Isis - Wavering Radiant (05/05/2009)

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/isis-rides-the-wave-on-new-album-1003933334.story

Vocalist/guitarist Aaron Turner tells Billboard.com the album is "perhaps a little more orchestral in feel" than its four predecessors. "There's more layers going on and more interplay between the instruments, rather than layering of parts," he says.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/159/329679007_98a076dfce.jpg

wavering radiant? these titles are getting terrible

"There's more layers going on and more interplay between the instruments, rather than layering of parts," he says.

http://img2.travelblog.org/Photos/142/3554/f/11580-The-biggest-bong-we-ve-ever-seen-in-our-lives-0.jpg

HAHAHAHAH

hahaha, yeah that was good

i will buy this

Isis/Om/Sunn0)))/Boris/everybody supergroup:

BONG

Their triple-gatefold vinyl album:

BOWL

Recorded by Steve Albini, to be released on Hydrahead in June.

Is it bad that I'm not sure if you're joking

I'm not sure if *I'm* joking.

fwiw googling "bong bowl albini hydrahead" does nothing

For now.

this is gonna be soooooo boring

the sigur ros of metal

Why the semi-cookie monster vocals?

those vocals were really well suited to 'oceanic'. what a phenomenal album that was.

but yeah, the mellower musical backdrop on the last outing and to a significantly lesser extent 'panopticon' probably called for a more low-key vocal performance.

the vocals on recent Isis and Cult of Luna albums to me are inappropriately enraged sounding. i don't really get it.

still prefer celestial to anything else they've done

So yeah, this album's pretty nice. "Hand of the Host", especially.

*cough*

haha

*cough*

― StanM, Wednesday, March 18, 2009 12:56 PM (2 hours ago)

well thanks for the heads up.

i have seen isis 5x's and will probably catch them again. i know they have done this form to death,but i happen to like the form.

OK, this is becoming increasingly more awesome with each listen. Threshold of Transformation might be the best thing they've ever done.

will have to obtain much isis tonight

"hand of the host" is huge

I shoult probably be ashamed for not recognizing his distinctive style, but er... what two tracks is Adam from Tool on?

don't know, but you shoultn. whole thing kind of sounds like neurosis ca. eye of every storm ("burn") with the amps cranked and the vocals turned way down

I like this album and I've not been too convinced by past Isis albums. Mainly because when Turner sings, he has a gorgeous voice, and then he goes and ruins it with BLAAAAAAARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

... which you know, is the idea of black metal, but hey. This album, though, Ive noticed even his scream has more melodic tone to it, more control? And some of the parts are post-rock ecstatic. Its pretty goot.

(Ha I didnt even realise it hasnt had official release yet, I guess the bfmust have isohunted a leak)

I'm on "Ghost Key" now and rilly like it.

Excited for this.

Isis/Om/Sunn0)))/Boris/everybody supergroup:

BONG

Their triple-gatefold vinyl album:

BOWL

Recorded by Steve Albini, to be released on Hydrahead in June.

Heard this was pushed back to August.

that post still maketh me to lawl

http://www.unrestprod.com/FLESHPRESS1.JPG

Schoolboy error thinking the name wasn't taken already amirite

Are Bong any cop actully, Kerr, do you know? Never got round to checking them out

I don't know actually, I've never heard them. They played ATP I think? Some posters on DFFD rave about them. http://www.foreverdoomed.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=10302&hilit=bong
Fleshpress sound very good though, lyrics are a bit dodgy but.

http://www.foreverdoomed.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=10169&hilit=bong

I got my isis lp from Conspiracy btw. Didn't order the US version from hydrahead. first time i havent bought both versions of an isis lp (watch me relent and buy one if i see it in a uk shop/distro)

Yeah I might take a punt on that Bong split LP, spesh as I like Blackest Rainbow as a label (kinda unlikely release for them!)... sorry all, as you were, Isising along

Conspiracy still have black vinyl if anyone in europe wants the Euro version
http://www.conspiracyrecords.com/store/store_detail.php?id=8005

Schoolboy error thinking the name wasn't taken already amirite

"Ned as schoolboy" is an image I'd like out of my head IMMEDIATELY, thanks very much.

I keep wanting to take this band seriously, but fail to be able to once the vocals kick in.

"Ned as schoolboy" is an image I'd like out of my head IMMEDIATELY, thanks very much.
You've never seen Ned playing with his AC/DC tribute band?

I keep wanting to take this band seriously, but fail to be able to once the vocals kick in.

That doesn't make sense. If anything the vocals strike me as too serious. Cold, humorless.

the vocals are great on this record wtf

Yeah, I don't get the issue at all. Love the vocals.

if anything, the problem is with the clean vocals on the last record

i don't think aaron should still be growling frankly. musically this new record does some amazing things and is the most developed and intricate thing the band has put out (not that it tops the towering epic grandeur of 'oceanic'). but the vocals? time to tone it down a bad, for god's sake.

but he cant sing so he needs his hardcore style of "growling"

yeah i think the vocals are the best they've been in awhile.

his singing isn't that bad, i mean, we're not talking about mastodon here, but i do prefer it when he "growls" or whatever.

hold the phone. growing on me like no man's business. '20 minutes/ 40 years' is absolutely mindblowing.

This album is growing on me too and sorta reminds me of a Tool album. Which alternately makes me like Isis a bit less, and Tool a bit more. Hmph.

it might be the production... joe baresi engineered tool's most recent disc. or y'know it could be the songs w/ adam jones on 'em.

Last album was way more tooly

Interestingly, I think it's the rhythm section (the watery bass line on the second track, and also the drumming on the whole album) that gives off a Tool-y vibe. I wouldn't have guessed Adam Jones was playing guitar in places had I not read it in the liners. The production is great sounding to my ears, also.

Last album was way more tooly

― mastotmdom (Whiney G. Weingarten), Wednesday, May 20, 2009 1:52 PM (35 minutes ago)

agreed. so much so that there were a couple of parts that sounded identical to "triad."

I wouldn't have guessed Adam Jones was playing guitar in places had I not read it in the liners.
― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Wednesday, May 20, 2009 2:11 PM (15 minutes ago)

me neither, but for me there are even some bits that he doesn't play that still sound like him. maybe i'm just projecting though, since when i first listened to the record, i knew he guested, but did not know on what songs.

Neurosis + Tool + SubArachnoid Space = Isis.

But people only ever seem to recognize the first two ingredients.

I love SubArachnoid Space but dont hear them in Isis

Listen to SAS Also Rising (a tour Isis came out and saw in Boston). Then listen to Oceanic. It's a big difference compared to what they were up to with Celestial.

Regardless, the new SubArachnoid stuff is excellent and was produced by Steve Lobdell of Faust. It's due out on Crucial Blast this summer, with a full US tour planned for fall with OvO from Italy (Load Records). You have been warned! :)

hearing a lot of mogwai on this and the past record. i might be projecting from when i saw them touring together in 2005, so. seemed at the time they were both evolving into the same flanged out proggy band. HINDSIGHT.

the first two tracks on this are totally skippable then hand of the host comes on and it's fucking ON

Actually, I'd say the second track is the album's best.

u just love that underwater bass guitar.

the closer 'threshold of transformation' wins imho

the last two tracks are the two winners for me. which means... nice pacing, guys! i like it when a record of these proportions doesn't fall away at the end.

also fwiw, the tracks i'm really digging are 1,2,6,7. haven't quite got into the middle tracks yet, but i'm sure i will in due course.