ISIS - Wavering Radiant Review

Posted by Enrique on 05.09.2009

ISIS’ fifth studio album offers nearly an hour of ambient “post-metal.” Wavering Radiant is thoroughly pleasing to the ear, but suffers somewhat from a lack of adventurousness.



Band
Aaron Turner – vocals, guitar
Michael Gallagher – guitar
Bryant Clifford Meyer – guitar, electronics
Jeff Caxide – bass
Aaron Harris – drums

Songs
1. Hall of the Dead (7:39)
2. Ghost Key (8:29)
3. Hand of the Host (10:43)
4. Wavering Radiant (1:48)
5. Stone to Wake a Serpent (8:31)
6. 20 Minutes / 40 Years (7:05)
7. Threshold of Transformation (9:53)

Based in Los Angeles, ISIS has been playing its brand of moody, atmospheric rock for over ten years. Some bands are difficult to pigeonhole, and ISIS’ Wikipedia page (always a good source of worthwhile information) characterizes the music by saying “a great range of musical labels are used to describe their sound, including avant-garde metal, post-metal and progressive metal.” I’ve read a few other reviews of ISIS albums, and the “post-metal” tag seems ubiquitous – but what does it mean? After a few spins of the band’s fifth studio LP Wavering Radiant, I get the idea “post-metal” may be a politic way of saying “not heavy.” Fair enough, that’s not a drawback in and of itself, and the songs on Wavering Radiant are consistently enjoyable and well-executed. However, they're also frequently ponderous and repetitive, leaving the listener to wonder kind of record ISIS could make if they really cut loose.

Frontman Aaron Turner has cited influences such as Tool, Neurosis, and Godflesh, although ISIS doesn’t often match the brutality those bands are capable of. To be sure, there are plenty of crunchy, distorted guitars and harsh vocals that put the “metal” in ISIS’ version of “post-metal,” but the heavy parts don’t dominate the material. The intelligent arrangements and pleasing vibe of Wavering Radiant are more reminiscent of mellower progressive metal/rock outfits like Cynic or Porcupine Tree than tech-focused bands like The Mars Volta. But a group like Porcupine Tree mixes up their introspective, mesmerizing parts with surprising time changes and chunky riffs. ISIS seems to prefer dwelling on mid-paced musical passages that unfold beautifully, but eventually run out of steam.

Still, ISIS’ “thinking man’s metal” is somewhat of a darling among critics, and it’s not difficult to appreciate why. Few would argue the material on Wavering Radiant isn’t high quality. Opening track “Hall of the Dead” comes out of the gate with a tastefully groovy Tool-ish riff, over which Turner drops some harsh vocals in the verse before a delightful clean-sung chorus. Halfway in, the song takes a quiet turn with some trippy guitars and keys while drummer Aaron Harris gradually increases the momentum over the course of a few minutes, to which the listener approvingly bobs his/her head. “Ghost Key” starts off with moody ambience before another round of screams and guitar distortion, which transitions to a big melodic chorus briefly, only to return to harsh vocals and haunting rhythms. I imagine this material would be really terrific in performance, magical in the way only live music can be.

By the time the ten-minute “Hand of the Host” gets going, the listener starts to hear a pattern. ISIS does a good job mixing light and shade, writing music that anyone could be in the mood for sometimes, even if not all the time. But halfway through Wavering Radiant, it becomes apparent there won’t be any surprises around the corner. The songs will develop pleasantly enough, but there won’t be any unexpected tempo changes, and the heavy parts won’t ever get too heavy. At best, the music is clever, satisfying, and inoffensive. At worst, it can be dull. I kept waiting for Wavering Radiant to kick into a higher gear, but for the most part it didn’t.

Perhaps my expectations weren’t appropriate, because ISIS is certainly a skillful group. Their compositions are top notch and can be genuinely moving. Album closer “Threshold of Transformation” is notably powerful and has some moments of gratifying impact, before falling into over-repetition as the album’s final minutes wind down. Overall, Wavering Radiant gives the impression of a band staying within itself, rather than pushing itself to the limits. Having listened to previous albums
In the Absence of Truth (2006) and Panopticon (2004), it seems safe to say ISIS has carved a niche for itself and fans of morose, ambient rock. There’s nothing wrong with any of the material, but the songs have a nagging “background music” vibe to them. Wavering Radiant has many strong moments, but rarely does it demand the listener’s full attention.

Of course, many people prefer music that isn’t too busy, and fans of any of the above-mentioned bands (particularly Tool and Cynic) would be well advised to give Wavering Radiant a listen. It's terrific music if you’re in the mood for something cool and kinda-artsy. But if you’re a fan of this sphere of progressive rock/metal, ISIS’s music might not strike you for what it is, but for what it isn’t – not as daring as Opeth, not as heavy as Neurosis, not as energetic as The Mars Volta. Wavering Radiant is undoubtedly a solid effort from a band that appears to have come into its own, but if you’re looking for music that challenges and occasionally confounds the listener, you may want to look elsewhere.

The 411: Fans of ISIS will likely be pleased that Wavering Radiant continues where In the Absence of Truth left off, delivering an intelligent mixture of heady instrumental jams with outbursts of aggression. ISIS’ intelligent arrangements and eerie atmosphere should appeal to fans of the mellow spectrum of progressive rock/metal. At the same time, discriminating listeners might not be able to shake the idea of a band operating on auto-pilot. Wavering Radiant is definitely good, sometimes very good, but not quite great.

Final Score:  7.0   [ Good ]