Submitted by Kefka X (7/21/02):
Most people are going to compare this album to the gods of this sort of genre, Neurosis. That's understandable. Isis really doesn't stray much from the Neurosis formula... long songs with slight variations of the theme, small spatterings of vocals... this album is VERY instrumental, and that's no understatement. The second track starts the cd off *the first track being an intro* with a heavy, grooving riff that has you shaking your head back and forth... it last for about 5 minutes before slowing down to a crawl, the crawl lasting another 5. There are some parts of the album that are so DEAD SLOW it will make you wonder if the song is going to end or not. Track 6 is a perfect example of this. Jesus. The standoff track of this cd, however, is track 9, an instrumental that starts with a very Floyd-esque guitar progression which leads into another Floyd-esque variation *think "one of these days" from the Meddle album...* And if Neurosis didn't exist, I would worship the ground these guys walk on. In ways I like them more than Neurosis *some of their guitar riffs are slick* but for the most part, it's been done. It's not as addicting as Times of Grace, but it has its moments.
Submitted by SaTaN (3/7/01):
Isis have very similar sounds to the mighty Neurosis at times but also still manage to maintain a sound all their own. If you don't mind your metal a litte slower paced and you don't like many vocals check this album out.
Submitted by Chris Ayers (10/15/00):
Did these Beantown bruisers name their band after the Egyptian goddess who used to share Saturday-morning airtime with Captain Marvel back in the day? Better yet, what if Pink Floyd, after listening to Neurosis, went metal? Celestial, much like Cave In’s Jupiter, is as enigmatic as the Sphinx’s riddle, as veiled as the Nile’s source, and as shifting as the Egyptian sands. Furthermore, Isis changes directions many times in the context of one song, leaving the listener in unfamiliar yet comfortable environs. The group also sees fit to include odd, brief noise pieces here and there (for example, “Sgnl>01” sounds like Soundgarden’s spoons guy in a vacuum chamber with one piano key and dripping water) between songs to provide depth soundings for these murky waters. Remember how Mindrot could go from 60 to 0 in five seconds without any loss of heaviness? Check out the transition of “Celestial (The Tower)” as it burrows into a Meddle/Animals-era Floyd after dropping into mechanical Godflesh reps. “Glisten” sports an unquestionable Godflesh throb before downshifting to a languid Mindrot clip. “Swarm Reigns (Down)” grooves like an upbeat Burning Witch with a dollop of Neurosis on top, while “Deconstructing Towers” reverses those polarities. After the pummeling “Collapse And Crush,” the acoustic “C.F.T. (New Circuitry And Continued Evolution)” furthers the Floyd mood by providing the logical next step after The Final Cut if Waters hadn’t left. And suffice it to say that “Gentle Time” is a misnomer for the most abrasive tune on the record. Those giant stone statues on the cover of the new Damaged album would’ve been more appropriate here, though the lavish artwork could only swathe the most musically fervent at the Hydra Head compound. If you can’t steal a copy of the super-limited Isis 12” with their Sabbath and Godflesh covers, then get this.
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