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Isis (band)
Encyclopedia
Isis was a Los Angeles, California
-based post-metal
band, founded in Boston, Massachusetts, with a career spanning from 1997 to 2010. They borrowed from, and helped to evolve, a sound pioneered by the likes of Neurosis
and Godflesh
, creating heavy music
consisting of lengthy songs that focus on repetition and evolution of structure.
The band's last album, Wavering Radiant
, was released on May 5, 2009. They disbanded in June 2010, just before the release of a split EP
with the Melvins.
, Massachusetts
led friends Aaron Turner
(guitar
/vocals; also the owner of Hydra Head Records
and its subsidiary, HH Noise Industries), Jeff Caxide
(bass guitar
), Chris Mereschuk (electronics/vocals) and Aaron Harris
(drums
) to form Isis in late 1997. As Turner states, "Isis formed as a result of the dissatisfaction with past bands of the founding members. None of us were happy with what we were doing musically at the time, two of us lived together, we had similar tastes and similar record collections." Isis released a demo and their first EP
, Mosquito Control
, in 1998, with this line-up. During a show at the Middle East in Boston, MA. They sold copies of Mosquito Control
attached to a circular sawblade as a very limited print edition. After an East Coast
tour in the summer of 1998 where they were joined by Randy Larsen of Cable
on guitar, Mereschuk left the band. Jay Randall (now of Agoraphobic Nosebleed
) soon replaced him, working on Red Sea (1999). However, his stay would not last long. Isis then recruited guitarist/keyboardist Bryant Clifford Meyer
(formerly of The Gersch
) and guitarist Michael Gallagher
(formerly of Cast Iron Hike
) in 1999. After releasing their debut full-length entitled Celestial and its sister EP, SGNL>05
(on Neurot Recordings
), in 2000, Isis gained national underground attention in the metal/hardcore
scene through tours with Cave In
and Neurosis
. Isis remained with this lineup until their dissolution in 2010.
For the SGNL>05
EP, they contacted Justin Broadrick
(then of Godflesh
) through their friends in Neurosis to remix the title track from Celestial, which they used as the EP's closer. Following SGNL>05, the band felt a need to expand its remit, both artistically and in terms of distributive reach. The entire band were avid fans of Melvins, so their label – Mike Patton
's Ipecac Recordings
– was instantly put forward as an ideal candidate. Turner's friend James Plotkin
was already working with Ipecac, so he showed some material to Patton, who, unknown to the band, was already a fan. After discussion, they signed with Ipecac, who went on to issue the band's subsequent studio albums.
, 2002's follow-up, Oceanic
, saw the band acquire new characteristics comparable to post-rock
and ambient music
, significantly aiding in the birth of the genre of post-metal
in what many saw as a logical progression. While much of the material on the album retained the band's former "metallic" intensity, this departure saw the band appeal to a far wider audience; as a result, Oceanic may be the group's most noted album to date, and is widely considered a turning-point in the history of the band. Turner himself describes it as their "quintessential album". It was at the time their most successful release, receiving album-of-the-year accolades from Rock Sound
and Terrorizer in 2002, In late 2003, Isis relocated to Los Angeles
.
The distinctive tone of material since and including Oceanic had a noticeable impact on avant-garde metal, helping develop the sound of several contemporaries; Cult of Luna
, Pelican
, Tides, Rosetta
, and Russian Circles
all cite Isis as an influence. This underground success attracted the attention of the likes of Mogwai
, with whom they have toured on numerous occasions.
Oceanic Remixes and Reinterpretations
was released in 2004, featuring reinterpretations of songs from Oceanic by a number of influential artists requested by the band. Both Oceanic and Oceanic Remixes feature female vocals by Maria Christopher of the band 27
. The album featured another remix by Justin Broadrick
, who has supported Isis on tours with his band, Jesu
, which is signed to Hydra Head Records
.
. It signified a further progression many had predicted since Oceanic, with a more advanced post-rock feel to the music both structurally and in terms of sound. Justin Chancellor
of Tool
makes an appearance on the track, "Altered Course". Overall, it was a very well received album, being awarded 'album of the year' accolades from Rock Sound
and reaching #47 on Billboard's
Top Independent Albums charts; their first entry into any mainstream charts. Before touring the United States, the band performed a free concert at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, in a manifestation of the widespread recognition the band had acquired in artistic circles since the release of Oceanic. Reacting to the impact of Oceanic and Panopticon, Revolver
named Isis the twelfth heaviest band of all time in December 2004. On 23 July 2006, they performed Oceanic in full at KOKO in London as part of All Tomorrow's Parties
Don't Look Back season.
Clearing the Eye
, the band's only DVD, documenting performances over the past five years throughout the world, was released by Ipecac on September 26, 2006. Also in September 2006, a collaboration with Aereogramme
entitled In the Fishtank 14
was released as part of a project of Dutch label Konkurrent in which two artists are given two days' studio time to write and record their work.
The band finished recording their fourth full-length album, In the Absence of Truth
, on July 9, 2006. It was released on October 31, 2006 on Ipecac. The record sees the band again evolving in a manner similar to Oceanic and Panopticon, this time adding new elements of electronics, song structure, drumming complexity, and vocal techniques. It sees the emergence of a more melodic sound than before, and leanings away from previous "drone" inclinations and towards more traditional metal elements, predominantly in the heavier sections. It was also their most commercially successful release, peaking at number 6 on the Billboard
Top Heatseekers
chart.
Isis were the opening act for Tool's
late 2006 North American tour in support of their new album, 10,000 Days
. This led to increased exposure for the band; however, the band members are not particularly comfortable with fame, and tend to keep their affairs private. Turner has stated that "We never imagined that Isis would become as successful or as popular as it has", and confesses: "[Fans] taking a deeply personal interest in who I am, it fucking freaks me out. And I really do feel like sometimes when I get approached, I’m retreating into my shell."
's 'Golden Gods' awards ceremony. The band's fifth studio album, Wavering Radiant
, was released shortly afterwards by Ipecac. The CD saw release on May 5, 2009, and a limited vinyl edition on April 29, 2009. It was produced by "Evil" Joe Barresi
after years of working with Matt Bayles had grown "routine" for the band.
The album's sound continued Isis' legacy of lengthy songwriting, and presents a slight departure from the soft-loud dynamics which characterised previous releases. Critical appraisal was largely positive; it went on to place well on a handful of best-of lists at the close of the year. Commercially, it was Isis' most successful release ever, breaching the Billboard 200
for the first time and gaining international chart presence.
Extensive touring followed the album's release, taking in headlining shows across the United States, Europe, Japan and Australia with bands including Baroness
, Cave In
and Melvins. The tour took in the 2010 Bonnaroo Music Festival
in Manchester, Tennessee
, as well as the Soundwave Festival
in Australia.
