Adios Isis

. . .

Isis are breaking up. I feel like I’m writing yet another obituary. The soon-to-be-deceased is not a person, but it’s very much an animate entity. It grew up and changed directions a few times. That disappointed some but made many more happy. Its logo grew iconic. It did things on its own terms.

I discovered Isis’ discography – the prime years, anyway, 1998 to 2004 – nearly all at once. Thus, I forget which was my first Isis record. But I vividly remember my first impressions of each one. The Mosquito Control and The Red Sea EP’s blew me away with their intensity. Celestial, SGNL>05, Oceanic, the Oceanic remixes, and Panopticon were all “interesting”. They were all different, but a line clearly ran though them. The involvement of Justin Broadrick at times didn’t hurt. In this age of MP3’s, Isis may be one of the last bands whose physical releases were events.

Up until 2002’s Oceanic, Isis were about evolution. Afterwards, they were about refinement. For me, that refinement peaked with my favorite Isis song, “In Fiction”, from Panopticon. It’s a perfect expression of the slowly-building-to-a-peak approach that countless bands have copied since. The song’s video was of a piece with Panopticon‘s surveillance theme.

Then Isis started losing their unity. Their next two albums, In the Absence of Truth and Wavering Radiant, were bland, though not without their moments. Side projects started popping up. Frontman Aaron Turner moved away from his bandmates in LA to Seattle. Energy was draining from the band.

So it’s just as well that Isis are stopping while they’re ahead. (See full statement here.) They’ll put out a final EP – it looks like my prediction here will be sort of true – and tie up loose ends. Then they will take their immense talents into the world as individuals. Isis will leave behind a legacy 99% of bands fail to achieve: a style of their own.

. . .

ISIS FINAL TOUR

with Jakob, Tombs

5/26 The Casbah – San Diego, CA
5/29 Wow Hall – Eugene, OR
5/30 Capitol Theatre – Olympia, WA
5/31 Rickshaw Theatre – Vancouver, BC
6/01 Neumo’s – Seattle, WA
6/02 Doug Fir Lounge – Portland, OR
6/04 Great American Music Hall – San Francisco, CA
6/05 The Troubadour – Los Angeles, CA

with Melvins

6/12 Bonnaroo Festival – Manchester, TN
6/14 40 Watt Club – Athens, GA
6/16 9:30 Club – Washington, DC
6/17 Theater Of Living Arts (TLA) – Philadelphia, PA
6/18 Webster Hall – New York City, NY
6/19 Music Hall Of Williamsburg – Brooklyn, NY
6/20 Paradise Rock Club – Boston, MA
6/21 Paradise Rock Club – Boston, MA

with Cave In

6/22 Port City Music Hall – Portland, ME
6/23 Club Soda – Montreal, QC

. . .