- 01Mosquito ControlNot long for Isis, Larson left and Chris Mereschuk joined, contributing electronics to the churning Mosquito Control EP, which was recorded by Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou long before he became one of the most sought-after engineers in heavy music.from the chapter
- 02The Red SeaOne year later, Isis rereleased its demo alongside a handful of new songs on The Red Sea, which features Agoraphobic Nosebleed’s Jay Randall in Mereschuk’s spot.from the chapter
- 03CelestialIsis went on the road with Converge and Cavity and also landed a spot supporting Neurosis, which led to the band finding a home for its 2001 LP, Celestial, on Neurot Recordings.from the chapter
- 04SGNL>05That gradual, yet gnawing and incessant, forward momentum also guides 2001’s SGNL>05 EP.from the chapter
- 05OceanicAt the time, Isis was largely dismissed as ripping off Scott Kelly and co. Oceanic of 2002 drowned that dismissal.from the chapter
- 06We Are the RomansHydra Head etched into stone its reputation for putting out some of the most progressive and influential aggressive music with Botch’s We Are the Romans and The Dillinger Escape Plan’s Calculating Infinity, both released in 1999.from the chapter
- 07Calculating InfinityHydra Head etched into stone its reputation for putting out some of the most progressive and influential aggressive music with Botch’s We Are the Romans and The Dillinger Escape Plan’s Calculating Infinity, both released in 1999.from the chapter
- 08RemissionIsis teamed with engineer Matt Bayles, who recorded Mastodon’s impactful Remission around the same time, and entered a studio in Boston.from the chapter
- 09“The Beginning and the End”Opener “The Beginning and the End” follows a man who leaps into the sea and drowns himself.from the chapter
- 10“False Light”Amid a crushing instrumental surge, “False Light” beckons that person to her own oceanic death, urging her to “hold his hand and crush it” and then “discover bliss and serenity in drowning.”from the chapter
- 11Through Silver in BloodThe unsettling drone in Oceanic’s untitled fifth song is one of the most direct sonic references to Neurosis on the album, doling out a similar ominousness as the samples on Through Silver in Blood.from the chapter
- 12PanopticonOn 2004’s Panopticon, Isis focuses on surveillance and its mechanizing effect on the human spirit.from the chapter
- 13“So Did We”Tracks like “So Did We,” “Syndic Calls,” and “Altered Course” are humming engines, moving forward even when moving forward is an illusion, like an inmate’s routine completion of daily chores.from the chapter
- 14“Syndic Calls”Tracks like “So Did We,” “Syndic Calls,” and “Altered Course” are humming engines, moving forward even when moving forward is an illusion, like an inmate’s routine completion of daily chores.from the chapter
- 15“Altered Course”Tracks like “So Did We,” “Syndic Calls,” and “Altered Course” are humming engines, moving forward even when moving forward is an illusion, like an inmate’s routine completion of daily chores.from the chapter
- 16Dead ManTurner has said that Neil Young’s Dead Man soundtrack was very influential for Isis, and closer “Grinning Mouths” is one of the clearest examples with its plodding twang.from the chapter
- 17“Grinning Mouths”Turner has said that Neil Young’s Dead Man soundtrack was very influential for Isis, and closer “Grinning Mouths” is one of the clearest examples with its plodding twang.from the chapter
- 18Absence of TruthLater that year, Isis put out In the Absence of Truth, an LP driven by Harris’s labyrinthine drumming.from the chapter
- 19Wavering RadiantThree years later, Isis put out its final LP, Wavering Radiant, before announcing its plan to disband.from the chapter
- 20In the Absence of TruthI was luckily able to witness the band later that same year—on a tour in support of In the Absence of Truth, and with Scofield’s Zozobra and Justin Broadrick’s Jesu playing the opening slots.from the chapter