ISIS, Wavering Radiant
On their latest, Isis shimmer and glimmer as often as they growl and pound
Five full-length studio albums into a twelve-year career, Isis have pretty much found their niche, and that niche lies somewhere between Tool's angst-filled prog-isms, Mogwai's majestic art-rock instros and Sunn 0)))'s ambient metal drones. Wavering Radiant doesn't so much mess with the formula as refine it; as on 2006's In the Absence of Truth, leader Aaron Turner is singing as much as growling, and the guitars shimmer through chorus pedals as often as they rattle the windows with brutal distortion. With the exception of the spacey title track, all of Wavering Radiant's cuts clock in at seven minutes and beyond, and all take their sweet time to reveal their mysteries; repeated headphone listening sessions are definitely recommended. Highlights include the ringing "Hall of the Dead," the ominous "Stone To Wake a Serpent" and the scorching "Threshold of Transformation," but this is a record that's meant to be experienced as a whole, not sliced and diced into individual tracks. The album's lone misstep is "Ghost Key," which is marred by a recurring flute/keyboard motif that sounds like it was lifted straight from an early '90s Zamfir record; thankfully, the track's pummeling drums and distorted guitars eventually blow the new age stench out of the room.