On 18 May 2010, Isis announced their decision to break up following their final tour, with their final show to be in Montreal
– the location of the band's very first show – on June 23, 2010. Isis collectively stated they have "done everything we wanted to do, said everything we wanted to say," and, as part of an agreement made by the band at its formation, it did not wish to be faced with the possibility that it would "push past the point of a dignified death." In the wake of their breakup, they released a split EP
with the Melvins in July 2010, featuring the Japanese Wavering Radiant bonus track "Way Through Woven Branches" and the unreleased song "The Pliable Foe", and Hydra Head Records have announced that the entire series of live albums will see digital re-release from May to July 2011.
, Tool
, Melvins, Godflesh
, and Neurosis
as influences to Isis' sound, saying "those bands laid the groundwork for us [...] we're part of a recognizable lineage." Early releases were derided as imitative of predecessors Neurosis, and he admits that the comparisons weren't "completely unjustified". However, material since (and including) Oceanic has not been so often likened to Neurosis; in fact, it has become the case that it is Isis who are being imitated in a burgeoning post-metal scene.
In terms of categorisation, Isis have been described as post-rock
, a genre which leans away from the traditional elements of choruses, verses, repetitive vocals, or fast riffing – what Turner describes as "guitar theatrics." However, post-rock has what is essentially a halcyon sound: one devoid of aggressive vocals and distorted guitars. Isis, however, have hardcore
/sludge
origins (especially in their pre-Celestial era) and hardcore-like vocals. Their music includes elements of hardcore, drone
, sludge, indie
, ambient music, and post-rock; yet none of these labels defines their sound fully. Critic Dan Epstein notes that "though [Isis were] originally lumped in with the hardcore and doom-metal scenes, the band has long since transcended the musical boundaries of those genres". However, their ongoing acceptance within the pantheon of hardcore music is attested to by Converge's
Jacob Bannon
, who has gone on record saying that "if I wanna listen to emotional music which I guess is contemporary [...] I'll listen to Isis or something like that - something that is emotional, powerful music."
Turner, when asked to define Isis, described their sound as "avant-garde, drone-oriented rock, but that doesn't completely cover the bases". At the same time, he is reticent about settling on one label exclusively, and steers away from the use of specific genre labels – "'heavy, atmospheric, droning, post-epic, post-metal, shoegazer blah blah blah.'" When asked how he reacts to being asked to define Isis' sound, he admits "I never know what to say. I'm almost afraid of perpetuating a new tag." Likewise, he also describes their music using a slightly more open-ended tag: as "thinking man's metal"; however, it must be noted that this tag refers to the intellectual elements behind the music, as opposed to exclusively aural ones.
Due to the difficulty in pigeonholing
, some fans and critics label Isis as post-metal
. This genre is accepted to contain similar-sounding contemporaries such as Pelican
, Cult of Luna
and Callisto
; however, Isis are often credited with the formulation of the genre with the release of Oceanic.
The music of Isis is not suitable for mainstream release or commercial radio playtime due to extensive song length and niche appeal; as guitarist Michael Gallagher states, "we've never tried to be on the radio, and we've never tried to please others. We've simply done whatever we've wanted to do, and we've all decided to be happy with the results."
that "we don't want to hand-feed everything to the listener. We just want to have a sense of mystery". There is a definite attitude that art and music are interchangeable and synonymous to the band; he feels that "the songwriting and the artwork come from the same place". This logic relates to visual and aural aspects as well as overt intellectualisation, through literary references and driving philosophies. Books such as Don Quixote, House of Leaves
, Labyrinths
and the philosophies of Jeremy Bentham
have all played a role in shaping the themes of Isis' releases.
There is an overt intention of progressing heavy music present in Isis' output; a desire to further the intellectual cause that pushes them forward. This is evident within the clear progression of their sound from release to release, their influence on heavy music, and their acceptance in art circles where other metal bands are not so readily embraced. Their stated goal is "not to break away from the scene that [they] came from, but to expand upon it". Publications such as Terrorizer attest to how Turner has completed his goal, explaining that "Aaron Turner has loosened hardcore from its geographical roots, and in the process created an intimate, yet immeasurable vision all of his own". Turner has complained that "metal in general has long been unjustly maligned as solely the province of knuckle-dragging meatheads [...] That said, there's never been a group of musicians like there is now, who are helping to advance the form."
No Isis album contains an explicit diegesis, or story arc, instead focusing on themes rather than stories. As such, releases are defined by some as "pseudo-concept albums". The band see lyrics as important, but at the same time, Turner does not feel it necessary to enunciate every word. Instead, any connections made are mainly conjecture, and the formation of a theme takes into account the album artwork, previous albums, track titles and the use of metaphor just as much as lyricism. Oceanic tells a convoluted tale involving love, incest and suicide by drowning
. This relates to the theme of the all-powerful female, present lyrically in every album except Panopticon. Turner does not explicitly acknowledge an "overtly feminine theme"; however, he does state: "I just think it's interesting to include that as part of what we do, simply because metal, especially, is considered to be this very male-oriented, testosterone-driven art form, and I feel like it's important to recognize the other side of our nature. As manly as we might or might not be, we have to acknowledge that there is a feminine part of our persona, and that the world isn't made up of absolutes. To achieve balance, you have to recognize every facet of yourself and everyone else around you." Certain threads do reappear between albums, notes Turner. "There are certain themes which reoccur in my work just because of what I'm interested in and what is aesthetically pleasing for me", he says. "The idea of futuristic utopias and dystopias is probably something that does consciously and subconsciously return time and time again [...] and sometimes I just can't help the fact that these themes creep into my work whether it's conscious or not". The other two ongoing motifs in the lyrics and artwork are that of towers and mosquitos.
Panopticon was an overtly political release, and arguably the clearest statement made within their music as of yet. It displayed fears of surveillance
and of tacit governmental influence; its namesake, the panopticon
, was Jeremy Bentham
's concept for a prison system in which all the prisoners can be viewed by one guard in a central tower, without being able to know whether they are being observed or not. Bentham described the Panopticon as "a new mode of obtaining power of mind over mind, in a quantity hitherto without example." Quizzed on government conspiracies, Turner states: "I do believe that each and every day our government and the huge corporate entities of this country lie to us about numerous subjects. In this respect we are all victims of a huge conspiracy—most of those in power are only concerned with the advancement of their agendas and have no qualms about deceiving and hurting the American people."
After constantly explaining concepts and story outlines to interviewers and fans, Turner chose to keep the thematic basis of In the Absence of Truth quiet. "Through explaining the last two albums time and time again, I just started to become weary of the topic, and I started to feel like I was losing my connection to the music and the lyrics simply from having repeated it so many times [...] I feel there's a lot of emphasis these days placed on explaining everything in such a fashion that there's really nothing left for the listener or reader to explore themselves. It's all spelled out," Turner continues. "So it's interesting to leave some of that stuff open-ended so they have do to a little bit of legwork themselves." He was similarly reticent about revealing much which went into Wavering Radiant, beyond noting that Carl Jung
's theories, and dreams, served as inspiration.
