Post-metal giveaway

Isthmus

What’s the state of play in post-metal?

By post-metal, I mean the bands that have arisen in the wake of Neurosis, Isis, and Mono.

I suppose I should know, since many of the genre’s releases cross my desk. But I’m also not a fan of the genre. My aesthetic preferences are sharpness, definition, and concision. These are not traits of post-metal. I like Neurosis, Isis, and Mono. Their quality trumps my preferences. But I don’t like their imitators. I have spent way too much time suffering through keyboards, “psychedelia,” and bad beards. Occasionally innovators come along, whom I try to cover (see this site’s “post-metal” tag). The last such band was Isthmus, whom I reviewed for Decibel‘s demo column. They are sort of a cross between the NeurIsis sound and Between the Buried and Me.

Isthmus – Perihelion II

Like all other art, probably 95% of post-metal is bad and 5% is good. I’m just more allergic to that 95% than most. Perhaps I don’t have the right perspective to evaluate the genre. Maybe unbiased observers (or even fans) can see it for what it is. Just because something is bad doesn’t mean it’s worthless. Sometimes it’s a failed experiment. That can still inspire and create movement. Is there still inspiration and movement in post-metal? Or am I just fine with my Neurosis, Isis, and Mono discographies?

I am giving away 15 post-metal CD’s, a mixture of demos, promos, and finished releases. I can’t vouch for their quality, as I’m a biased listener. My trash could be your treasure. For a chance to win, email invisibleoranges at gmail dot com by midnight EST, Wednesday, August 19 with the subject header “Tied to the whipping post” and your full name and address. I will choose a winner randomly.

– Cosmo Lee

Isthmus:
Amazon (CD)
Amazon (MP3)
Band MySpace (CD)