Isis - Wavering Radiant
June 2 2009 at 09:55:13 PM
The most radical album of the year comes not from Sunn, or Aluk Todolo, or Krallice – or whatever Hospital Records and Volcanic Tongue are rubbing their collective jurnts to – but from lil’ ol’ Isis. In an empowering move of “extremism,” Aaron Turner & Co. manages to flagrantly appropriate the latest guise of impotent Norsemen Enslaved, as well as the wealth of milquetoast music proper of the past 40 years. A bettin’ man likely would have put the farm up after
Oceanic; the seeds of transformation from bash/crash wreak & roll to the hyperbolic arabesques of
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway were all but self-evident. Of course Isis has predictably enjoyed modest critical success as they comply overtly with the unwritten condition of continuing to churn out wholly inoffensive and artistically bankrupt schlock for tousle-headed penbangers and the fitted-tee wearin’ brood.
The tunes? Oh, they couldn’t come from more of an earnest young man… Turner, an artiste-cum-entrepreneur with a penchant for donning NED merchandise, even recently published an exchange on his blog between himself and a disappointed fan bemoaning a lackluster performance one of his other bands evidently mailed in. The kicker here is the guy accuses Turner of just working a job on stage after he’d ridden “nine hours in a filthy Polish train” to attend. Turner, nonplussed, simply says his band’s music is “about feeling,” and he apologizes for the guy not receiving any “special feeling” from the performance! While I’d like to kick around a theory I have about disgruntled fan’s lack of “feeling reception,” I can’t seem to get past the notion that for this guy to be upset means he must’ve – at some fucking point – felt something via The House of Turner. Jaw, meet filthy Polish train floor.
And I still wasn’t prepared for it.
Wavering Radiant provided the most potent nothing statement I’ve ever sat through. Harnessing the goals and aspirations of a teen content with deep-throating the Graffix 24/7 and zipping through a few seasons of
Family Guy is an interesting motherfucking way of making a record. And it’s as provocative and nihilistic than Black Metal could ever hope to be. To wit: The dreaded Post-Rock beats abound; anytime I hear quick hi-hat work and chorus pedals couple, I’m scrounging for an air-sickness bag. Competing and contrasting halcyon/harsh vox add to the upset. By the time you’re through five of the 10 minutes of “Threshold of Transformation” you’re wondering aloud which Jessica Biel summer frolic flick the shit is going to soundtrack. At least I am well aware of the “feelings” I get from watching Biel. The Polish kid’s gonna have to eat his weight in MDMA to vibe on
Wavering Radiant. But, don’t take my word for it; there’s always Pitchfork…
[Stewart Voegtlin]
Isis
Wavering Radiant
2009
Ipecac
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I think I will hold out for the Xasthur "All Reflections Drained Silkscreened Strap-On Dildo" that should be coming next.
I'm going to go pump some iron while I'm waiting...
i'm surprised stew that you wasted what like 78 minutes of your life listening to this though.
i hope you were inebriated.
I liked them better when they wanted to be Godflesh.
Yes, I have several "templates" waiting on the hard-drive to have the names, "Isis," "Wolves in the Throne Room," "Krallice" et al, plugged into them. You win.