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
-based post-metal
Post-metal
Post-metal is a music genre, a mixture between the genres of post-rock and heavy metal.Hydra Head Records owner and Isis frontman Aaron Turner originally termed the genre "thinking man's metal", demonstrating that his band was trying to move away from common metal conventions...
band, founded in Boston, Massachusetts, with a career spanning from 1997 to 2010. They borrowed from, and helped to evolve, a sound pioneered by the likes of Neurosis
Neurosis (band)
Neurosis is a post-metal band, based in Oakland, California. They formed in 1985 as a hardcore punk band, and their sound progressed towards a doom metal style that also included influences from dark ambient and industrial music as well as incorporating elements of folk music...
and Godflesh
Godflesh
Godflesh are an English industrial metal band from Birmingham, England. Originally known as Fall of Because, they formed in 1988 by Justin K. Broadrick and G.C. Green and disbanded in 2002. Godflesh's innovative music is widely regarded as a foundational influence on industrial metal and post-metal...
, creating heavy music
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
consisting of lengthy songs that focus on repetition and evolution of structure.
The band's last album, Wavering Radiant
Wavering Radiant
Wavering Radiant is the fifth and final full-length album by American post-metal group Isis, released by Ipecac Recordings in 2009 and produced by Joe Barresi. It stands as Isis' last full-length album, as the band split just over a year after its release...
, was released on May 5, 2009. They disbanded in June 2010, just before the release of a split EP
Melvins / Isis
The Melvins and Isis released a split EP on Hydra Head Records in 2010, with each band contributing two tracks. Isis' "Way Through Woven Branches" had previously only been available as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of their last full-length, Wavering Radiant, whilst "Pliable Foe" was...
with the Melvins.
Formation and early releases (1997–2001)
Several sessions of experimentation in BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
led friends Aaron Turner
Aaron Turner
Aaron Turner is a musician, singer, graphic artist, and founder of label Hydra Head Records. He is most widely known for his role as guitarist and vocalist for the post-metal band Isis, while also participating in several other bands and projects such as Old Man Gloom and Lotus Eaters.Though raised...
(guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
/vocals; also the owner of Hydra Head Records
Hydra Head Records
Hydra Head Records is an independent record label which specializes in heavy metal music, founded in New Mexico by Aaron Turner in 1993...
and its subsidiary, HH Noise Industries), Jeff Caxide
Jeff Caxide
Jeff Caxide is an American bassist, best known for his time with post-metal band Isis, of which he was a founding member and present until its dissolution in 2010. He was also a founding member of Red Sparowes, but left after the release of their first full-length. He also contributed to...
(bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), Chris Mereschuk (electronics/vocals) and Aaron Harris
Aaron Harris (Isis drummer)
Aaron Harris is an American drummer, best known for his career with Los Angeles, California-based post-metal band Isis. He was with the band from its inception in 1997 to its dissolution in 2010...
(drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
) to form Isis in late 1997. As Turner states, "Isis formed as a result of the dissatisfaction with past bands of the founding members. None of us were happy with what we were doing musically at the time, two of us lived together, we had similar tastes and similar record collections." Isis released a demo and their first EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Mosquito Control
Mosquito Control
The Mosquito Control EP is the first studio release by American post-metal band Isis, released in 1998 by Escape Artist. The piece runs fluently through all 29 minutes, and all four songs are linked through consistent bouts of chaos and lyrics glued by the metaphor of insect swarms for the failure...
, in 1998, with this line-up. During a show at the Middle East in Boston, MA. They sold copies of Mosquito Control
Mosquito Control
The Mosquito Control EP is the first studio release by American post-metal band Isis, released in 1998 by Escape Artist. The piece runs fluently through all 29 minutes, and all four songs are linked through consistent bouts of chaos and lyrics glued by the metaphor of insect swarms for the failure...
attached to a circular sawblade as a very limited print edition. After an East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
tour in the summer of 1998 where they were joined by Randy Larsen of Cable
Cable (American band)
Cable is an American band formed in 1994 in Rockville, Connecticut. They combine a hardcore punk and emo aesthetic with a rhythmically complex, often discordant metal-influenced musical approach...
on guitar, Mereschuk left the band. Jay Randall (now of Agoraphobic Nosebleed
Agoraphobic Nosebleed
Agoraphobic Nosebleed is a grindcore band formed in 1994 in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. Its line-up has changed often during the years, leaving the only permanent member Scott Hull , also a guitarist in Pig Destroyer...
) soon replaced him, working on Red Sea (1999). However, his stay would not last long. Isis then recruited guitarist/keyboardist Bryant Clifford Meyer
Bryant Clifford Meyer
Bryant Clifford Meyer is a keyboardist, guitarist and vocalist, best known for his tenure with Los Angeles, California-based post-metal band Isis. He was with the band since its debut full-length, Celestial, in 2000. Previously, he was a formative member of Boston-based rock band The Gersch...
(formerly of The Gersch
The Gersch
The Gersch was founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1995, though their members now reside all across the United States in the cities of Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Chicago. They have been on extended hiatus since 1999.-Biography:...
) and guitarist Michael Gallagher
Michael Gallagher (Isis guitarist)
Michael Gallagher is an American guitarist, best known for his work with post-metal band Isis. He joined them in 1999 for their debut LP Celestial, having previously been a member of Cast Iron Hike...
(formerly of Cast Iron Hike
Cast Iron Hike
-History:Cast Iron Hike was formed after the breakup of Worcester hardcore band Backbone, and featured that group's drummer and guitarist . They began by playing shows on the East Coast before releasing material in the mid and late 1990s in rapid succession, including EPs on Big Wheel Recreation...
) in 1999. After releasing their debut full-length entitled Celestial and its sister EP, SGNL>05
SGNL 05
-Personnel:Band members* Jeff Caxide – bass guitar* Aaron Harris – drums* Michael Gallagher – guitar* Bryant Clifford Meyer – electronics* Aaron Turner – guitar, vocals, art and graphic constructionOther personnel...
(on Neurot Recordings
Neurot Recordings
Neurot Recordings is an independent American record label founded by members of Neurosis and Tribes of Neurot. The label was founded to release the side projects of Neurosis and its members. It has since expanded to a fully functioning label, releasing music from artists...
), in 2000, Isis gained national underground attention in the metal/hardcore
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
scene through tours with Cave In
Cave In
Cave In is an American rock band that formed in 1995, in Methuen, Massachusetts. After several members changes in the late 90's, their lineup solidified with the 1998 release of Until Your Heart Stops through Hydra Head Records. Their early albums were prominent releases in the independent...
and Neurosis
Neurosis (band)
Neurosis is a post-metal band, based in Oakland, California. They formed in 1985 as a hardcore punk band, and their sound progressed towards a doom metal style that also included influences from dark ambient and industrial music as well as incorporating elements of folk music...
