Isis Panopticon
Ipecac Recordings October 19th, 2004
By Jason Jordan
Wow, I dont even know where to begin. Remember how Oceanic was magnificent? Do you remember thinking that Isis would have to do a whole lot to surpass their previous release? Well, suffice it to say, Panopticon clobbers the bands entire discography.
So Did We jumps right in with the groups patented sound and vocals. The aforementioned song gets mellow about thirty seconds after commencement. As you know, Isis passages are usually winding and filled with contained intensity; furthermore, have you stumbled upon a band that builds to a climax better than these guys? I also enjoy the steady drumming, which makes it nominally easier to weld with the tracks groove(s). Backlit is a sullenly beautiful piece that funnels into a haggard, confident composition. In Fiction retains a mysterious feel to its beginning, but convincingly sprawls outward, as does Wills Dissolve. Syndic Calls is perhaps more experimental than anything else on Panopticon. Perhaps not. In any case, I fell for the guitar parts that cut in and out, circa the 2:00 mark. Altered Course is a bit more raw than typical, and Grinning Mouths is most assuredly solid. Negatives include: songs that meander a little too much at times, length of certain tracks may put you out, and thats about it.
Needless to say, Panopticon will definitely grace many top-albums-of-the-year lists, and rightfully so. Not only is the music phenomenal, but also the glossy, liner notes are cool and the artwork is worth mention. In sum, I believe Isis have let loose the best album of their meek career. So, agree or flame away.
9/10
Official Isis website
Official Ipecac Recordings website
Ipecac Recordings October 19th, 2004
By Jason Jordan
Wow, I dont even know where to begin. Remember how Oceanic was magnificent? Do you remember thinking that Isis would have to do a whole lot to surpass their previous release? Well, suffice it to say, Panopticon clobbers the bands entire discography.
So Did We jumps right in with the groups patented sound and vocals. The aforementioned song gets mellow about thirty seconds after commencement. As you know, Isis passages are usually winding and filled with contained intensity; furthermore, have you stumbled upon a band that builds to a climax better than these guys? I also enjoy the steady drumming, which makes it nominally easier to weld with the tracks groove(s). Backlit is a sullenly beautiful piece that funnels into a haggard, confident composition. In Fiction retains a mysterious feel to its beginning, but convincingly sprawls outward, as does Wills Dissolve. Syndic Calls is perhaps more experimental than anything else on Panopticon. Perhaps not. In any case, I fell for the guitar parts that cut in and out, circa the 2:00 mark. Altered Course is a bit more raw than typical, and Grinning Mouths is most assuredly solid. Negatives include: songs that meander a little too much at times, length of certain tracks may put you out, and thats about it.
Needless to say, Panopticon will definitely grace many top-albums-of-the-year lists, and rightfully so. Not only is the music phenomenal, but also the glossy, liner notes are cool and the artwork is worth mention. In sum, I believe Isis have let loose the best album of their meek career. So, agree or flame away.
9/10
Official Isis website
Official Ipecac Recordings website
