exposures for them to get under your skin, but once they "take," no inoculation will get them back out. And that's a good thing.
SIDELIGHT: Apparently, their long songs beget long reviews... sheesh, look at the Isis fans wax eloquent!
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