. Isis remained with this lineup until their dissolution in 2010.
For the SGNL>05
SGNL 05
-Personnel:Band members* Jeff Caxide – bass guitar* Aaron Harris – drums* Michael Gallagher – guitar* Bryant Clifford Meyer – electronics* Aaron Turner – guitar, vocals, art and graphic constructionOther personnel...
EP, they contacted Justin Broadrick
Justin Broadrick
Justin Karl Michael Broadrick is a British singer, songwriter, guitarist and drummer. He is best known as a founding member of the band Godflesh, one of the first bands to combine elements of extreme metal and industrial music.-Biography:Broadrick was born in the council estates of inner...
(then of Godflesh
Godflesh
Godflesh are an English industrial metal band from Birmingham, England. Originally known as Fall of Because, they formed in 1988 by Justin K. Broadrick and G.C. Green and disbanded in 2002. Godflesh's innovative music is widely regarded as a foundational influence on industrial metal and post-metal...
) through their friends in Neurosis to remix the title track from Celestial, which they used as the EP's closer. Following SGNL>05, the band felt a need to expand its remit, both artistically and in terms of distributive reach. The entire band were avid fans of Melvins, so their label – Mike Patton
Mike Patton
Michael Allan "Mike" Patton is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and actor, best known as the lead singer of the metal/experimental rock band Faith No More. He has also sung for Mr...
's Ipecac Recordings
Ipecac Recordings
Ipecac Recordings is an independent record label based in California. It was founded on April 1, 1999 by Greg Werckman and Mike Patton Ipecac Recordings is an independent record label based in California. It was founded on April 1, 1999 by Greg Werckman (ex-label manager of Alternative Tentacles,...
– was instantly put forward as an ideal candidate. Turner's friend James Plotkin
James Plotkin
James Plotkin is an American guitarist and producer, famous for his role in bands such as Khanate and OLD, but with an extensive catalogue outside these bands. He has performed guitar duties for bands Phantomsmasher and Scorn and continues to remix tracks for bands such as KK Null, Nadja, Sunn...
was already working with Ipecac, so he showed some material to Patton, who, unknown to the band, was already a fan. After discussion, they signed with Ipecac, who went on to issue the band's subsequent studio albums.
Oceanic (2002–2004)
Whereas Celestial was still deeply rooted in metal and hardcoreHardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
, 2002's follow-up, Oceanic
Oceanic (Isis album)
Oceanic is the second full-length album by American post-metal band Isis, released on September 16, 2002 by Ipecac Recordings.On July 23, 2006, Isis performed Oceanic in its entirety at KOKO, Camden Town, London as part of the All Tomorrow's Parties curated Don't Look Back series. This performance...
, saw the band acquire new characteristics comparable to post-rock
Post-rock
Post-rock is a subgenre of rock music characterized by the influence and use of instruments commonly associated with rock, but using rhythms and "guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures" not traditionally found in rock...
and ambient music
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
, significantly aiding in the birth of the genre of post-metal
Post-metal
Post-metal is a music genre, a mixture between the genres of post-rock and heavy metal.Hydra Head Records owner and Isis frontman Aaron Turner originally termed the genre "thinking man's metal", demonstrating that his band was trying to move away from common metal conventions...
in what many saw as a logical progression. While much of the material on the album retained the band's former "metallic" intensity, this departure saw the band appeal to a far wider audience; as a result, Oceanic may be the group's most noted album to date, and is widely considered a turning-point in the history of the band. Turner himself describes it as their "quintessential album". It was at the time their most successful release, receiving album-of-the-year accolades from Rock Sound
Rock Sound
Rock Sound is a British magazine which champions rock music. The magazine aims at being more "underground" and less commercial, whilst also giving coverage to more well known acts.-History:...
and Terrorizer in 2002, In late 2003, Isis relocated to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
The distinctive tone of material since and including Oceanic had a noticeable impact on avant-garde metal, helping develop the sound of several contemporaries; Cult of Luna
Cult of Luna
Cult of Luna is a Swedish post-metal band from Umeå. They formed from the remnants of a Umeå hardcore punk band called Eclipse in 1998. They slowly garnered critical appreciation and underground popularity with early releases Cult of Luna and The Beyond ; however, it is 2004's Salvation that can...
, Pelican
Pelican (band)
Pelican is a post-metal quartet from Chicago, Illinois.-Biography and description:The band is known for its dense combinations of different melodies and extended track lengths. Its distinctive sound draws from stoner rock, doom metal, post-rock, and other influences...
, Tides, Rosetta
Rosetta (band)
Rosetta is an American post-metal band from Philadelphia incorporating elements of post-hardcore, shoegazing, drone, post-rock, avant-garde, and ambient, with influences as diverse as Neurosis and Isis, My Bloody Valentine, Frodus, and Stars of the Lid...
, and Russian Circles
Russian Circles
Russian Circles is a three piece instrumental rock/metal band from Chicago. Russian Circles play instrumental, sprawling music which runs the gamut of heavy discordant metal, to soft delicate passages...
all cite Isis as an influence. This underground success attracted the attention of the likes of Mogwai
Mogwai
The word mogwai is the transliteration of the Cantonese word 魔怪 meaning "monster", "evil spirit", "devil" or "demon".-Mogwai/Mogui in Chinese culture:...
, with whom they have toured on numerous occasions.
Oceanic Remixes and Reinterpretations
Oceanic Remixes and Reinterpretations
In reviewing, Patrick Slevin of the Aquarian Weekly gave an effusive verdict, commanding that “everyone else should buy Oceanic first, then buy this.” He argues that Remixes “respects the overall spirit and feel of Oceanic, moving into each song with care and deliberate attention, which makes [it]...
was released in 2004, featuring reinterpretations of songs from Oceanic by a number of influential artists requested by the band. Both Oceanic and Oceanic Remixes feature female vocals by Maria Christopher of the band 27
27 (band)
27 is an American rock band from Cambridge, Massachusetts. 27 was formed by Maria Christopher, formerly of Dirt Merchants, and Ayal Naor in 1997. 27 is commonly categorized as a rock or indie rock band, but the genres lo-fi and emo have occasionally been used to describe them.27 has toured...
. The album featured another remix by Justin Broadrick
Justin Broadrick
Justin Karl Michael Broadrick is a British singer, songwriter, guitarist and drummer. He is best known as a founding member of the band Godflesh, one of the first bands to combine elements of extreme metal and industrial music.-Biography:Broadrick was born in the council estates of inner...
, who has supported Isis on tours with his band, Jesu
Jesu (band)
Jesu is a post-metal band formed in 2003 by Justin Broadrick following the breakup of Godflesh. Jesu was the name of the last song on the final Godflesh release, Hymns, and Broadrick decided to adopt it as the name of this project....
