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Isis (band)

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Isis is a Los Angeles, California-based band, commonly labeled avant garde, post-metal, post-hardcore, post-rock and experimental. They have borrowed and helped to evolve a sound pioneered by the likes of Neurosis and Godflesh, with music consisting of lengthy songs that focus heavily on repetition. Because of this and the fact that they tend to bury the vocals, the band use their music as a vehicle for emotion, and are not concerned with gaining mainstream attention. This element of sophistication and the subsequent breaking of genre boundaries leaves a cloud of inaccessibility over the band.

Contents

Biography

Several sessions of experimentation in Boston, Massachusetts led friends Aaron Turner (guitar/vocals), Jeff Caxide (bass guitar), Chris Mereschuk (electronics/vocals) and Aaron Harris (drums) to form Isis in 1997 (see 1997 in music). Isis released a demo and their first EP, Mosquito Control, with this lineup. After an East Coast tour in the summer of 1998 (see 1998 in music) where they were joined by Randy Larsen of Cable on guitar, Mereschuk left the band to pursue other opportunities. Jay Randall (Agoraphobic Nosebleed) soon joined the band, helping release the Red Sea (1999), but his stay would not last. Ultimately, this led to the addition of former Cast Iron Hike guitarist Mike Gallagher and Cliff Meyer (electronics/guitar) in 1999 (see 1999 in music). After releasing debut full-length Celestial (2000), Isis would gain national attention in the underground metal/hardcore scene through tours with legendary space rockers Cave In and noisecore pioneers Neurosis. Isis remains with this lineup to date.

Aaron Turner is also the owner of Hydra Head Records and its subsidiaries, HH Noise Industries and Tortuga Recordings.

Where Celestial was still deeply rooted in metal and hardcore, the 2002 follow-up, Oceanic, saw the band acquire new characteristics comparable to post-rock and ambient music, effectively birthing the fledgling genre of post-metal. 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.

2004 (see 2004 in music) saw the release of Isis' third album Panopticon. The album was a progression most had predicted of the band since Oceanic, with a more advanced post-rock feel to the music both structurally and in terms of sound. Before touring the USA, the band performend a free concert at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, a manifestation of the widespread recognition the band had acquired since the release of Oceanic.

August 22, 2006 will see the release of a DVD entitled Clearing the Eye, documenting performances over the past two years throughout the world. The band finished recording their fourth album on July 9, 2006 with a tentative release date set for Halloween 2006.

It has also recently been announced that Isis will be the opening act for Tool's late 2006 North American tour in support of their new album, "10,000 Days".

Genre

Isis have been compared to the genre of post-rock, which leans away from the traditional elements of choruses, verses, repetitive vocals, or fast/repetitive riffs. However, Isis have more hardcore/sludge origins (especially in their pre-Celestial era) and hardcore-oriented vocals; their music involves elements from hardcore, drone, sludge, indie, ambient and post-rock, yet none can define their sound fully. Frontman Aaron Turner, when posed the challenge of defining Isis, stated they were best described as "avant-garde, drone-oriented rock, but that doesn't completely cover the bases."

Due to this difficulty, some fans and critics tend to label Isis as post-metal. This genre is accepted to contain similar-sounding contemporaries such as Pelican, Cult of Luna, or Rosetta. However, this term fails to describe the sound of bands like Isis or Neurosis, who have different backgrounds and involve various other elements in their music.

Themes

Most of Isis' releases revolve around a theme, which is expanded upon within the different tracks. While each different release has its own unique theme, many of the major releases offer themes which interconnect. For more detailed perspectives on these themes, refer to the specific entries linked below.

Members

Current

Past

Collaborators

Side Projects

Discography

Year Title Format, Notes
1998 Self-titled Demo cassette. Included with all pressings of the Red Sea.
1998 Mosquito Control EP.
1999 The Red Sea EP. Includes four-track demo.
1999 Split release Split EP with Pig Destroyer. Features cover of Godflesh's "Streetcleaner."
1999 Sawblade Limited EP. Also called Buzzsaw.
2000 Celestial Debut LP.
2001 SGNL>05 EP. Companion to Celestial LP.
2002 Oceanic LP.
2004 Live.01 First live LP.
2004 Oceanic: Remixes Two-disc LP edition of remixes and reinterpretations.
2004 Live.02 Live LP. Professionally recorded.
2004 Panopticon LP.
2005 Live.03 Live LP.
2006 Live.04 Live LP. Compilation of live rarities from 2001-2005.

Videography

External links

Isis
A Turner | J Caxide | M Gallagher | A Harris | BC Meyer
Releases
Mosquito Control | The Red Sea (incl. demo) | Sawblade | Celestial | SGNL>05 | Oceanic | Live.01 | Panopticon | Live.02 | Oceanic Remixes | Live.03 | Live.04
[SGNL>05 (Official Site)]

 

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