Isis – The Mosquito Control EP

Isis
The Mosquito Control EP
Escape Artist



If you’re only familiar with newer Isis material like In the Absence of Truth, this one is going to shock you. The Mosquito Control EP features the intricate melancholy of strange hardcore bands like Kiss It Goodbye with the crushing heaviness of Christdriver and mid-period Neurosis. There’s nothing on this EP that’s even remotely “Tool-like.” Personally, I prefer the sound of earlier Isis material like this record and The Red Sea (coming soon) and I wished they had kept pushing in this direction. “Poison Eggs” is one of my single favorite songs ever. The Mosquito Control EP is recommended for reefer-heads and folks who know what’s up.

This was requested at the behest of No Funeral writer DC the Medic. He said that he needed to hear something heavy because life in the ATX has got him down. Look what you Austin posers have reduced him too!





Isis – The Mosquito Control EP




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Isis – In the Absence of Truth

Isis
In the Absence of Truth
Ipecac



Among those-without-clues, this record has received a bum rap. Everyone wants to rip on In the Absence of Truth for being a Tool knock off. While the album is certainly Tool-influenced, accusing Isis of plagiarism does a disservice to both bands.

When Isis first emerged in the late 1990s, during the Mosquito Control/Red Sea-era, it literally sounded like they might go down the traditional metal/hardcore route. Instead, Isis took the less-travelled Neurosis Blvd. all the way to musical glory and commercial success (for the most part). Now, 10 years into this voyage, why would you expect them to not make a record like this?

In the Absence of Truth is the most ambitious Isis record to date. It’s a sprawling epic that doesn’t have the space-rock vibe of Celestial and is far more focused than Panopticon. There are even fewer lyrics and vocals on this album than usual for Isis; which isn’t many to start. Isis uses their instruments to take the listener on a journey into the ethereal. They accomplish this with well-placed tempo changes, layers of feedback and unusual song arrangements. Isis knows how to build an atmosphere. Their down-tuned heaviness is a mental victory. Isis is not a slave to technology. This is recommended for the progressive-minded. In the Absence of Truth is Tool influenced; like that’s a bad thing.




Isis – In the Absence of Truth




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