, which is signed to Hydra Head Records
Hydra Head Records
Hydra Head Records is an independent record label which specializes in heavy metal music, founded in New Mexico by Aaron Turner in 1993...
.
Panopticon (2004–2006)
2004 saw the release of Isis' third album, PanopticonPanopticon (album)
Panopticon is the third full-length album by Los Angeles, California based post-metal band Isis, released by Ipecac Recordings in 2004. The album's title is derived from philosopher Jeremy Bentham's panopticon prison ideal and philosopher/historian Michel Foucault's later allegorical appropriation...
. It signified a further progression many had predicted since Oceanic, with a more advanced post-rock feel to the music both structurally and in terms of sound. Justin Chancellor
Justin Chancellor
Justin Gunnar Walter Chancellor is an English musician formerly in the band Peach but best known as the bass player for Grammy Award-winning rock band Tool. Chancellor is of Norwegian and English descent...
of Tool
Tool (band)
Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
makes an appearance on the track, "Altered Course". Overall, it was a very well received album, being awarded 'album of the year' accolades from Rock Sound
Rock Sound
Rock Sound is a British magazine which champions rock music. The magazine aims at being more "underground" and less commercial, whilst also giving coverage to more well known acts.-History:...
and reaching #47 on Billboard's
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Top Independent Albums charts; their first entry into any mainstream charts. Before touring the United States, the band performed a free concert at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, in a manifestation of the widespread recognition the band had acquired in artistic circles since the release of Oceanic. Reacting to the impact of Oceanic and Panopticon, Revolver
Revolver (magazine)
Revolver is a bi-monthly rock and heavy metal magazine published by Future US. Before covering heavy metal, rock & hard rock solely, it was a more mainstream oriented magazine. The magazine is structured in a manner similar to publications such as Spin while covering many avenues within the heavy...
named Isis the twelfth heaviest band of all time in December 2004. On 23 July 2006, they performed Oceanic in full at KOKO in London as part of All Tomorrow's Parties
All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....
Don't Look Back season.
Clearing the Eye
Clearing the Eye
Clearing the Eye is the first DVD release by the Los Angeles post-metal band Isis. It features live videos , the "In Fiction" music video, photo galleries, lyrics for all songs featured, a complete discography, and a 20 page booklet.The DVD was originally to include a full documentary of the band,...
, the band's only DVD, documenting performances over the past five years throughout the world, was released by Ipecac on September 26, 2006. Also in September 2006, a collaboration with Aereogramme
Aereogramme
Aereogramme were a Scottish alternative/post-rock rock band from Glasgow, consisting of Craig B. , Iain Cook , Campbell McNeil and Martin Scott...
entitled In the Fishtank 14
In the Fishtank 14
In the Fishtank 14 is a collaborative EP from Isis and Aereogramme. It is the fourteenth installment of the collaboration project by Konkurrent, and was released in September 2006...
was released as part of a project of Dutch label Konkurrent in which two artists are given two days' studio time to write and record their work.
In the Absence of Truth (2006–2008)
In the Absence of Truth
In the Absence of Truth is the fourth full-length studio album by Los Angeles, California-based post-metal band Isis, released by Ipecac Recordings on October 31, 2006...
, on July 9, 2006. It was released on October 31, 2006 on Ipecac. The record sees the band again evolving in a manner similar to Oceanic and Panopticon, this time adding new elements of electronics, song structure, drumming complexity, and vocal techniques. It sees the emergence of a more melodic sound than before, and leanings away from previous "drone" inclinations and towards more traditional metal elements, predominantly in the heavier sections. It was also their most commercially successful release, peaking at number 6 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...
chart.
Isis were the opening act for Tool's
Tool (band)
Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
late 2006 North American tour in support of their new album, 10,000 Days
10,000 Days
10,000 Days is the Grammy Award-winning fourth studio album by American rock band Tool. The album was released on April 28, 2006 in parts of Europe, April 29 in Australia, May 1 in the United Kingdom, and May 2 in North America...
. This led to increased exposure for the band; however, the band members are not particularly comfortable with fame, and tend to keep their affairs private. Turner has stated that "We never imagined that Isis would become as successful or as popular as it has", and confesses: "[Fans] taking a deeply personal interest in who I am, it fucking freaks me out. And I really do feel like sometimes when I get approached, I’m retreating into my shell."
Wavering Radiant and break up (2009–2010)
In April 2009, the band won in the category "Best Underground Metal Act" at RevolverRevolver (magazine)
Revolver is a bi-monthly rock and heavy metal magazine published by Future US. Before covering heavy metal, rock & hard rock solely, it was a more mainstream oriented magazine. The magazine is structured in a manner similar to publications such as Spin while covering many avenues within the heavy...
's 'Golden Gods' awards ceremony. The band's fifth studio album, Wavering Radiant
Wavering Radiant
Wavering Radiant is the fifth and final full-length album by American post-metal group Isis, released by Ipecac Recordings in 2009 and produced by Joe Barresi. It stands as Isis' last full-length album, as the band split just over a year after its release...
, was released shortly afterwards by Ipecac. The CD saw release on May 5, 2009, and a limited vinyl edition on April 29, 2009. It was produced by "Evil" Joe Barresi
Joe Barresi
Joe Barresi is an American record engineer and producer who has worked with bands such as Kyuss, The Melvins, Tool, Queens of the Stone Age, Coheed and Cambria, Tomahawk, L7, The Jesus Lizard, Parkway Drive and Bad Religion.-Biography:...
after years of working with Matt Bayles had grown "routine" for the band.
The album's sound continued Isis' legacy of lengthy songwriting, and presents a slight departure from the soft-loud dynamics which characterised previous releases. Critical appraisal was largely positive; it went on to place well on a handful of best-of lists at the close of the year. Commercially, it was Isis' most successful release ever, breaching the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
for the first time and gaining international chart presence.
Extensive touring followed the album's release, taking in headlining shows across the United States, Europe, Japan and Australia with bands including Baroness
Baroness (band)
Baroness is a band from Savannah, Georgia whose members grew up together in Lexington, Virginia.-Formative years:Baroness formed in mid-2003, founded by former members of the punk/metal band Johnny Welfare and the Paychecks...
, Cave In
Cave In
Cave In is an American rock band that formed in 1995, in Methuen, Massachusetts. After several members changes in the late 90's, their lineup solidified with the 1998 release of Until Your Heart Stops through Hydra Head Records. Their early albums were prominent releases in the independent...
and Melvins. The tour took in the 2010 Bonnaroo Music Festival
2010 Bonnaroo Music Festival
The 2010 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival was held on June 10–13, 2010. The line-up was announced Tuesday, February 9, although the original line-up release date was scheduled for February 2. It was broadcast live on YouTube...
in Manchester, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, as well as the Soundwave Festival
Soundwave Festival
Soundwave Festival, held every year at the Scarborough Spa Ocean Room, Scarborough, UK, is a music and arts festival created by the DIY Collective, a group of young people from around the Scarborough area. It was first held in 1999 on South Bay Beach, Scarborough and was moved to the Spa Complex...
in Australia.
