Artist: Isis
Label: Escape Artist
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Title: Celestial Artist: Isis Label: Escape Artist |
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Go to Reader Reviews | ||
Abyss's Review:
Wow. I'm not quite sure what to make of this band quite yet (and I think that's the way they want it). Isis compose relatively drawn out and repetitive metal that draws most of its merit from the atmosphere it creates rather than the average verse-chorus-bridge structure many bands employ. Isis' music (the possessive form of that name cracks me up when it's spoken) starts as a seed and continuously grows upon itself throughout the entire album. Kinda like a snowball rolling down hill, but at a very metered pace.
"Its lack of traditional hook makes it seem more like background music than something that grabs your attention straight away." If it's comparison you long for, everybody's going to scream Neurosis, and that is a fair comparison because if you dig their sonic songscapes you will most likely dig this album as well. Where this band excels is in their ability to take one musical thought and dissect and manipulate it thoroughly, in an ongoing evolution of sound. The themes don't change in this album, the interpretations do. To many, this can seem at worst boring and at best repetitive, but if you catch it with the right mindset it's a beautiful progression to behold.
The vocals seem just put in for emphasis in short bursts, and they also break up some of the monotony. This album flows very well, and for the style that it is (which I have no idea what to call it) it's very successful. I have to admit that it's not often I'm in the mood to appreciate this kind of project, but when I am this album will be making it into my disc player post haste.
"In conclusion, a quality record, but for open-minded individuals only… oh, and potheads too." The brooding rhythms seem to mix an industrial feel to the doomy/experimental guitars, and the screaming vocals do a beautiful job of injecting some emotion into music that seems cold and soulless (but in a good way, if you can imagine that). If there's a drawback to this album it's that it comes across as a soundtrack to something else. What I mean by this is its lack of traditional hook makes it seem more like background music than something that grabs your attention straight away. It's easy to let your mind drift away with the music, which is beneficial in its own way, but there is something to be said for music that bashes you in the face rather than sneaks its harsh mellowness (how's that for a contradiction in terms!) through the back door. In conclusion, a quality record, but for open-minded individuals only… oh, and potheads too.
Death's Review:
Was Pink Floyd ever considered heavy metal? Songs like "Astronomy Dominine" or "Careful With that Axe, Eugene"? They had an album called Meddle, right? Anyway, I digress before I even begin.
"Isis are not for the masses so much as they are for the intensely angered." Neurosis played the Ozzfest a few years back. That seems strange now, for some reason. Perhaps Isis will be the Ozzfest 2001 side-stage breakout band, the next Slipknot. Somehow, I doubt it. Because Isis are not for the masses so much as they are for the intensely angered. Or at least those who like extremely visceral, loosely structured, highly aggressive, trance-inducing, mostly instrumental music. Doesn't exactly fit the Ozzfest bill, does it?
But Isis also have a totally mellow element. By the time you get to the heart of the second track, the hypnotic metal-core riffing suddenly shifts into something that sounds like some combination of Monster Magnet, Floyd, Nebula, Hawkwind, and a drums/space Grateful Dead jam (thus the random question at the outset of this review). Just when you're totally spaced-out on that trip, the third track begins and we're back to Neurosis meets Clutch meets Celtic Frost or Chaos A.D. Sepultura; in other words, loud, angry, heavy overdriven riffing.
"In the end, Isis are too visceral for description. You gotta feel it for yourself." In some ways, Isis are a wierd kind of hardcore/metal jam band mixed with a few of the spacier Primus moments. In others, probably more prominent, they sound more like Dillinger Escape Plan or Today is the Day, or sometimes maybe Tool. Isis play fundamentally lo-fi yet adventurous music which is difficult to describe but seems like it shouldn't be (What's that line? "Writing about music is like painting about dance." Something like that). In the end, Isis are too visceral for description. It's 85% of their whole thing. You gotta feel it for yourself.
Hel's Review:
Have you been searching high and low for slow, groovy, heavy, experimental music? Well, sit back, your search is over. Isis. No, not more Egyptian death metal. This shit is for the folks that just like to zone out and listen to interesting sounds. Did I mention heavy? At times you may lose sight of it, but occasionally, songs slam straight into your face with powerful metallic riffs and screaming vocals, yet the slow groovy pace never relents. The vocals on the album are so few and far between I often found myself wondering, were there any at all?
"The impatient listener may fall by the wayside before reaching fulfillment." The drawback? This musical style tends to utilize epically long, primarily repetitive passages in a mind numbing kind of way that some folks may find boring. I had a pretty difficult time getting into it at first myself, but this came highly recommended and, therefore, I knew I'd have to work for it but it would be worth it. Unless a person is already a big fan of the "Metal Phish" style, the impatient listener may fall by the wayside before reaching fulfillment.
But there's really a lot here to like. I'm psyched to have heard it, and I think I need to try and return to it in my "free" time, since my brain still has not fully comprehended how addictive this may be. In general, my short attention span sends me wandering away whenever I try to listen to slow groovy music like this, and I have never become a huge fan. Isis may yet cause me to rethink my stance. My advice for other short attention span suffers on the best way to get the most out of Celestial? I recommend you get comfortable, perhaps indulge in a favorite pastime, then just relax and get spacey.
"My brain still has not fully comprehended how addictive this may be."
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