When it comes to post-metal, Isis remain one of the most notable exponents despite having called it a day a couple of years ago. There’s a very good reason for this: in drawing on a range of genres, in particular the epic, expansive qualities of post-rock with the bludgeoning weight and heavy riffage of metal, albeit from the sludgier end – and most importantly be being bloody good – they came to define the ‘post-metal’ sound.
Temporal is a collection of unreleased rarities, remixes and videos spanning the band's thirteen year career, features 14 songs spread over two discs. The cynic may dismiss it is an odds-and-sods cash-in, but the truth is that it stands as a remarkable document of a remarkable band, and the quality of material – and of the audio itself – is hard to fault.
The demo version of ‘Threshold of Transformation’ is raw and punchy, a cataclysmic collision of post-metal and hardcore. The vocal is ragged and pitched against a monolithic bass and duelling guitars that swirl and drive respectively, and ‘Ghost Key’ builds to an explosive wall of guitar around a third of the way into its 8-plus minute expanse.
‘Carry’ combines articulate musicianship with blind vocal rage, while the screaming vocals are all but buried beneath a deluge of guitar on the pulverizing ‘False Light’.
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Disc 2 brings a similar wealth of gems, with the two tracks culled from the split EP with Melvins – ‘Way Through Woven Branches’ and ‘Pliable Foe’ – which effectively represent the band’s last work are well worthy of inclusion, demonstrating that whatever they said about quitting because they felt their work was done, Isis were far from a spent force at the end of their career. Similarly, the cover of the Godflesh track ‘Streetcleaner’ is probably worth the money for this release alone. Being one of the first major influences on Isis’ sound, it seems only right that Godflesh should receive such a tribute, and while they’re as inimitable as they are seminal, Isis do the track justice, and then some.
So rather than lament the passing of Isis, we should rejoice, for ‘Temporal’ gives us cause to celebrate their momentous musical achievements.
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