On 18 May 2010, Isis announced their decision to break up following their final tour, with their final show to be in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
– the location of the band's very first show – on June 23, 2010. Isis collectively stated they have "done everything we wanted to do, said everything we wanted to say," and, as part of an agreement made by the band at its formation, it did not wish to be faced with the possibility that it would "push past the point of a dignified death." In the wake of their breakup, they released a split EP
Melvins / Isis
The Melvins and Isis released a split EP on Hydra Head Records in 2010, with each band contributing two tracks. Isis' "Way Through Woven Branches" had previously only been available as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of their last full-length, Wavering Radiant, whilst "Pliable Foe" was...
with the Melvins in July 2010, featuring the Japanese Wavering Radiant bonus track "Way Through Woven Branches" and the unreleased song "The Pliable Foe", and Hydra Head Records have announced that the entire series of live albums will see digital re-release from May to July 2011.
Genre
Turner cites SwansSwans (band)
Swans are an influential American post-punk band initially active from 1982 to 1997, led by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael Gira. The band was one of the few groups to emerge from the early 1980s New York No Wave scene and stay intact into the next decade. Formed by Gira in...
, Tool
Tool (band)
Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
, Melvins, Godflesh
Godflesh
Godflesh are an English industrial metal band from Birmingham, England. Originally known as Fall of Because, they formed in 1988 by Justin K. Broadrick and G.C. Green and disbanded in 2002. Godflesh's innovative music is widely regarded as a foundational influence on industrial metal and post-metal...
, and Neurosis
Neurosis (band)
Neurosis is a post-metal band, based in Oakland, California. They formed in 1985 as a hardcore punk band, and their sound progressed towards a doom metal style that also included influences from dark ambient and industrial music as well as incorporating elements of folk music...
as influences to Isis' sound, saying "those bands laid the groundwork for us [...] we're part of a recognizable lineage." Early releases were derided as imitative of predecessors Neurosis, and he admits that the comparisons weren't "completely unjustified". However, material since (and including) Oceanic has not been so often likened to Neurosis; in fact, it has become the case that it is Isis who are being imitated in a burgeoning post-metal scene.
In terms of categorisation, Isis have been described as post-rock
Post-rock
Post-rock is a subgenre of rock music characterized by the influence and use of instruments commonly associated with rock, but using rhythms and "guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures" not traditionally found in rock...
, a genre which leans away from the traditional elements of choruses, verses, repetitive vocals, or fast riffing – what Turner describes as "guitar theatrics." However, post-rock has what is essentially a halcyon sound: one devoid of aggressive vocals and distorted guitars. Isis, however, have hardcore
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
/sludge
Sludge metal
Sludge metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that melds elements of doom metal and hardcore punk, and sometimes incorporates influences from southern rock, stoner rock and grunge. Sludge metal is typically abrasive; often featuring shouted vocals, heavily distorted instruments and sharply contrasting...
origins (especially in their pre-Celestial era) and hardcore-like vocals. Their music includes elements of hardcore, drone
Drone music
Drone music is a minimalist musical style that emphasizes the use of sustained or repeated sounds, notes, or tone-clusters – called drones. It is typically characterized by lengthy audio programs with relatively slight harmonic variations throughout each piece compared to other musics...
, sludge, indie
Indie (music)
In music, independent music, often shortened to indie music or "indie" is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, and an autonomous, Do-It-Yourself approach to recording and publishing....
, ambient music, and post-rock; yet none of these labels defines their sound fully. Critic Dan Epstein notes that "though [Isis were] originally lumped in with the hardcore and doom-metal scenes, the band has long since transcended the musical boundaries of those genres". However, their ongoing acceptance within the pantheon of hardcore music is attested to by Converge's
Converge (band)
Converge is an American band from Salem, Massachusetts. Playing a blend of hardcore punk and metal since 1990, Converge has helped to define many of the elements of the metalcore genre.-Description:...
Jacob Bannon
Jacob Bannon
Jacob Bannon is the vocalist, lyricist, and graphic artist for the American metalcore band Converge. He is also the founder and owner of the label Deathwish Inc...
, who has gone on record saying that "if I wanna listen to emotional music which I guess is contemporary [...] I'll listen to Isis or something like that - something that is emotional, powerful music."
Turner, when asked to define Isis, described their sound as "avant-garde, drone-oriented rock, but that doesn't completely cover the bases". At the same time, he is reticent about settling on one label exclusively, and steers away from the use of specific genre labels – "'heavy, atmospheric, droning, post-epic, post-metal, shoegazer blah blah blah.'" When asked how he reacts to being asked to define Isis' sound, he admits "I never know what to say. I'm almost afraid of perpetuating a new tag." Likewise, he also describes their music using a slightly more open-ended tag: as "thinking man's metal"; however, it must be noted that this tag refers to the intellectual elements behind the music, as opposed to exclusively aural ones.
Due to the difficulty in pigeonholing
Pigeonholing
Pigeonholing is a term used to describe processes that attempt to classify disparate entities into a small number of categories ....
, some fans and critics label Isis as post-metal
Post-metal
Post-metal is a music genre, a mixture between the genres of post-rock and heavy metal.Hydra Head Records owner and Isis frontman Aaron Turner originally termed the genre "thinking man's metal", demonstrating that his band was trying to move away from common metal conventions...
. This genre is accepted to contain similar-sounding contemporaries such as Pelican
Pelican (band)
Pelican is a post-metal quartet from Chicago, Illinois.-Biography and description:The band is known for its dense combinations of different melodies and extended track lengths. Its distinctive sound draws from stoner rock, doom metal, post-rock, and other influences...
, Cult of Luna
Cult of Luna
Cult of Luna is a Swedish post-metal band from Umeå. They formed from the remnants of a Umeå hardcore punk band called Eclipse in 1998. They slowly garnered critical appreciation and underground popularity with early releases Cult of Luna and The Beyond ; however, it is 2004's Salvation that can...
and Callisto
Callisto (band)
Callisto is a post-metal band from Turku, Finland. The band was formed in 2001 in Kokkola. Whilst their early works are hardcore/metalcore, their first album True Nature Unfolds has a strong sludge metal and doom influence and their second album Noir is more influenced by progressive and more...
; however, Isis are often credited with the formulation of the genre with the release of Oceanic.
The music of Isis is not suitable for mainstream release or commercial radio playtime due to extensive song length and niche appeal; as guitarist Michael Gallagher states, "we've never tried to be on the radio, and we've never tried to please others. We've simply done whatever we've wanted to do, and we've all decided to be happy with the results."
