Thursday, November 15, 2007
Posted at
03:27
by
Carly Carioli
Isis, "Not In Rivers, But In Drops (Live at the Middle East, 11/4/2007)"
Hard to believe it's been ten years since Aaron Turner started Isis -- and eight years since we wrote this. Back then, Aaron was still at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, his LP sleeves were redefining the aesthetics of metal, Isis had released all of one EP (on Escape Artist, a label then-Relapse publicist Gordon Conrad had formed specifically to put out the Isis demo), and Hydrahead was home to Cave In and Converge.
He pretty much made good on all of it: shape-shifting his label, and his band, from niche-market bosses to breakthrough flag-bearers. Isis stands as the gold standard of undie-metal greatness, and they're in large part the reason that metal became the new indie rock. You could hear it on both nights that Isis played the Middle East last week, performing a career-retrospective set (we didn't keep a list, but they seemed to be playing about two songs off each album) that spanned horror-movie soundtrack; psychedelic doom-metal howl; and Slinty, lost-at-sea post-rock, often within the same song.
Above: a special treat from the second night of Isis's 10th Anniversary homestand at the Middle East on November 3/4, with footage from what may eventually become another live DVD. Extra-special thanks to Leah Xylona, Ned Hinkle, Ivy Moylan, and Kenneth Thomas for the shoot; in case you hadn't noticed, it's way better than anything we shoot, so it's a pleasure to host it.
BOSTONPHOENIX: "Homegrown Drone," Isis interview and mp3
ISIS 10th ANNIVERSARY TOURDATES:
Nov 15: Richards on Richards - 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY SHOW w/ These Arms Are Snakes & 27 Vancouver, British Columbia
Nov 16: Hawthorne Theater - 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY SHOW w/ Wolves In The Throne Room & 27 Portland, Oregon
Nov 18: Slim’s - 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY SHOW w/ Big Business & 27 San Francisco, California
Nov 19: Downtown Brew - 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY SHOW w/ Big Business & 27 San Luis Obispo
Nov 20: The Troubadour - 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY SHOW w/ Big Business & 27 Los Angeles, California