Conceptual elements
Turner has gone on record saying "I like the idea of preserving at least a little shred of mystery and making the band to be more an entity—without hopefully sounding too pretentious — as a work of art [than a traditional rock band]". Turner has also said in an interview in New Zealand music magazine Rip It UpRip It Up (magazine)
Rip It Up is a bi-monthly New Zealand music magazine. Started in June 1977 as a free monthly giveaway, it grew rapidly, with its monthly print run reaching 30,000 copies by the mid 1980s...
that "we don't want to hand-feed everything to the listener. We just want to have a sense of mystery". There is a definite attitude that art and music are interchangeable and synonymous to the band; he feels that "the songwriting and the artwork come from the same place". This logic relates to visual and aural aspects as well as overt intellectualisation, through literary references and driving philosophies. Books such as Don Quixote, House of Leaves
House of Leaves
House of Leaves is the debut novel by the American author Mark Z. Danielewski, published by Pantheon Books. The novel quickly became a bestseller following its March 7, 2000 release. It was followed by a companion piece, The Whalestoe Letters...
, Labyrinths
Labyrinths
Labyrinths is an English-language collection of short stories and essays by Jorge Luis Borges.It includes "Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius", "The Garden of Forking Paths", and "The Library of Babel", three of Borges' most famous stories. Many of the stories are from the collections Ficciones and El...
and the philosophies of Jeremy Bentham
Jeremy Bentham
Jeremy Bentham was an English jurist, philosopher, and legal and social reformer. He became a leading theorist in Anglo-American philosophy of law, and a political radical whose ideas influenced the development of welfarism...
have all played a role in shaping the themes of Isis' releases.
There is an overt intention of progressing heavy music present in Isis' output; a desire to further the intellectual cause that pushes them forward. This is evident within the clear progression of their sound from release to release, their influence on heavy music, and their acceptance in art circles where other metal bands are not so readily embraced. Their stated goal is "not to break away from the scene that [they] came from, but to expand upon it". Publications such as Terrorizer attest to how Turner has completed his goal, explaining that "Aaron Turner has loosened hardcore from its geographical roots, and in the process created an intimate, yet immeasurable vision all of his own". Turner has complained that "metal in general has long been unjustly maligned as solely the province of knuckle-dragging meatheads [...] That said, there's never been a group of musicians like there is now, who are helping to advance the form."
Themes
Most of Isis' releases revolve around a theme. While each release has its own unique theme, many of the major releases interconnect. Turner has stated: "we wanted to have albums that weren't just grab-bags of songs but rather a cohesive experience from beginning to end, from the music to the lyrics to the layout of the record."No Isis album contains an explicit diegesis, or story arc, instead focusing on themes rather than stories. As such, releases are defined by some as "pseudo-concept albums". The band see lyrics as important, but at the same time, Turner does not feel it necessary to enunciate every word. Instead, any connections made are mainly conjecture, and the formation of a theme takes into account the album artwork, previous albums, track titles and the use of metaphor just as much as lyricism. Oceanic tells a convoluted tale involving love, incest and suicide by drowning
Drowning
Drowning is death from asphyxia due to suffocation caused by water entering the lungs and preventing the absorption of oxygen leading to cerebral hypoxia....
. This relates to the theme of the all-powerful female, present lyrically in every album except Panopticon. Turner does not explicitly acknowledge an "overtly feminine theme"; however, he does state: "I just think it's interesting to include that as part of what we do, simply because metal, especially, is considered to be this very male-oriented, testosterone-driven art form, and I feel like it's important to recognize the other side of our nature. As manly as we might or might not be, we have to acknowledge that there is a feminine part of our persona, and that the world isn't made up of absolutes. To achieve balance, you have to recognize every facet of yourself and everyone else around you." Certain threads do reappear between albums, notes Turner. "There are certain themes which reoccur in my work just because of what I'm interested in and what is aesthetically pleasing for me", he says. "The idea of futuristic utopias and dystopias is probably something that does consciously and subconsciously return time and time again [...] and sometimes I just can't help the fact that these themes creep into my work whether it's conscious or not". The other two ongoing motifs in the lyrics and artwork are that of towers and mosquitos.
Panopticon was an overtly political release, and arguably the clearest statement made within their music as of yet. It displayed fears of surveillance
Surveillance
Surveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...
and of tacit governmental influence; its namesake, the panopticon
Panopticon
The Panopticon is a type of building designed by English philosopher and social theorist Jeremy Bentham in the late eighteenth century. The concept of the design is to allow an observer to observe all inmates of an institution without them being able to tell whether or not they are being watched...
, was Jeremy Bentham
Jeremy Bentham
Jeremy Bentham was an English jurist, philosopher, and legal and social reformer. He became a leading theorist in Anglo-American philosophy of law, and a political radical whose ideas influenced the development of welfarism...
's concept for a prison system in which all the prisoners can be viewed by one guard in a central tower, without being able to know whether they are being observed or not. Bentham described the Panopticon as "a new mode of obtaining power of mind over mind, in a quantity hitherto without example." Quizzed on government conspiracies, Turner states: "I do believe that each and every day our government and the huge corporate entities of this country lie to us about numerous subjects. In this respect we are all victims of a huge conspiracy—most of those in power are only concerned with the advancement of their agendas and have no qualms about deceiving and hurting the American people."
After constantly explaining concepts and story outlines to interviewers and fans, Turner chose to keep the thematic basis of In the Absence of Truth quiet. "Through explaining the last two albums time and time again, I just started to become weary of the topic, and I started to feel like I was losing my connection to the music and the lyrics simply from having repeated it so many times [...] I feel there's a lot of emphasis these days placed on explaining everything in such a fashion that there's really nothing left for the listener or reader to explore themselves. It's all spelled out," Turner continues. "So it's interesting to leave some of that stuff open-ended so they have do to a little bit of legwork themselves." He was similarly reticent about revealing much which went into Wavering Radiant, beyond noting that Carl Jung
Carl Jung
Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and the founder of Analytical Psychology. Jung is considered the first modern psychiatrist to view the human psyche as "by nature religious" and make it the focus of exploration. Jung is one of the best known researchers in the field of dream analysis and...
's theories, and dreams, served as inspiration.
Members
Last active line-up
- Jeff CaxideJeff CaxideJeff Caxide is an American bassist, best known for his time with post-metal band Isis, of which he was a founding member and present until its dissolution in 2010. He was also a founding member of Red Sparowes, but left after the release of their first full-length. He also contributed to...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Michael GallagherMichael Gallagher (Isis guitarist)Michael Gallagher is an American guitarist, best known for his work with post-metal band Isis. He joined them in 1999 for their debut LP Celestial, having previously been a member of Cast Iron Hike...
– guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker... - Aaron HarrisAaron Harris (Isis drummer)Aaron Harris is an American drummer, best known for his career with Los Angeles, California-based post-metal band Isis. He was with the band from its inception in 1997 to its dissolution in 2010...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Bryant Clifford MeyerBryant Clifford MeyerBryant Clifford Meyer is a keyboardist, guitarist and vocalist, best known for his tenure with Los Angeles, California-based post-metal band Isis. He was with the band since its debut full-length, Celestial, in 2000. Previously, he was a formative member of Boston-based rock band The Gersch...
– electronics, keyboards, guitar, vocals - Aaron TurnerAaron TurnerAaron Turner is a musician, singer, graphic artist, and founder of label Hydra Head Records. He is most widely known for his role as guitarist and vocalist for the post-metal band Isis, while also participating in several other bands and projects such as Old Man Gloom and Lotus Eaters.Though raised...
– guitar, vocals
Collaborators
- Maria Christopher and Ayal NaorSpore (band)Spore was a noise rock band from Boston, Massachusetts formed in the wake of the early 1990s grunge movement. Spore were signed in 1993 on the Taang! Records label, the same label which initially signed The Lemonheads, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Mission of Burma, with whom the band released a...
of 27 (both of whom contributed to OceanicOceanic (Isis album)Oceanic is the second full-length album by American post-metal band Isis, released on September 16, 2002 by Ipecac Recordings.On July 23, 2006, Isis performed Oceanic in its entirety at KOKO, Camden Town, London as part of the All Tomorrow's Parties curated Don't Look Back series. This performance...
) - Justin ChancellorJustin ChancellorJustin Gunnar Walter Chancellor is an English musician formerly in the band Peach but best known as the bass player for Grammy Award-winning rock band Tool. Chancellor is of Norwegian and English descent...
of ToolTool (band)Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
(who contributed to the song "Altered Course" on PanopticonPanopticon (album)Panopticon is the third full-length album by Los Angeles, California based post-metal band Isis, released by Ipecac Recordings in 2004. The album's title is derived from philosopher Jeremy Bentham's panopticon prison ideal and philosopher/historian Michel Foucault's later allegorical appropriation...
) - Agoraphobic NosebleedAgoraphobic NosebleedAgoraphobic Nosebleed is a grindcore band formed in 1994 in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. Its line-up has changed often during the years, leaving the only permanent member Scott Hull , also a guitarist in Pig Destroyer...
(collaborated on a cover of Melvins' "Boris" for We Reach: The Music of the MelvinsWe Reach: The Music of the MelvinsWe Reach: The Music of The Melvins is a 2005 tribute album to the Melvins.-Track listing:...
) - AereogrammeAereogrammeAereogramme were a Scottish alternative/post-rock rock band from Glasgow, consisting of Craig B. , Iain Cook , Campbell McNeil and Martin Scott...
(collaborated on the KonkurrentIn the FishtankIn the Fishtank is an ongoing project of Konkurrent, an independent music distributor in the Netherlands. In this project, Konkurrent invites one or two bands to record and gives them two days studio time. The first four albums were recorded by individual bands, but eight of the last ten releases...
release In the Fishtank 14In the Fishtank 14In the Fishtank 14 is a collaborative EP from Isis and Aereogramme. It is the fourteenth installment of the collaboration project by Konkurrent, and was released in September 2006...
) - Adam JonesAdam Jones (musician)Adam Thomas Jones is a three time Grammy Award-winning Welsh-American musician and visual artist, best known for his position as the guitarist for Grammy-Award winning band Tool. Jones has been rated the 75th Greatest Guitarist of all time by the Rolling Stone and placed 9th in Guitar World's Top...
of ToolTool (band)Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
(who contributed to the songs "Hall of the Dead" and "Wavering Radiant" on Wavering RadiantWavering RadiantWavering Radiant is the fifth and final full-length album by American post-metal group Isis, released by Ipecac Recordings in 2009 and produced by Joe Barresi. It stands as Isis' last full-length album, as the band split just over a year after its release...
)
Side projects
- Old Man GloomOld Man GloomOld Man Gloom is a sludge/doom metal/post-metal band originally formed in Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States, but now based in Massachusetts. The group, formed by Aaron Turner of Isis and Santos Montano, has now expanded to become a sort of supergroup in the Boston hardcore and metalcore scene....
(Turner) - House of Low CultureHouse of Low CultureHouse of Low Culture is a musical project which is fronted by Aaron Turner, and includes other members of the band Isis. The ensemble also includes Stephen O'Malley from Sunn O))) and Luke Scarola from Old Man Gloom...
(Turner, Caxide) - Lotus Eaters (Turner)
- Red SparowesRed SparowesRed Sparowes is a Los Angeles post-rock band comprising current and former members of Isis, Halifax Pier, Angel Hair and Pleasure Forever. Their sound is characteristic of soundscape-influenced experimental rock, with an otherwise uncommon extensive use of a pedal steel guitar.-History:Red Sparowes...
(Caxide, Meyer) - Windmills by the Ocean (Meyer)
- MGR (Gallagher)
- Mamiffer (Turner)
- Taiga (Meyer)
- Spylacopa (Caxide)
- Greymachine (Turner)
- ZozobraZozobra (band)Zozobra is a metal band that was first conceived by Caleb Scofield during 2006. He was joined by Santos Montano for the band's first release, Harmonic Tremors in 2007...
(Harris) - TwilightTwilight (band)Twilight is an American black metal band formed in 2005 and originally commissioned by the Swedish underground label Total Holocaust Records. Members of the band all go by pseudonyms: "Azentrius" , "Hildolf" , "Imperial" , "Malefic" and "Wrest" .Although Twilight has so...
(Turner)
Discography
- Celestial (2000)
- OceanicOceanic (Isis album)Oceanic is the second full-length album by American post-metal band Isis, released on September 16, 2002 by Ipecac Recordings.On July 23, 2006, Isis performed Oceanic in its entirety at KOKO, Camden Town, London as part of the All Tomorrow's Parties curated Don't Look Back series. This performance...
(2002) - PanopticonPanopticon (album)Panopticon is the third full-length album by Los Angeles, California based post-metal band Isis, released by Ipecac Recordings in 2004. The album's title is derived from philosopher Jeremy Bentham's panopticon prison ideal and philosopher/historian Michel Foucault's later allegorical appropriation...
(2004) - In the Absence of TruthIn the Absence of TruthIn the Absence of Truth is the fourth full-length studio album by Los Angeles, California-based post-metal band Isis, released by Ipecac Recordings on October 31, 2006...
(2006) - Wavering RadiantWavering RadiantWavering Radiant is the fifth and final full-length album by American post-metal group Isis, released by Ipecac Recordings in 2009 and produced by Joe Barresi. It stands as Isis' last full-length album, as the band split just over a year after its release...
(2009)
External links
- [ Isis] at Allmusic